Description of the institute

The Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) is an internationally renowned institute for climate research. Its goal is to understand the changing climate of our Earth. The MPI-M comprises three departments:

• The Atmosphere in the Earth System
• The Land in the Earth System
• The Ocean in the Earth System

and three independent research groups:

• Fire in the Earth System
• Sea Ice in the Earth System
• Turbulent Mixing Processes in the Earth System

Scientists at the MPI-M investigate what determines the sensitivity of the Earth system to perturbations such as the changing composition of its atmosphere, and work toward establishing the sources and limits of predictability within the Earth system. MPI-M develops and analyses sophisticated models of the Earth system, which simulate the processes within atmosphere, land and ocean. Such models have developed into important tools for understanding the behaviour of our climate, and they form the basis for international assessments of climate change. Targeted in-situ measurements and satellite observations complement the model simulations.