At a glance | Challenges | Solutions | Contact | Research Groups
At a glance
In the topic 'The Atmosphere in Global Change', Jülich researchers aim to gain a deeper understanding of climate change and its causes in order to improve their predictions. They are seeking ways to preserve our planet’s protective layer, reduce its warming trend, and improve air quality.
Challenges
Droughts, heavy rain, heat waves – the consequences of climate change are intensifying. Moreover, numerous air pollutants are posing a threat to both humans and nature, with negative impacts on people’s health and food security. Climate change is decimating biodiversity and upsetting the balance of global ecosystems.
Solutions
Jülich researchers seek to understand how trace substances influence the composition of the atmosphere and the climate. They study the dynamics and chemistry of the Earth’s protective layer and develop simulation models to better forecast our weather and climate.
On the one hand, they investigate climate pollutants that contribute to the greenhouse effect and poor air quality, and on the other hand, they examine the processes responsible for their chemical degradation – including the OH radical, which is particularly significant in atmospheric chemistry and is known as the “detergent of the atmosphere”. Jülich researchers also investigate the role of sunlight, which is responsible for the photochemical degradation and conversion of a wide range of hydrocarbons produced by road transport, industry, and plants.
One means of doing so is by performing experiments in the Jülich atmospheric simulation chamber SAPHIR. The chamber’s enormous volume enables near-natural simulations of a wide variety of air mixtures. The findings are incorporated into chemical calculations as well as regional and global models, which allows the researchers to develop forecasts for various future scenarios.
For over 30 years, scientists in the IAGOS project have worked to identify long-term trends using instruments deployed on commercial aircraft to measure short-lived greenhouse gases such as ozone, water vapour, and methane; trace gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides; and particulate matter, ice, and cloud particles, in addition to long-lived carbon dioxide. In particular, clouds and their effect on the climate are not yet fully understood, which is why experts from the University of Cologne are working with the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE) to achieve a better understanding of cloud formation.
Another focus of Jülich research is on substances such as water vapour, ozone, aerosols, and ice clouds in the upper troposphere and stratosphere, where they have a particularly strong effect on the climate.
The large-scale wind systems in the stratosphere (circulation) influence the long-range transport of these substances. Weather phenomena such as the Asian summer monsoon have the capacity to transport near-surface air pollution to higher atmospheric layers up to an altitude of 18 kilometres, and thus to influence the global climate. Jülich researchers also measure and calculate the impacts of forest fires and volcanic eruptions. The researchers measure numerous substances using innovative devices, most of which they develop themselves, in order to determine the impact of long-lived greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances on the chemical composition and dynamic structure of the stratosphere.
Furthermore, the interaction of stratospheric wind systems (circulation) with large weather systems in the troposphere plays an important role in regional climate and weather conditions. Jülich experts investigate the influence of winds and waves in the stratosphere that could lead to the polar vortex, which has a stabilizing effect on weather conditions, collapsing within a matter of days. This could result in the sudden onset of winter weather throughout Europe, in particular Northern and Western Europe, bringing storms and heavy snowfall – as was the case in 2018, for example, with devastating effects.
To understand the complex and sometimes chaotic processes in the atmosphere, Jülich scientists analyse their data using artificial intelligence and machine learning. New observations from Jülich as well as previously undetected atmospheric phenomena and newly discovered chemical reactions are incorporated into global climate models. Results from theory and practice lead to improved predictions for weather, extreme weather events, climate, and long-term climate trends. These enhanced predictions play a decisive role in the development of adaptation strategies. They help societies to prepare more effectively for future climate changes by providing more accurate information for the planning of infrastructure, agriculture, and emergency measures. This allows risk-reducing measures to be implemented more effectively to counteract the consequences of climate change.
Contact
- Institute of Climate and Energy Systems (ICE)
- Stratosphere (ICE-4)
Room 3037
Research Groups
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