On board a CSIRO research vessel.

Oceans influence on our climate

Australia is taking the lead in the design, coordination and implementation of research in ocean regions relevant to Australia and their influences on climate.

• 27 November 2005 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Understanding ocean influences
• Key research areas

The oceans of the world play a fundamental role in the climate system. They transport large quantities of heat from one location to another, and they are the source of water in the hydrological cycle.

Oceans are also the main long-term sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and play an important role in controlling the rate at which carbon dioxide is increasing in the atmosphere.

Understanding ocean influences

Over the last decade, Australian researchers have made substantial progress in understanding the processes of the oceans surrounding the continent and their role in the climate system.

These advances have been based on our ability to simulate the interactions between the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and biogeochemistry, and on new observations from:

• ships
• moorings
• drifting robotic floats
• satellites.

Key research areas

Key areas of research on oceanic processes and circulations in the Australian regions include:

• the Southern Ocean which is a major component of oceanic heat transport, overturning circulation and carbon sink
• the Antarctic coastal region, where deep ocean water – Antarctic Bottom Water – is formed as a result of the formation of cold and saline water
• the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that connects all of the major ocean basins to the south of Australia
• the Indonesian Throughflow – warm water that flows through the Indonesian archipelago from the Pacific Ocean into the Indian Ocean which is closely linked to Australian climate variability
• the ocean-atmosphere linkage that causes the El Niño-Southern Oscillation annual variations that so greatly affect Australian climate variability.

Learn more about CSIRO’s ocean research