Research

The primary focus of our research is the investigation of Earth’s water cycle and energy budget in a changing climate across a multitude of scales. To address questions within the realm of these topics, we rely on both observational data and a hierarchy of climate models ranging from the global model ECHAM-HAM at resolutions around 100 km to COSMO-CLM at resolutions from 50 km down to 500 m. We actively contribute to the compilation of climate data sets such as CORDEX. The group also has expertise in model validation and the investigation of selected modeling aspects in both idealized and realistic case studies.

Current projects address the role of the water cycle in a changing climate, considering a time span from the recent past to the near-term future. Particular consideration is given to changes in radiation (global dimming and brightening), the European summer climate (hydrological cycle and interannual variability), extreme events (process studies and scenarios of droughts, heat waves, heavy precipitation events, floods), and the role of topography for the water cycle.