The Helmholtz Centres collect data from all around the globe on the growing stresses the earth system is exposed to. At the centre of interest are the different aspects of climate change, such as the decay of permafrost soils, the
The Helmholtz Centres collect data from all around the globe on the growing stresses the earth system is exposed to. At the centre of interest are the different aspects of climate change, such as the decay of permafrost soils, the increase in extreme weather events, natural hazards like earthquakes, and the global increase in environmental pollutants. The recently launched Earth System Knowledge Platform (ESKP) aims at gathering expert knowledge and making it available and usable to the public, administration and political decision-makers.
In future it will be vital to link expertise across the fields of science in order to gain a more global process understanding of the earth system components. Therefore, scientists are challenged to place emphasis on the transdisciplinarity of their research and on collaboration with other societal bodies and forms of knowledge, thus preparing the ground for more holisitc views, analyses and interpretations of chains of action. The long-term objective of ESKP is to build capacities for integrative research approaches involving the major research institutions, national authorities as well as the political and societal decision-makers.
The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) contributes to this interdisciplinary collaboration within the Helmholtz Association with expertise in the polar and coastal regions.
Our Key Topics:
Key Topic Biodiversity
Species show individual responses to climate change, anthropogenic influence and changes in the earth system. Some species are subject to extinction while others conquer new habitats or effectively adapt to changed environmental conditions. The Alfred Wegener Institute uses own data sets as well as historical data and species distribution models to serve the topic of "climate change impacts" within ESKP.
Key Topic Pollutants
Simulation experiments carried out and probes taken by the Alfred Wegener Institute help understand the propagation of marine pollutants and tracers and can, for example, document in what way pollutants from Western Europe are dispersed into the northern ocean parts. Carrying out such experiments under different climate states reveals typical dispersion patterns. This approach enables projections for pollutant dispersions within the ESKP topics "Pollutants".
Contact personr: Michael Karcher
Key Topic Permafrost
Thawing permafrost causes intense environmental changes observed over wide Arctic areas. Its degradation contributes to the global climate change. During regular campaigns our scientists collect data on the velocity of the warmin