Climate and Weather of the Australian Alps.

Climate is the long term weather patterns of a particular place, the weather that is most
likely for that area over a period of time 30 years or more.
General pattern including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind, it also
includes extremes of drought, rain events and cyclones.
Humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air at a particular temperature. Relative
humidity is the ratio of the airs water vapour content to its capacity.
When humidity is high, there is enough water in the air to make it rain or snow.
The sun keeps us warm and gives us light. The wind cools or warms the land and
brings the rain. Together they dictate the life cycle of plants and animals. Our people
travelled across the country in response to the seasonal availability of food, the weather
and family traditions.
All precipitation come from the vapour in the air. Frozen droplets melt and fall to the
earth as rain.
Conditions for heavy snowfall are strong westerlies through winter,
For every 1000m increase in altitude there is a 6.50c drop in ambient temperature. This
is called the lapse rate. The atmosphere is not warmed directly by the sun, but by heat
radiated from the earths surface and distributed by conduction and convection. The
temperature drops due to decrease water vapour, c02 and dust which absorb and retain
heat, there is also a decrease in land area available to radiate heat, and the density and
pressure of air reduces its ability to retain heat.
Climate, plants and animals make up biomes. Climate of a biome will determine the
plants and animals in them. Mountain climates share wet and dry periods and midlatitude climates.
Cold temperatures mean that precipitation falls as snow.
Snow, sleet, frost, blizzards, hail and rain occur during spring and winter.
In summer temperatures can rise to 300c.
Mild mountain climates support important water storage functions by regulating flow
from the alpine environment seepage down slope.
transpiration is a major form of water loss in the alpine catchments
UV radiation is more noticeable at higher elevations due to thinner atmosphere.
Rainfall is higher in the alps due to orographic rainfall. Where wind patterns force the
air up the side of a mountain to dew point where the leeward side becomes a rain
shadow.

Weather in the past

Over millions of years weather and climate patterns have changed many times, six
million years ago rainforests dominated Australia, three million years ago treeless
plains relace the rainforests and in the last two million years the area has been covered
in ice several times (glacial periods)
The last Ice age was 10,000 years ago.

Climate change

Increase temperature around the world due to the greenhouse effect. The global
temperature increase has been 0.6degrees in the last 100 years and an increase of .72.5 degrees is expected by 2050 if conditions continue.
Climate change brings hotter, dryer and more extremes of weather patterns.
Changes in habitat, diversity and abundance of animals and plants will occur and
there will be limited high altitude refuge
With less snow and warmer soils higher elevations will become suitable for lower
altitude plants. The future tree line may move upward and alpine habitats will become
smaller thereby reducing endemic plant species to even smaller areas of suitability.
This may also bring increase weeds in subalpine and alpine regions placing further
pressure on endemic species.
Bird species will increase and have impacts on the distribution and numbers of the
pygmy possum and the broad toothed rat.
A reduction in snowfall will impact recreational activities
Management agencies acknowledge challenges of managing climate change. They are
committed to monitoring to assist in on-ground management for at risk areas.

Ozone Depletion

Ozone depletion occurs when the destruction of stratospheric ozone exceeds the
production of the stratospheric ozone
To understand longer term trends at different elevations stations have been placed at
altitudes differing 1000m this allows for the examination of seasonal trends in
ultraviolet radiation.

How can you utilise the knowledge in your prep for the long walk or whilst on the walk?
Having an understanding of the climate and patterns in the alpine region allows for me to be
able to share knowledge with the group when teachable moments arise, this overall allows for
the group to have discussions about their beliefs in terms of climate change. By understanding
how climate change effects the alpine regions we can each look at our foot print on the
environment and it overall makes us more aware of our impact on the significant regions.

(Manson, 2013)

Bibliography
Manson, R. (2013). Climate and Weather of the Australian Alps. Victoria:
Australian Alps National Parks.