Integrated Research Training Group at the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "DETECT - Regional Climate Change: Disentangling the Role of Land Use and Water Management" (SFB 1502)

Application Deadline:

Any time during the year

Program Language:

English

Several continental regions on earth are getting wetter, while others are literally ‘drying out’, not only in terms of precipitation but also measured by the increase or decrease in surface water, water stored in soils and plant root zones, and groundwater. As seen in terrestrial, space-geodetic and remote sensing data, drying and wetting are generally attributed to the combined effects of global warming from greenhouse gas forcing, natural variability, and anthropogenic modification of the water cycle. However, existing climate models that account for these effects cannot adequately explain the observed patterns of hydrological change. Contrary to common belief, observations also do not support a simple dry-gets-dryer and wet-gets-wetter logic. Instead, the observed trends in, e.g. precipitation, soil moisture, water storage, or flood discharge, deviate considerably from such a simplified logic. The proposed CRC aims to close this gap in understanding. To better comprehend the origin of these patterns, it is necessary to build a modelling framework that explains past observations as realistically as possible, accounts for potential drivers of change that may have been understudied in the past, and can predict future changes. This CRC will rely on a sophisticated modelling approach fueled by a broad range of disciplines with a particular focus on anthropogenic relations.