Past Projects
AO-QUEST
This project is concerned with the study of mechanisms of atmosphere-ocean dynamics in climate changes in past and future. It thus complements the carbon cycle (C-Quest) and continental ice (Ice-Quest) components of the Quest group of projects. Areas of study include climate variations in the past (glacial, holocene, paleocene-eocene thermal maximum, etc.) as well as future anthropogenic climate changes. The main tools used in this project are the CLIMBER model family (2, 3α, 3) and simple conceptual models.
CLIMBER-3-ALPHA
The CLIMBER-3 project seeks to develop an Earth System model of intermediate complexity (EMIC). This model will be the next generation EMIC beyond the highly successful CLIMBER-2 model; it will incorporate a 3-D ocean general circulation model, a better resolution atmosphere, and many other major improvements. The model will be efficient enough for performing many simulations on the multi-millennia time scale, and the greatly improved geographical resolution will allow many applications beyond the scope of CLIMBER-2. Applications include studies in paleoclimate, anthropogenic climate change and model uncertainty analysis.
C-QUEST
C-QUEST, in co-operation with ICE-QUEST and AO-QUEST projects under QUEST umbrella, is focused on the following questions: What is a consequent chain of biogeochemical and physical mechanisms, presumably in the ocean, which have led to glacial-interglacial atmospheric pCO2 dynamics? What are the key non-linearities, switches and choke points in the glacial biogeochemistry in accordance with the CLIMBER model? Is the role of carbon cycle in the Quaternary as an amplifier of external changes not valid for the greenhouse climate? In co-operation with the SMART project, C-QUEST will address questions of the efficiency of oceanic carbon sequestration and its impact via pH changes on marine ecosystems.
Geoscope (Activity)
A Geoscope is a global monitoring system which guides emerging "global actors" in their decisions for managing transitions to sustainability. It combines research activities in Earth system observation, data management and integrated modelling with communication activities like dialogues with relevant stakeholders and the development of useful indicators. Based on a wide range of existing efforts in various disciplines, the goal of a Geoscope is to support sustainability research as well as the public debate on sustainable development with an empirical base which is more targeted and better structured than what is currently available.
ICE-QUEST
The main goal of the ICE-QUEST project is to improve understanding of the role which ice sheets played in the past climate changes and will play in mid- and long-term future under the influence of natural and anthropogenic forcings. One of the focal points of ICE-QUEST research is the interrelation between internal dynamics of the ice sheets and orbital and greenhouse forcings and possibility of rapid climate changes. This problem is important both for the explanation of the past glacial-interglacial variations, and future contribution of the ice sheet and glaciers to sea level rise.
INTEGRATION
The thermohaline circulation (THC) is an ocean circulation pattern in the North Atlantic that greatly contributes to today’s mild European climate. Climate change may induce a regional or even global disruption of the THC in the future. This will probably lead to an abrupt cooling in the Northern parts of Europe. The INTEGRATION project will provide some answers to questions like: How likely is an occurrence of a THC disruption? What are the potential impacts on climate, land- and sea-borne ecosystems, and human societies? And what can be done to reduce the risks of such an abrupt ocean circulation shift?
PLACES
How does life begin and evolve, does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and what is the future of life on Earth and beyond? These basic questions of astrobiology will be addressed in the project PLACES. The project focuses on the co-evolution of biosphere and geosphere on very long time and spatial scales and pursues two main directions. The first aim is to model and analyse the limits of self-regulation under extreme forcing and internal variability in the past and future of planet Earth by refining our coupled biosphere-geosphere model. The second aim is to investigate extrasolar Earth-like planets by simplifying our model and varying planetary properties.
WATREX
The project will investigate flood and drought related processes in selected drainage basins in Germany, in order to derive generalized relationships between meteorological and hydrological extremes and to investigate the geographical pattern of climate change and its relation to the occurrence of floods and droughts. Comparison of variability and change in extremes in long time series of observed meteorological and hydrological data, and in model projections of relevance to floods and droughts, will be made.
