Video

Successful simulation of the lead formation in Arctic sea-ice

Scientists from the Alfred-Wegener-Institute (AWI) and the University of Hamburg have succeeded in realistically simulating the emergence of large channels in the Arctic sea ice in a computer model. Two approaches were decisive for this success: On the one hand, the researchers had increased the spatial resolution of the FESOM AWI sea-ice ocean model. On the other hand, they were able to improve the numerical solution to the equation so that the simulation of the lead formation holds up well when compared to real sea-ice satellite data. This video shows how the model is simulating the formation of leads in the Arctic sea-ice cover the years 2005 to 2014.

News

The Arctic's past provides a glimpse into the future

ERC Synergy Grant

The Arctic's past provides a glimpse into the future

What are the global impacts of an ice-free Arctic? How will the Arctic develop with increasing climate warming? What does an ice-free Arctic mean for our environment and our society? Researchers want to answer these questions with the "i2B - Into the Blue" project, looking back to the past and forward to the future. This project has now been funded with 12.5 million euros by a Synergy Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for six years. The project's proposers are Dr Jochen Knies and Research Prof Dr Stijn De Schepper from Norway, and climate modeler Prof Dr Gerrit Lohmann from the Alfred Wegener Institute and

EU initiative "DestinE": “Digital Twin” of the Earth

EU-Project

EU initiative "DestinE": “Digital Twin” of the Earth

The “Destination Earth” (DestinE) initiative from the EU Commission aims to create a high-resolution digital model of the Earth to support climate change adaptation policies and decision-making for reducing the impacts of extremes. Numerous European authorities, climate research institutions and supercomputing centers are involved in the project. Alfred Wegener Institute is participating in DestinE with its ocean model FESOM, which efficiently simulates ocean currents and sea ice and can selectively depict individual key regions in a higher resolution.

The Future of Ocean Eddy Activity in a Warming World

Ocean Eddies

The Future of Ocean Eddy Activity in a Warming World

Mesoscale ocean eddies are small, short-lived phenomena that effectively influence ocean properties like temperature, velocity, and salinity. In a new study, a research team led by Alfred Wegener Institute scientists investigated what long-term impact anthropogenic climate change will have on ocean eddies and their far-reaching effects. Using climate model simulations, the study shows how ocean eddy activity will evolve in the 21st century amid in an increasingly warmer world.