This Research Unit constitutes an interdisciplinary, multiproxy and multiarchive approach to unravel the characteristics of modern- and palaeo-monsoons during the Holocene on societally relevant time scales (seasonal to decadal), with special emphasis on extreme hydro-meteorological events (floods and droughts).
At the core of this investigation are climatically sensitive regions of the Himalaya, eastern and central India with the aim to quantify and characterise palaeoclimate variability within the framework of large-scale climate processes (e.g. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), tropical mid-latitude interactions). In addition, the duration and the impacts of abrupt climate change will be analysed. Palaeoclimate simulations of different duration and on selected time slices will be carried out using the generated data with a focus on episodes of extreme climate conditions.
Ultimately, it is planned to assess changes in the frequency of such phenomena with respect to their magnitude in a global warming scenario. Recent reports of an increase in the frequency of extreme climate events and their devastating socioeconomic impact highlight the importance of this project for health, food supply, infrastructure and land-use planning against the background of global warming and an increasingly globalised world. The disciplines involved are earth sciences, biology, meteorology, physics and mathematics.
DFG Programme
Research Units
International Connection
India
Projects
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Analysis of the dynamics of palaeo and modern climate data under consideration of dating erros and with the focus on climate transitions and interrelations between teleconnections and regional climate
(Applicant
Kurths, Jürgen
)
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High resolution climate reconstruction for the last millennium using tree rings
(Applicant
Helle, Gerhard
)
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Impact of Holocene climate variability on palaeoproductivity changes recorded in lake sediments
(Applicant
Prasad, Ph.D., Sushma
)
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Monsoon variability and its physical mechanisms under different paleo- and future climate conditions
(Applicant
Cubasch, Ulrich
)
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Palaeoclimate reconstructions on various timescales using stalagmites from Meghalaya, NE India, and applying U/Th dating, stable isotopes and element studies
(Applicant
Haug, Gerald
)
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Reconstructing Holocene climatic oscillations in the Indian monsoon system using cores from Himalayan (Manasbal, Tso Moiri) and central Indian (Lonar) lakes
(Applicants
Gaye, Birgit
;
Riedel, Frank
;
Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena
;
Stebich, Martina
)
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Research Unit Coordination
(Applicants
Prasad, Ph.D., Sushma
;
Strecker, Ph.D., Manfred
)
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Seasonality and variations in moisture-supply on different timescales (1-104 yrs) and their relation to surface processes in the NW Himalaya
(Applicant
Strecker, Ph.D., Manfred
)
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Stable isotopes from peat profiles from the western Himalayas (India as indicators of westerlies and monsoon variability during the Holocene
(Applicants
Lücke, Andreas
;
Prasad, Ph.D., Sushma
)
