Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
The Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) was founded in 1975 as an institute dedicated to fundamental climate research. It has been a leader in climate research and has contributed significantly to IPCC reports and to numerous areas such as global change simulations, climate change detection and attribution, prediction of natural climate and anthropogenic changes. Several global models of the atmosphere (including ECHAM) and of the ocean (including OM) have been developed by MPI-M. Regional models are also developed to help downscaling information and study extreme events. The models are widely distributed within the international community. The institute employs approximately 60 scientists in 3 departments.
The general scientific aim of the three sections (The Atmosphere in the Earth System, Climate Processes, The Ocean in the Earth System) of the Max-Planck-Institute of Meteorology is
(1) the measurement, examination, understanding and modelling of climate processes with their variability and interactions, and
(2) the development of methods to assess climate predictability. MPI-M develops and uses state-of-the-art global climate models for single components of the climate system (atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, land surface, biosphere) as well as coupled models for the interactions between these components.
The institute acts as the focal point of climate research in Germany for 25 years. Models describing the chemistry of the upper and lower atmosphere have recently been coupled to the atmospheric general circulation models. A long-term goal of MPI-M is to develop a comprehensive Earth system model in which the physical aspects of the climate system are coupled with biogeochemical cycles. At the end of 2004 the MPI-M put into operation the first version of its comprehensive Earth system model.
MPI-M has also a long experience in the statistical analysis of the coupled climate system including integrated assessment studies and environment/socio-economic interactions. It has made major contributions to the analysis of a human influence on climate in detection and attribution studies.
Since January 2000 the Model and Data Group (MAD, formerly the Model Application Group at the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ) is managed by MPI, but as an independent entity and a national support facility in Germany. This group provides support to run extended integrations with climate models, and archives and distributes the results.
