Issue 289 – After the floods

Can flood water go underground for future use?

Some Australian towns have gone from severely drought-affected to flooded in recent years. Recent rain has prompted researchers to demonstrate how water banking can be used to prepare for future droughts.

A bushfire burns in the distance in Victoria.

Climate change attribution – calculating the role of climate change in natural disasters

When a natural disaster occurs, scientists often get asked ‘how did climate change contribute?’. Modelling and data analysis are helping answer this, and other questions about frequency and severity of extremes.

Tree ferns seen resprouting amidst a charred landscape

Experts reflect on CSIRO’s contribution to global climate science

With the leading global climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due to publish a synthesis of its sixth report in September, three CSIRO contributors to the report series reflect on CSIRO’s contribution to global climate science.

Earth Observation images show the mouth of the Clarence River before the flood on February 9 (left) and after, on March 3, with a sediment plume calculated to be 10km extending well off the coast into the Tasman Sea. Credit: European Union. Modified data from Copernicus Sentinel-2, processed with the Sentinel Hub EO Browser.

Using satellite data to unlock water quality knowledge

Data cubes built using decades of satellite images reveal how the quality of estuarine and coastal waters changes after weather events, and over time.

Aerial photo of a a ship and an oil spill

How our new technology improves oil spill response

Oil spills can cause significant environmental damage. We have developed new oil spill response technology that focuses on removing small oil droplets. And it all starts off with the humble domestic sponge ...

The International Space Station was orbiting above the Northern Territory of Australia when this photograph was taken of the Gulf of Carpentaria including (from bottom left to right) the Pellew Islands, Wellesley Islands and South Wellesley Islands. One of the station's main solar arrays drapes the left side of this photograph.

Monitoring our vast and varied coasts

Human advancement is testing the resilience of our coasts, from the molecular level to the planetary. CSIRO's technologies are helping manage our changing coasts.

Surge in demand for Australian lithium-ion batteries

With 100 per cent of Australia’s lithium-ion batteries currently imported from overseas, an opportunity exists for Australia to build the whole battery value chain from mining of battery minerals to processing, battery active materials and eventually cell manufacture.

How to build resilience in the face of compounding extreme events

The risk of more frequent and extreme natural hazards is rising with climate change. When these extreme events 'collide', their impacts compound—making communities more vulnerable to crises. How can we prevent potential systemic failures caused by extreme events?

The 3D printing of foods – from concept to reality

3D printing is opening up a whole world of new food product opportunities.