Head of department: Prof. Dr. habil. Veronika Eyring
The department develops innovative methods for the evaluation and analysis of Earth system models in comparison to observations with the aim of better understand and project the Earth system. The evaluation and ensemble analysis of Earth system models is crucial for model improvements and a prerequisite for reliable climate projections of the 21st century to be used as guide-lines for climate policy. To improve routine and comprehensive evaluation of climate models, the department leads the development of the Earth System Model Evaluation Tool (ESMValTool). A key focus of the department is the development and application of machine learning methods to improve understanding and modelling of the Earth System.
Our research topics are:
Our main tools and data are:
Close collaboration exists with the Department of “Climate Modelling” of the University of Bremen (Chair: Prof Veronika Eyring), with the ”Climate Informatics Group” of the DLR Institute of Data Sciences, as well as with the co-PIs of the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant “Understanding and Modelling the Earth System with Machine Learning (USMILE)”: Prof. Markus Reichstein (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena), Prof. Gustau Camps-Valls (University of Valencia, Spain), and Prof. Pierre Gentine (Columbia University, New York, USA). The department is strongly linked to international research activities within the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), with substantial contributions particularly to CMIP, and contributes regularly to international climate and ozone assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).