Earth Resilience (ERSU)

Earth Resilience Science Unit

In the Anthropocene, with exponential rise in human pressures such as greenhouse gas emissions and land-use change, there is an increasing risk of crossing critical thresholds and thereby degrading hard-wired biophysical processes that regulate the state of the entire Earth system. Continuing along this trajectory could eventually lead to a shift in Earth system feedbacks, from self-dampening (negative feedbacks) to self-amplifying (positive feedbacks). There is therefore an urgent need for understanding and quantifying the state of the self-regulatory and regenerative capacities of our planetary life-support system, in short Earth system resilience.

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The Earth Resilience Science Unit (ERSU) serves as a bridge group between PIK and the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA), and aims to develop a framework to characterize the resilience of the Earth System in the Anthropocene, exploring stability landscapes of critical geophysical, ecological and societal components, which are only fragmentarily known so far. This includes the identification of critical conditions and tipping points for these subsystems, their capacity to resist to and recover from disruptions, as well as the risk of cascading interactions between them.  In particular, for the stability of the ice sheets in Antarctic and Greenland and their role for potential global sea level rise, we have improved our understanding with the help of the  modeling work within the ICE theme and within the worldwide community of ice sheet model intercomparison, (e.g. ISMIP).

Internationally, ERSU contributes to the work of the Earth Commission and AIMES' working group on Tipping elements in the Earth system.  ERSU is embedded within the Earth Resilience and Sustainability Initiative, a joint activity of Princeton University, PIK and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. ERSU is PIK's anchor point of the Tipping Alliance with University of Exeter. The ERSU at PIK, together with the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA) and the Earth Commission, coordinates the Tipping Point Modelling Intercomparison Project (TIPMIP) (Science lead: Ricarda Winkelmann), a collaborative effort across a wide range of international institutions.

Office

Julia Zinn
T +49 (0)331 288 20921

Scientific Coordination

Janin Schaffer
T +49 (0)331 288 20905

Research and Outreach

Publications (Coming soon!)

Team

News

News
08/10/2024 - Jena Science Days
08/10/2024 - Jena Science Days
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Press Release
Amazon rainforest at the threshold: loss of forest worsens climate change
Amazon rainforest at the threshold: loss of forest worsens climate change
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News
Destabilising interactions in the Earth system: How climate tipping elements interact
Destabilising interactions in the Earth system: How climate tipping elements interact
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News
4 of the 10 climate science papers most referred to in news and social media authored by PIK researchers
4 of the 10 climate science papers most referred to in news and social media authored by PIK researchers
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News
More rain, fewer droughts – rainfall effects from targeted forestation can reduce climate change
More rain, fewer droughts – rainfall effects from targeted forestation can reduce climate change
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News
Ice sheet model PISM proposed for natESM
Ice sheet model PISM proposed for natESM
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News
Heraeus Seminar 2023
Heraeus Seminar 2023
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Press Release
Stability inspection for West Antarctica: marine ice sheet not destabilized yet, but possibly on tipping path
Stability inspection for West Antarctica: marine ice sheet not destabilized yet, but possibly on tipping path
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News
Development of Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) reaches milestone
Development of Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) reaches milestone
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News
IUGG 2023 conference in Berlin
IUGG 2023 conference in Berlin
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News
GIA training school 2023 in Gävle, Sweden
GIA training school 2023 in Gävle, Sweden
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News
Ricarda Winkelmann appointed Max Planck founding director in Jena
Ricarda Winkelmann appointed Max Planck founding director in Jena
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News
FRISP 2023 in Stalheim, Norway
FRISP 2023 in Stalheim, Norway
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News
EGU 2023 in Vienna
EGU 2023 in Vienna
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News
Karthaus Summer School 2023
Karthaus Summer School 2023
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News
Excellent research: Doctoral prize for Nico Wunderling
Excellent research: Doctoral prize for Nico Wunderling
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News
3 out of 10 climate science papers most referred to in news and social media feature PIK authors
3 out of 10 climate science papers most referred to in news and social media feature PIK authors
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News
2022/12/20: Outreach paper on research funding for polar ECR
2022/12/20: Outreach paper on research funding for polar ECR
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News
2023/02/06: Maths on Ice Forum - Tipping Points
2023/02/06: Maths on Ice Forum - Tipping Points
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News
2022/10/24-25 PISM meeting at GEUS in Copenhagen, Denmark
2022/10/24-25 PISM meeting at GEUS in Copenhagen, Denmark
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News
2022/10/3-7: PROTECT Fall Meeting 2022
2022/10/3-7: PROTECT Fall Meeting 2022
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News
2022/09/11-13 DFG - SPP1158 Coordination Workshop
2022/09/11-13 DFG - SPP1158 Coordination Workshop
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Press Release
Risk of passing multiple climate tipping points escalates above 1.5°C global warming
Risk of passing multiple climate tipping points escalates above 1.5°C global warming
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News
New report from the Science Panel for the Amazon
New report from the Science Panel for the Amazon
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News
2022/11/17 Tipping Points Film Released at COP27
2022/11/17 Tipping Points Film Released at COP27
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Press Release
Ice loss due to warming leads to warming due to ice loss: a vicious circle
Ice loss due to warming leads to warming due to ice loss: a vicious circle
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Press Release
Stability Check on Antarctica Reveals High Risk for Long-Term Sea-Level Rise
Stability Check on Antarctica Reveals High Risk for Long-Term Sea-Level Rise
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Caring for the future is key for cooperation to prevent climate collapse: study
Caring for the future is key for cooperation to prevent climate collapse: study
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Climate disasters increase risks of armed conflicts: new evidence
Climate disasters increase risks of armed conflicts: new evidence
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Homeschooling: Researchers support online learning with explanatory videos
Homeschooling: Researchers support online learning with explanatory videos
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