Tracking flood waters over Australia using space gravity data

Droughts and floods in Australia cause billions of dollars of economic loss. The intensity of both droughts and floods is increasing in a warming climate, making the management of water resources more and more critical. This project will contribute to addressing how water management affects Australia's economy by providing a means of tracking flood waters and environmental flows down Australia's rivers through novel uses of satellite data. Combined with rainfall data and modelling of the movement of water in the landscape, the research will make it easier to predict runoff and flood risk. The project will demonstrate the viability of monitoring river flows from space, providing a new means of preparing downstream communities for imminent floods as well as ensuring that sensitive ecosystems receive allocated environmental flows during dry periods. We will share our outcomes with all Aust