Research Themes (RT) and Aims
RT 1: Analysis, attribution, and impacts of climate change at global to regional scale
- improve our understanding of atmospheric and climate variability and dynamics using up-per-air and further climate observations, with a focus on climate benchmark data records
- advance trend detection and attribution of causes of atmospheric climate change, at multi-annual to decadal time scales, using climate data records at high vertical resolution
- analyze atmospheric processes, their changes and impacts on extreme events from global to regional scales, and suitably employ machine learning algorithms to improve the analyses.
RT 2: Satellite occultation data for climate change monitoring at global to regional scale
- establish benchmark-quality satellite occultation(1) data records of Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) essential climate variables of the atmosphere, such as temperature and water vapor, and related climate change indicator variables
- advance WEGC’s Occultation Processing System, the core system for novel algorithms and for serving the goals of RT 1 and 2, and position WEGC’s Earth Observation Processing and Analysis Center for Atmosphere and Climate (EOPAC) as a leading science innovator within the European ROM SAF(2) for benchmark data records and climate monitoring
- support next-generation global observing systems for monitoring the climate, i.e., Low Earth Orbit occultation(3) mission concepts, towards a demonstration mission in space
(1) primary focus on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation, and aiding Low Earth Orbit (LEO-LEO) occultation
(2) Radio Occultation Meteorology Satellite Application Facility of the European Meteorological Satellites Organization EUMETSAT
(3) Low Earth Orbit (LEO-LEO) climate benchmark observations of thermodynamic variables, clouds, wind, and greenhouse gases
RT 3: Hydrology and carbon change monitoring and analysis at regional to local scale
- perform frontier research on hydrology and carbon change, to understand processes that gov-ern variability and changes (in the European Alpine region), with focus on analyzing hydro-logic extremes and carbon flux dynamics under climate change and carbon transition
- exploit and advance the unique WegenerNet 3D Open-Air Laboratory for Climate Change Research, for studies such as evaluating high-resolution climate models, validating satellite and ground radar data, and for supporting hydrology and carbon change studies
- maintain and enhance the Carbon Management research, with foci on institutional and public carbon management (ICM and PCM), as an innovative pathway of research and knowledge transfer for fostering a low carbon transition compliant with the Paris climate goals
Overarching quality goals of the work in the RTs
Further strengthen WEGC’s position and recognition regarding RT 1 to RT 3 work in terms of 1) scientific excellence, 2) international lead role, 3) high-quality research journal and climate dataset outputs, and 4) firmly established EOPAC, WegenerNet, and Carbon Management core competence provision to partners and users in Europe and worldwide.