Directors

Bjorn Stevens standing on stairs — Picture: MPI-M, D. Ausserhofer

Picture: MPI-M, D. Ausserhofer

Climate Physics

Prof. Dr. Björn Stevens

Our research focuses on understanding how atmospheric water conditions the behavior of the climate system. This leads to efforts to answer specific questions such as how cloud processes set the planetary albedo, how moist processes influence the structure of the troposphere, and how `water-powered' circulation systems interact with the surface and the stratosphere. Over the past few years these efforts have led to new developments, in both our modeling and in our measurement capabilities - developments that are resonating in ways that are new, not just for us and the questions we pose, but for the field as a whole.

We maintain the atmospheric component of the MPI Earth System Model, one of the world’s leading atmospheric general circulation models. We have developed and sustained the Barbados Cloud Observatory, a one of a kind facility supporting advanced remote sensing of marine tropical cloud systems, and also are active in airborne research through the development and deployment of a remote sensing payload for the German high-altitude research aircraft HALO.

J Marotzke in front of the facade of the institute building — Picture: MPI-M, D. Ausserhofer

Picture: MPI-M, D. Ausserhofer

Climate Variability

Prof. Dr. Jochem Marotzke

The activities of the department span almost all aspects of the ocean's role in climate dynamics. Areas of interest range from the mechanisms of ocean-climate dynamics and biogeochemistry over glacial-interglacial cycles, to the behaviour of the ocean meridional overturning circulation in a future world with enhanced greenhouse gas concentrations. The main research tools are coupled ocean-atmosphere and Earth system models, but observations, statistical analysis, and data assimilation are also employed to improve the understanding of the past, current, and future ocean. Important initiatives within the department are the development of the ocean component of ICON and the building of a system for decadal climate prediction.