Shaun Levick https://www.geospatialecology.com

Environmental Monitoring and Modelling

Practical assignment - drought indicators in south-eastern Australia

Australia is no stranger to drought. The continent is vast and arid, and farmers are regularly confronted with extreme conditions. South-eastern Australia is currently in a severe state of drought, with little sign of relief in sight. The situation is receiving increased media and political attention, with much debate around the role of climate change and the increasing regularity and magnitude of these events.

NSW drought

Your task

As a prominent scientist in the field of environmental monitoring, you have been approached by a leading popular science magazine to write a short article that provides the facts on how temperature, rainfall, and vegetation condition have been changing in a farming region of south-eastern Australia.

Assessment format

Magazine article:

  • 3-4 pages (max 2 pages of text, less than 1000 words)
  • clear communication for non-specialist audience
  • inclusion of maps and graphs to illustrate points
  • explanation of data sources and methods used to develop maps/graphs
  • explicit explanation and discussion of the concept of scale and how it applies in space and time to understanding environmental change

Articles should be uploaded to Learnline as a single PDF.


GEARS - Geospatial Ecology and Remote Sensing - https://www.geospatialecology.com

(c) Shaun R Levick