ClimXtreme II
Welcome to the website of ClimXtreme II, an interdisciplinary research network consisting of 17 collaborating institutions and 25 subprojects.
We, ClimXtreme, aim to improve the understanding of extreme weather events in Europe in the context of anthropogenic climate change. ClimXtreme is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the framework of "Research for Sustainable Development" (FONA). This website represents the second phase of ClimXtreme, which aims to provide a knowledge base for decision makers, since a better understanding of extreme events in a changing climate and associated uncertainties is crucial for the formulation and implementation of adequate adaptation policies. For more information on the previous phase, see ClimXtreme Phase I.
Event Evaluation
News
Our Mission
In this second phase of ClimXtreme, we aim to improve our understanding of changes in extreme weather events in a warming climate and to intensify stakeholder interaction and science communication. Accordingly, we are continuing our efforts of Phase 1 to analyse the evolving underlying processes, frequencies, intensities and resulting impacts of severe weather events in the context of climate change. In particular, we focus on the hazard types of heat waves, droughts, heavy precipitation including hail, and windstorms. Building on the previous phase, we aim to improve the accessibility of the generated knowledge by including a new interdisciplinary sub-project that explores optimal ways to communicate the generated knowledge. With this in mind, we are setting up a "Post-event Assessment Group" (PostAG) to analyse events during the programme period (see Event Evaluation). Further, we strengthen the engagement with stakeholders, allowing individual projects to focus on aspects relevant for both scientific knowledge and stakeholder needs. In this way, we will gather operational and accessible knowledge to support the decision-making process and adaptation to changing extremes.
Despite the specialised efforts and focus of individual projects, we follow three overarching research questions to streamline our combined efforts:
- What are the reasons for uncertainty in the changing frequency and severity of single and multivariate extremes as climate change progresses?
- What are the potential extreme probabilities and risks under climate change at regional to local scales, and what are their specific conditions or developments in the climate system that indicate their changes in likelihood?
- To which extent do human activities produce a systematic change in the occurrence of these extremes (attribution)?
Our Structure
To address the multifaceted question of how climate change alters extreme events, we maintain the structure of project phase 1, which has proven effective in facilitating scientific exchange between projects while simultaneously allowing specialisation of the individual groups. We are structured into four modules, each containing specialised subprojects. Whereas Module A addresses the underlying physics and processes linked to occurring extreme events, particularly extreme precipitation, heat waves/droughts, and windstorms, Module B assesses long-term changes and the statistical characteristics of these events. Further, Module B aims to reduce the uncertainty of the attribution and prediction of such events. In contrast, Module C considers impacts as a starting point, therefore focusing on the combination of meteorological factors and non-meteorological factors, such as exposure and vulnerability leading to impacts. Module C also includes the newly introduced interdisciplinary science communication projects. Lastly, Module D facilitates the software and data management of the entire consortium, laying the foundation of its scientific work. Additionally, Module D coordinates constant efforts of standardising methods and data used by the network, increasing the transparency of the research and facilitating optimal knowledge transfer between the groups.
