05 - 07 April 2016 in Cologne (Germany)
Climate has become one of the most important issues mankind will have to contend with in forthcoming decades. Effects associated with the increase in global mean temperature such as an intensified hydrological cycle with more extreme weather events (wind, precipitation, floods and droughts) or the rising sea level will have a strong impact on our daily life. Though we are basically certain that global warming is a result of human influences, the magnitude of the warming and the associated changes in the probability distributions of many climate variables still remain unclear. For example we need a better understanding of the cloud processes and their impact on climate sensitivity.
Remote sensing, in situ measurements and numerical modelling are indispensable tools to better understand the processes in the climate system. Only by carrying out high quality surveillance of essential climate variables, maintaining long-term monitoring and constantly improving atmospheric models will we be able to fully understand atmospheric processes. For this purpose the possibility is being considered to utilize either the International Space Station with its unique low orbit and sun asynchronous viewing geometry or similar existing space-based platforms as observatories.
Prof. Dr. Hansjörg Dittus, Member of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center, has masterminded this scientific conference to provide a discussion forum for international scientists and space agencies with UN entities such as UNOOSA, UNSPIDER, UNFCCC, WMO and GCOS. The aim is to investigate the considerable challenges in atmospheric climate research, consider how space and atmospheric research can support the requirements of climate protection and to identify tools and methods for a continuous monitoring process to ensure adherence to climate change agreements.