Das Projekt "Cenozoic Antarctic glaciation: An integrated atmosphere - Ocean - Ice Sheet Model Approach" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung - Fachbereich Klimawissenschaften durchgeführt. The widespread glaciation of Antarctica and the associated shift towards colder temperatures at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (about 35 million years ago) represents one of the most fundamental reorganisations of global climate in the earth s history. During the same time, the opening of the Southern Ocean gateways, the Drake Passage and the Tasman Gateway, led to the formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and hence to the isolation of the Antarctic continent. Apart from the oceanic regime, other global phenomena such as the declining atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and the orbital configuration, contributed to the onset of a persistent Antarctic glaciation. With this project we address the impact of each of these processes on the formation of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. We put special emphasis on the ocean circulation, latent heat transport as well as on ice sheet dynamics in an integrated modelling approach. Shifts in atmospheric circulation, temperature changes, and snow accumulation over Antarctica and their forcing factors will be analysed in detail. The identification of thresholds for the Antarctic ice sheet development will yield novel views for palaeoclimatic records at the Eocene-Oligocene transition.
Das Projekt "Policy options to engage emerging asian economies in a post-Kyoto regime (POEM)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von University of Technology Göteborg durchgeführt. Objective: Developing countries are reluctant to make any binding commitment as their per capita emissions are low and climate abatement measures conflict with their main priorities on socio-economic development. The question is if there is a way to simultaneously provide sufficient energy (which is also the main source of GHG emissions), to support poverty alleviation and economic growth and achieve sufficient emission reductions. Finding an answer is the main aim of this project. It may be possible with a combination of policies and measures encompassing from international level to national level supported by committed international cooperation to achieve both the goals together. The main focus of the study is on India and China. The primary objective is to develop a portfolio of policy options including both international and national policies as well as institutional frameworks for international cooperation for these two emerging economies to engage them in climate protection measures under a post-2012 regime. By applying an integrated modeling framework, the study will explore possible multiple pathways which may exist for these countries to contribute into international climate initiatives without compromising their national development priorities. Specific objectives are: - developing country-specific integrated modeling framework to analyse policies and identify multiple pathways to achieve socio-economic and climate targets - identifying/designing international climate polices in post-Kyoto regime for future commitments and participations of emerging economies (India and China) - designing national polices (in socio-economic sectors, energy and environment) compatible with the global climate targets - designing and quantifying as much as possible the international co-operations needed to make the participation in a post-2012 regime acceptable at least in economic terms - disseminating the results to potential users for use in future negotiations.