Climate Hazards

Extreme events and abrupt changes to the climate system.

Research focus

We focus on understanding the causes and dynamics of extreme events and abrupt changes in the climate system, including identifying critical thresholds, understanding how such events develop, and what consequences they have. Furthermore, we are working towards improving predictions of the likelihood, extent and impact of climate hazards, and are collaborating with stakeholders in private and public sectors.

Some of our research questions are:

• How will gradual climate change and thresholds in the climate system impact the frequency and severity of climate hazards?
• How does internal climate variability contribute and influence the extremes? How does model bias influence the prediction of extremes?
• Will the current committed warming trigger abrupt changes in sea level rise due to ice sheet collapse? 
• What can we learn from extreme events, circulation changes, and warm climates of the past?
• To what extent can society and industry adapt to extreme events, including flooding, sea level high stands, landslides and storms? 

Keywords: Tipping points, extreme weather, sea level rise, abrupt climate changes, glacier stability. 

Strategic projects 

RISES, Quantifying and understand rates of ice sheet change. Leader Petra Langebroek and Anna Hughes.

CHEX, Climate hazards and extremes. Leaders Asgeir Sorteberg and Lu Li.