Our research

Fundamental understanding of the climate system and the changing climate are central aspects of our research. Monitoring the climate with accurate satellite data and pioneering ground-based networks, we provide climate variables and use observations and climate model simulations for analyzing climate variability and trends from the surface to the atmosphere and for attributing the causes. A focus is on changes in climate processes, weather patterns (e.g., convection, jet stream, blocking), hydrology, climate extremes, and consequences. Diagnosing global to regional climate change in this way, we aim at bridging to regional and local climate and environmental change and impact research.

A key aspect of our research is to quantify climatic hazards and the resulting risks for societies and ecosystems. Examples of hazards are heavy rainfall, drought and heatwaves, but also compound events. The resulting risks, however, are not only defined by the hazard, but also by the vulnerability and exposure of the system at risk, their complex interactions and cascading effects. This research focus thus involves close interdisciplinary collaboration between physical climate scientists and climate impact modelers. To explore changes in risks in a warming world, we exploit climate and impact model ensembles, but also investigate how real-world extreme events and their consequences could unfold in future climates.

In our low carbon transition research, we analyze physical conditions, such as the availability of renewable energy in a warmer climate, develop and use adequate frameworks, including multiscale modeling (micro-/macro-dynamic and micro-based global modeling), to investigate institutional changes and policy instrument settings to support low carbon lifestyles. Acknowledging multilevel agency, we identify options (synergies, tradeoffs) across these scales, but also which actors actually have agency. We develop potential tipping scenarios in mitigation behavior (e.g., in transport and consumption) and identify limits to decoupling and circularity in socio-metabolism. We develop carbon management solutions and complement the tool of public carbon management with the evaluation of macroeconomic feedbacks.

Building on the analysis of changing climate risks and impacts we identify adequate options to increase climate resilience, acknowledging cross-scale feedbacks (top-down and bottom-up). We investigate socio-economic-ecological networks that underpin both systemic risks and the according resilience when facing such risks. We analyze hard and soft options being available for implementation in the context of such networks. Limits to adaptation are identified based on evaluating current and expected societal developments.