2017 - present

The Earth System Modelling capacity started on 1 April 2017 funded by the Helmholtz Association over a period of three years. The project comprises eight Helmholtz Research Centers and aims to improve the representation of the components of the Earth system and their coupling, as well as to perform a series of selected numerical experiments to address Grand Challenges (Frontier Simulations). A long-term strategy for the development of an Earth System Modelling capacity is also an objective of the project.

Our focus is on implementing multi-scale parameterizations of land surface models  and perform frontier simulations on European hydro-meteorological extremes.

2017 - present

MOSES is a novel observing system of the Helmholtz Association, developed by the Helmholtz Centres in the research field “Earth and Environment”. It comprises highly flexible and mobile observation modules which are specifically designed to investigate the interactions of short-term events and long-term trends across Earth compartments. Heat waves, hydrological extremes, ocean eddies and permafrost thaw will be in the focus of this new event-oriented observation and research initiative.

Our focus is on Heatwaves and droughts.

2015 - present

The End-to-end Demonstrator for improved decision making in the water sector in Europe (EDgE) will contribute to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) by developing a Demonstrator Sectoral Information Service (SIS) based on appropriately tiered dissemination mechanisms of existing and new Sectoral Climate Impacts Indicators (SCIIs). These will be designed with Focus Group stakeholders from across Europe to translate climate information into knowledge that is relevant to the water sector. Using an end-to-end modelling chain, including a multi-model ensemble of state-of-the-art climate model outputs and hydrological impact models, it will deliver selected WMO/ GCOS terrestrial Essential Climate Variables (tECVs) specific to the water sector for past, current and future time horizons.

2012 - present

The HGF Alliance “Remote Sensing and Earth System Dynamics” aims at the development and evaluation of novel bio/geo-physical information products derived from data acquired by a new generation of remote sensing satellites; and their integration in Earth system models for improving understanding and modelling ability of global environmental processes and ecosystem change.

2010 - present

The competence cluster “Water - Earth System Science” (WESS) - established in 2009 and operative since mid of 2010 - focuses on the water cycle and associated solute fluxes at the catchment scale as a function of and in feedback with changes in climate, land use, and water usage. Of particular relevance is the fate of pollutants which are introduced by diffuse sources (atmospheric deposition, agricultural application, infiltration and continuous emission from urban areas).

2010 - present

The Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM (Regionale Klimaänderungen/Regional climate change) is a consortium of eight research centres within the Helmholtz Association. REKLIM is using its unique combination of competence in regional observations and process studies (in situ observations, airborne and satellite remote sensing) coupled with model simulations to improve regional and global climate models, which provide a solid basis for climate-related decision support.

2007 - 2007

Einflussfaktoren der Neuinanspruchnahme von Flächen. In cooperation with IREUS (Uni-Stuttgart). Financed by BBR.

2006 - 2007

Integrated catchment management and risk- based resource allocation in urban and peri-urban areas. In cooperation with IWS (Uni-Stuttgart). Financed by BMBF.

2004 - 2005

Stochastic Land Use Model SOLUM: an Application Towards a Sustainable Development in the Metropolitan Municipality of Izmir. Case Study within the Master Program Infrastructure Planning.

2002 - 2003

Xuzhou Integrated Settlement and Transportation Planning Project (China). Development of a stochastic budget allocation algorithm used in a Monte Carlo simulation. This interdisciplinary research project involves an optimization problem aimed at finding which, where and when funds for key infrastructure projects should be allocated in order to achieve the highest GDP for the region by the year 2020 under given environmental and budget constraints. A heuristic optimization techniques such as simulated annealing was used in the maximization problem. Final report published in Chinese and English.

2002 - 2003

Stochastic Optimization of Key Infrastructure Investments in the Metropolitan Municipality of Izmir until the year 2023 (Turkey). Case Study within the Master Program Infrastructure Planning.

2000 - 2001

Optimization of Spatial Structures in Urban Areas. Case Study with the Master Program Infrastructure Planning.