Remote sensing

Lake Tuggeranong south of Canberra is a popular place for recreation but also often suffers from toxic algal blooms in summer. This made it a good candidate to test a new water quality monitoring system called AquaWatch. Image: Allan Sharp / Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

AquaWatch: the ‘weather forecast for water quality’ that’s an Australian world first

Satellites and high-tech sensors are revolutionising the way water quality challenges will be monitored and responded to into the future.

New satellite switches views of Earth’s water to high definition

The new Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite will orbit across Australia as part of a game-changing mission to revolutionise how scientists observe Earth’s water.

A predicted ocean

Predicting the ocean requires mind-boggling technology, from salty robotic drifters and pristine supercomputers. But when it comes to the crunch, what is the first step?

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.

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.

Counting every drop: Measuring evaporation in dams

Australia is one of the sunniest places on the planet. That means we lose large volumes of water from our reservoirs through evaporation. Our scientists have created a way to measure evaporation rates with expert precision, helping to better manage water resources.

A satellite image of the coast of Queensland near Townsville. A brown plume swirls into the blue/green water near the coast at the mouth of the Burdekin River.

eReefs: integrated environmental intelligence for managing the Reef

This interactive platform puts information about management options and past, present, and future conditions of the Reef at users’ flipper-tips.

Aerial image of south-western Victoria. A red dot shows Cobden and there is a trail of smoke blowing to the west.

Forecasting smoke from a forty-day fire

In recent years there has been an increase in the occurrence of peat fires. Smoke from these events can significantly impact surrounding communities due to the health risks associated with prolonged poor air quality. Using an air quality forecasting system (AQFx), CSIRO researchers are helping authorities to minimise this impact.

Using today’s ocean observations to unlock tomorrow’s climate

Integrated ocean observation systems are playing a critical role in preparing us for future climate challenges.