Sea Ice Broad expanses of the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean in the Antarctic are covered in sea ice. The ice plays a vital role in our climate system and [...] nearly 1.5 times the size of the USA. In summer there is extensive melting, especially in the Arctic’s southern reaches, until the minimum extent is [...] the sea ice covers roughly 10 percent of the world’s oceans. Then the ice begins melting again. In February, at the end of the Antarctic

mechanisms created by the Southern Ocean can the strength of glacial-interglacial temperature variations and their coupling to CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere be explained. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) The zonal transport of water masses in the Southern Ocean is brought about by the Antarctic [...] , the ACC to fill the deep basins of the world ocean. Nutrient rich The upwelling deep water in the Antarctic Divergence is rich in nutrients

depth of 350 meter and a sidewise steering up to 100 meter port and starboard of the ship. In the area of these parameters, the towed system [...] a simultaneous sidewise steering up to 100 m port and starboard of the ship. Depeding on the diving depth of the system and the speed of the ship, the winch can pay out up to 2500 m of cable with 60 [...] respective scientific questions, the distance between to measurement profiles can only be changed by the shape of the undulation profile. The undulation profile

much do humans contribute to today's climate change? This is one of research's central questions. To give a proper answer, we have to know the parameters of natural variability, e.g. the temperatures in oceans, above the continents and in polar regions. This necessitates considering the properties of the climate of the past. We are able to reconstruct [...] world. In our research we link past climates to environmental conditions of the future. This implies that we research the state of the

of natural variations in the ocean, over the continents, and in the cryosphere. The best way to ascertain the extent of past changes is through the inspection of historical time series of direct measurements or documentation of such environmental observations. Unfortunately, the [...] sea surface temperature patterns that shape a substantial portion of nature variability like the El Nino Southern Oscillation. One objective of such studies is to understand the teleconnections (i.e.

Hartmut Heinrich Award The unexpected discovery of Hartmut Heinrich has an enormous influence on the work of our section. Go to: Home Research focus Tools [...] appear to exhibit only a weak corresponding signal. Moreover, the 5–10,000-yr intervals between the events are inconsistent with Milankovitch orbital periodicities, raising the question of what the [...] . It inspired many researchers -also us- about abrupt climate changes, and climate dynamics. The acquisition of knowledge through the work of Heinrich has enabled to recognize

. Gerrit Lohmann PhD Candidate: Hanna Sophie Knahl Future warming of the Southern Ocean may significantly affect the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. A collapse of the WAIS occurred during the [...] duration: 1 Januar 2010 - Today Contact: Dr. Christian Stepanek The Pliocene is seen in many ways as a possible analogue of future warm climate states. The question of the characteristics and of the [...] better understanding of the climate of the Pliocene in the context of the climate forcings of the future. This is an important step to do since climate forcings

3 are interpreted as strong evidence for an oceanic LIP origin of the southern Mozambique Ridge. A LIP origin of the whole Mozambique Ridge could have had an immense influence on climate during the [...] collected dredge samples. The analysis of the first high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection reflection dataset covering the three southern segments of the [...] the question, whether distinct phases of magmatic or tectonic processes led to the deformation of the Manihiki Plateau and which role

opening of Southern Ocean gateways, pointing towards a progressive strengthening of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current as the major cause for [...] decline of Cretaceous Supergreenhouse and through the Paleocene? Specific questions to address include: What was the thermal history of the [...] the opening of Southern Ocean gateways influence Late Cretaceous and Paleocene climate? Did early opening of the Drake Passage cause

of the water mass exchange since the Neogene, we know little about the early phases of the circulation. This will be the focus of future [...] and oceanographic changes in the southern Indian Ocean Located in a key region in the southern Indian Ocean the complex topography of the Kerguelen Plateau, one of [...] about 4000 km of high-resolution seismic reflection data were collected in the Labuan Basin west of William's Rudge and on the Southern