OzFlux

A network of towers around Australia continuously measures the exchange (flux) of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. This network of towers is the OzFlux facility of TERN and is also part of Fluxnet, a global network of over 400 flux towers, most of which are located in the northern hemisphere. OzFlux is a national partnership with significant contributions from universities and research agencies around the country and coordinated by CSIRO.
 

OzFlux provides a common set of core measurements at multiple sites and time scales to improve understanding of ecosystem function and biogeochemical cycles for use in ecosystem and land surface models.

OzFlux data are being used to improve our understanding of the response of carbon and water cycles in Australian ecosystems to climate variability, disturbance (fire, insects), land management and future changes in precipitation, temperature and carbon dioxide levels. OzFlux data are also being used to test and improve CABLE, the land-surface model in ACCESS being developed jointly by CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and Australian universities.

OzFlux is providing researchers with data to answer the following questions:

1. What are the key constraints to ecosystem productivity?
2. How resilient is ecosystem productivity in the face of climate change and variability?
3. What is the current water balance of the ecosystem and how will it change in future?

Answers to these questions are central to informing land management and climate adaptation and mitigation policies.

For more information on OzFlux and to access the OzFlux data portal you can visit the OzFlux website.
 

Watch this video of the flux tower at the Calperum Chowilla Supersite to see the component parts of a tower, and the kinds of measurements taken.

The OzFlux tower network and parameters measured at each site:

Facility Director

Dr Suzanne Prober
CSIRO
E:
www.ozflux.org.au

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