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Research Themes (RT) and Aims

RT 1: Analysis, attribution, and impacts of climate change at global to regional scale

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.

Univ.-Prof. Dr.

Gottfried Kirchengast

Phone:+43 316 380 - 8431

Univ.-Prof. Dr.

Andrea Steiner

Phone:+43 316 380 - 8432

Assoz. Prof. Dr.

Ulrich Foelsche

Phone:+43 316 380 - 8590

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