Research

We study the environmental conditions and their variability throughout the Earth’s history by means of Earth-system models. These are computer programs, which allow us to investigate the mechanisms underlying reconstructed environmental variability, resulting from the interactions of atmosphere, ocean, sea- and inland ice, as well as the marine and terrestrial biosphere. Specifically, we analyse the origin of natural climate variations to assess the stability of the climate system at different times in the geological past. For a better understanding of the important processes in the ocean we use high resolution ocean circulation models.

Working Areas

The role of the ocean in the climate system, natural climate variations during warm climates, climate developement during the past 65 million years, direct modeling of measurable climate indices (e.g. oxygen- and carbon isotopes), climate-induced variations of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Methods

The Earth-system models are complex computer programs, describing the dynamics of atmosphere, ocean, sea-ice etc., biogeochemical processes and their interactions. The range of models encompasses detailed and realistic models, models with reduced complexity, as well as conceptual models, which allow for a deeper understanding of the climate system by focusing only on the essential dynamical elements of the climate system. Numerical experiments are carried out on high-performance computers.

We are using mainly the following models:

• Global fully-coupled Earth system model: Community Earth System Model (CESM)
• Regional fully-coupled Earth system model:A Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave- Sediment Transport Modeling System (COAWST)

 Models of ocean circulation:

• Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)
• MIT General Circulation Model (MITgcm)