Extreme Climate Events
Extreme weather events have significant negative impacts on society and ecosystems, and human-induced climate change will lead to more frequent and severe extreme weather events in many regions around the world.
Our research
We research the physical drivers, predictability, and impacts of extreme weather events, with a particular focus on the mid- and high latitudes. The extreme events we study include extratropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, cold spells, heatwaves and windstorms.
To understand the physical mechanisms that trigger extreme weather, we study various atmospheric processes and dynamics, on scales ranging from hundreds of kilometers (such as mid-latitude cyclones) to tens of thousands of kilometers (such as planetary atmospheric waves). Research on predictability aims to improve our ability to forecast extreme events on different time scales. We also study the impacts of extreme weather events on the Earth's natural ecosystems and human society.
We draw on approaches from multiple research fields, from applied mathematics to field observations, machine learning and numerical modeling, to explore these complex phenomena.