Atmospheric Remote Sensing and Climate System Research Group

The ARSCliSys core areas are atmospheric remote sensing and climate change research.

The atmospheric remote sensing research includes satellite-based occultation sounding such as GNSS radio occultation and other microwave and infrared methods, with the main aim to conceive and develop methods and algorithms providing climate benchmark data. Furthermore, we work on advancing ground-based observing systems with high resolution, especially the unique WegenerNet climate station network and climate change research facilities in southeast Austria.

The climate change research topics include analysis of atmosphere and climate variability and change, radiative forcings and feedbacks, Earth energy imbalance and implications, anthropogenic climate change trends, and linking climate change causes with impacts, from greenhous gas emissions via global warming to weather and climate extremes. Research foci on precipitation and hydro-meteorological extremes in a warming climate as well as on carbon budgeting and carbon management towards reaching Paris-compliant climate goals are also persued.

Methodologically, the research includes innovative use of a broad array of dynamical and statistical modeling and data analysis methods for studies along the full range from simple to complex systems, such as parts of the climate & society system. The main interest in this context is to help explore climate change and sustainable transition pathways towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient society.

Within the Wegener Center, ARSCliSys closely cooperates with the Global Climate Analysis research group (founded as of 2025 as a separate new group by taking out the Climate Analysis team from ARSCliSys), in particular in joint research activities in the field of radio occultation and climate. It as well cooperates closely with the Regional Climate research group, particularly in research on hydrological extremes under climate change, and with the Economics of Climate and Environmental Change and Social Complexity and System Transformation research groups in the fields of low carbon transition research and carbon management solutions.

The group also works closely with the Atmosphere and Climate Physics research group at the Institute of Physics (partner institute of the Wegener Center at the Faculty of Natural Sciences). In addition, ARSCliSys is a key group of the Field of Excellence Climate Change Graz, where it leads on the topic of global Earth observation and climate change physics and substantially contributes to regional hydro-meteorological and low carbon transition studies.

Beyond this, the group collaborates with many renowned partners nationally and internationally and actively contributes to setting the international research agenda in its field of research.