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Energy Transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean" Collaborative Research Center Extended for a Further Four Years

May 31, 2024
In the CRC, researchers are investigating the interaction of turbulence, waves, and eddies in the ocean and the atmosphere. Copyright: nvphoto - stock.adobe.com
In the CRC, researchers are investigating the interaction of turbulence, waves, and eddies in the ocean and the atmosphere. Copyright: nvphoto - stock.adobe.com

The Collaborative Research Center (CRC) "Energy Transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean" has existed at the University of Bremen since 2016. The German Research Foundation has now approved the third funding phase of the CRC, which will run until June 2028.

 

In the CRC, researchers from the University of Bremen are working together with researchers from Universität Hamburg and other research institutes. The researchers come from the fields of oceanography, meteorology, and mathematics, among others. They are investigating the interaction of turbulence, waves, and eddies in the ocean and the atmosphere. This interaction is important for the Earth's climate and helps determine how temperatures will rise in the future.

However, when calculating ocean currents, for example, it is still unclear where the energy comes from that creates small-scale eddies and the mixing processes they cause. The situation is similar in the atmosphere, only in this case it is air that is moving instead of water. Also in this case, local turbulence can drive larger movements or, conversely, waves can break down into smaller structures on a large scale. The researchers' aim is to develop mathematical models for these and similar processes and to make climate analyses and forecasts more precise. "We are all extremely pleased about the further four-year funding phase," says Anke Pohl, a professor of mathematics at the University of Bremen and the CRC's co-spokesperson. "The CRC/TRR 181 is an important part of the high-profile area of marine, polar and climate research at the University of Bremen."

So far, numerous new parameterizations and numerical processes have been developed, which have already been implemented in the two most important German climate models. The third phase will focus on applying the improved, more accurate models. "Promoting young talent and training the next generation of researchers in this field is particularly important to us," emphasizes Pohl.

Twelve University and Non-University Research Institutes Involved

The CRC was applied for by Universität Hamburg and the University of Bremen and is coordinated by the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability at Universität Hamburg. Other university and non-university partner institutions are the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, the Helmholtz Center Hereon, the German Weather Service, the Hamburg University of Technology, the Goethe University Frankfurt, the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, and the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics. At the University of Bremen, researchers from MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, the Institute of Environmental Physics, the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity, and the Faculty of Mathematics / Computer Science are involved in the CRC.

Further Information:

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Anke Pohl
Institute for Dynamical Systems (IDS)
Faculty 03: Mathematics / Computer Science
University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-63661
Email: apohluni-bremen.de

 

MARUM produces fundamental scientific knowledge about the role of the ocean and the seafloor in the total Earth system. The dynamics of the oceans and the seabed significantly impact the entire Earth system through the interaction of geological, physical, biological and chemical processes. These influence both the climate and the global carbon cycle, resulting in the creation of unique biological systems. MARUM is committed to fundamental and unbiased research in the interests of society, the marine environment, and in accordance with the sustainability goals of the United Nations. It publishes its quality-assured scientific data to make it publicly available. MARUM informs the public about new discoveries in the marine environment and provides practical knowledge through its dialogue with society. MARUM cooperation with companies and industrial partners is carried out in accordance with its goal of protecting the marine environment.