Project Details
Projekt
How is the Brewer-Dobson circulation affected by climate change, and which processes are relevant? (SHARP-BDC)
Applicants
Professor Dr. Martin Dameris; Professor Dr. Andreas Engel; Professorin Dr. Ulrike Langematz
Subject Area
Atmospheric Science
Term
from 2009 to 2017
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 68851489
This project aims to identify and quantify dynamical, physical and chemical processes as well as feedback effects affecting the stratospheric circulation (Brewer-Dobson circulation, BDC), which is responsible for transport of stratospheric air masses from tropical to higher latitudes. Climate change is expected to modify the motion and mass exchange rates of air within the stratosphere and therefore the residence time and distribution of chemical substances. Although substantial progress has been achieved in recent years regarding understanding relevant processes affecting the Brewer-Dobson circulation, there are still open issues about atmospheric processes and feedbacks impacting the longterm changes of the BDC. So far, common analyses of observations and results from numerical model simulations do not indicate a consistent picture. Therefore, multi-decadal transient simulations with Atmospheric General Circulation Models, climate models and Chemistry-Climate Models together with assembled, consistent long-term observations (especially derived from space-borne-, balloon-, aircraft- and ground-based instruments) will be further used to investigate atmospheric processes affecting the BDC. Supplementary numerical sensitivity studies with the different models will be performed and interpreted to establish cause and effect relationships. It will be investigated how the relevant processes are going to alter in a changing climate, modifying stratospheric dynamics.
DFG Programme
Research Units
Participating Persons
Dr. Hauke Schmidt; Dr. Gabriele P. Stiller
