Associate ProfessorMichael Kirkpatrick

Associate Professor Michael Kirkpatrick's research focuses on developing new and more accurate mathematical river-simulation models to predict the effects of weather, climate and flow-rate changes on water quality, enabling better management of Australia's rivers and estuaries.

"My current research focuses on the effects of thermal stratification in rivers. This occurs mostly as a result of heating by the sun, which causes the water near the surface of the river to become warmer than the water deeper down. The warm surface water is lighter than the cooler water below, so it floats on top like a hot-air balloon floats in the sky. This prevents the mixing of water that is essential for the river to remain healthy.

"A lack of mixing prevents oxygen from being carried to the deep waters, and prevents contaminants in the deep waters from escaping, making it acidic and toxic. If this situation lasts for more than a couple of days we end up with serious environmental problems, such as algal blooms, mass fish deaths and damage to the river's ecosystems.

"There are a number of natural physical processes that break down this stratification and allow a river to mix properly, and the basic idea behind my research is to develop models that can predict how effectively these processes will be operating over the coming week or so, given the current weather and flow conditions. If the model predicts a level of mixing that may lead to environmental problems, then river management authorities can increase the flow rate by releasing water into the river from upstream storage reservoirs, to prevent this from occurring.

"My aim is to develop a new generation of river-management tools that will enable us to optimise water allocation, balance the needs of all water users, and maximise both economic and environmental benefits."