Observed Climate Change in Australia over the past Century

Abstract

Temperatures across nearly all of Australia increased through the 20 th century, as did sea surface temperatures in the surrounding oceans. It seems likely that much of the warming is due to increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Rainfall trends have been less spatially consistent than the temperature trends with areas of increase (especially in the northwest) and areas of decrease (especially in the southwest). There is some evidence suggesting that some of the rainfall trends are the result of human influences, but this evidence is less convincing than is the case with the increases in temperature.