Inhaltsbereich
Section 5.2: Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution
Head of Section: Prof. Dr. A. Brauer
In Section 5.2 we study natural climate variability and magnetic field changes from the geophysical point of view. The consideration of various time scales is of special importance, as the climate system, for example, is subject to both longterm changes as well as shortterm variability. For this reason, we investigate gradual changes in the ocean-atmosphere system, such as those that occurred during the most recent glacial-interglacial cycle, and the decadal variation like the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO). Other focus topics are abrupt climate reversals, the dynamics and causative factors of which are barely understood; and the causes of extreme weather events, and their frequency. We also have paleoclimate data for validating climate models. One central aspect of our reseach concept is the inclusion of regional differences in the effects of global climate changes. One of the greatest challenges is the integration of long climate timeseries from geoarchives with instrumental data in order to evaluate the current changes in a comprehensive context.