Coastal Climate

Research Topics

Research focuses on the reconstruction of past environmental conditions and the construction of scenarios of potential future developments in the coastal zone. Emphasize is put on long-term changes of the prevailing wind, sea state (ocean waves) and storm surge conditions. Applications concerning the implementation of the water framework directive, long range transports and risk assessments are an issue.

Examples of projects comprise:

• HIPOCAS (Hindcast of Dynamic Processes of the Coastal Areas of Europe) aiming at the development of a consistent met.-ocean atlas and data set for European Coastal Areas)
• SEAL (Sea Level: An integrated approach towards its quantification) aiming at long-term regional reconstructions utilizing efficient data assimilation techniques
• WASA (Changing waves and storms in the Northeast Atlantic?) and STOWASUS (Regional storm, wave and surge scenarios for the 21st century) aiming at the assessment of recent and potential future changes in the wind, wave and storm surge climate
• PRUDENCE (Prediction of Regional Scenarios and Uncertainties for Defining European Climate Change Risks and Effects) aiming at the quantification of uncertainties in future storm surge scenarios using ensemble simulations
• KRIM (Climate Change and Risk Management at the German North Sea coast) aiming at providing knowledge on future coastal protection risks under uncertainties for decision makers