Super-ensemble of simulations of climate and aeolian processes in the Atacama Desert on geological time scales and their implications for life at the dry limit (A03)

• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2016 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 268236062

The key drivers of past climate shifts in the Atacama Desert are still not understood. To advance our understanding of these drivers and the involved processes we will develop and use a hierarchy of models: (1) climate model results from CMIP6, (2) super-ensemble simulations including idealized global climate model runs and high-resolution simulations with WRF, and (3) a simple conceptual model for dust-aerosol burden. To better understand shifts in the dust activity, the simulations will be paired with in-situ measurements from PI-SWERL. The aim is to identify past pluvial phases and their main drivers in our model ensemble, and to analyse the response of dust-emitting winds to global atmospheric and oceanic changes.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1211: Earth - Evolution at the Dry Limit
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Stephanie Fiedler; Professor Dr. Yaping Shao