News
BAMOS Sep 2018
7
National Science Week 2018
How did you celebrate National Science Week in August ? There were events around the country - below are a few interesting talks that AMOS members attended .
In the NT
In conjunction with the Darwin Festival , NT Inspiring Australia presented the World Premiere of ‘ Pathetic Fallacy ’ ( pictured below ) for National Science Week , 2018 . The event was followed by a QandA with the artists and is described below .
“ Over the past 40 years , there have been more frequent extreme weather events than ever before in human history . Up until 40 years ago , hurricanes were only given female names . Hurricanes with female names kill more people than hurricanes with male names because people don ’ t prepare for them as thoroughly . People will accept any colour of sky in a painting as realistic . A green sky means a storm is coming .
Using a temperamental broadcast media green screen , this piece takes on our changing relationship to weather . Fusing raw fantasy with research into classical art , small talk , forecasting and how storms get named , Pathetic Fallacy is both factual and personal .”
Vale Dr Angus McEwan
Retired Chief of the CSIRO Division of Oceanography ( 1981- 95 ) and AMOS Past President ( 1998-1999 ) Dr Angus McEwan passed away on 5 September 2018 , aged 81 years . Our thoughts are with his partner Elizabeth ( Liz ) Wood and their respective daughters and grandchildren . A celebration of Dr McEwan ' s life will take place at 12:30pm on Saturday 27 October at Turnbull Funerals , 71 Letitia Street , North Hobart . The December issue of BAMOS will feature an obituary for Dr McEwan .
Eureka prize nominations
AMOS sciences were well represented in the Eureka prize finalists in 2018 . Congratulations go to the eReefs project , a finalist in the ‘ UNSW Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research ’ category and to Professor Andrew Pitman , a finalist in the ‘ CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science ’. A summary and accompanying video for each nomination are available on the Australian Museum website along with the announcement of the 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes winners .
AGU Awards & Fellows announced
Caroline Ummenhofer of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has been awarded the James B . Macelwane Medal by the American Geophysical Union .
In QLD
AMOS-Q hosted a presentation by Tony Wedd on the southeast change severe thunderstorm climatology for Brisbane . The synopsis is below .
In TAS
Image : Science Week website
“ Some of the worst thunderstorms to affect SE QLD occur with SE ’ ly wind changes moving north along the coast . These storms can be difficult to predict , as environmental conditions give little indication of the severity of the storms to follow .
We identify a number of parameters that together provide good guidance discriminating between highend severe thunderstorm events and other events , at useful forecasting lead times of several hours or more .”
AMOS joined with the Australian Marine Sciences Association ( AMSA ) and the University of Tasmania to host a public event on Observing Our Oceans : High tech solutions for a hostile environment ( event recording available ), which was held in both Hobart and Launceston .
“ The American Geophysical Union ( AGU ) has selected its 2018 class of medalists , awardees , and prize recipients . 33 individuals are recognized this year for their dedication to science for the benefit of humanity and their achievements in Earth and space science .”
Caroline Ummenhofer held a Vice-Chancellor Postdoctoral Fellowship at UNSW ( 2009-2012 ) and was also a Visiting Fellow with CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research in Hobart . Since 2012 , she holds a faculty position in the Physical Oceanography Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution .
Trevor McDougall of the University of New South Wales has been elected to the 2018 class of AGU Fellows .
Trevor McDougall is a Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow at the School of Mathematics and Statistics at UNSW and is also an AMOS Fellow . His research focusses on the mathematical and physical foundations of mixing in the ocean .
Send in your news items for the next issue of BAMOS and share snippets about the latest events and announcements with the AMOS community .
Email bamos @ amos . org . au .