2014-05-19
NorMER Climate Change workshop
The train leaves Vesterport to Charlottenlund station at 8.10 on Sunday 27 September.
Vesterport station is about five minute walk from the hotel. The train is arriving at
Charlottenlund station at 8.24. Then it is a 10 min walk from the station to DTU Aqua.
8.45-9.30 Introduction.
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Why this course? Scope and purpose of the NorMER climate workshop and general overview of
climate-change impacts on the marine environment and its resources.
9.30-10.15 The climate system and the ocean in the climate system

Lecture (1h) Topics may cover: What is climate and what is weather? , the water planet, the
energy budget and greenhouse effect, distribution of temperature, salinity, density, ocean
circulation, transport of heat and freshwater, ocean mixing, ocean currents.
10.15-10.30 Coffee
10.30-12.30 Climate modelling: the global and regional perspective

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Lecture (1h) Topics may cover: Why do we need climate models? What is a climate model?
History of climate models, models of different complexity and their purposes (process
understanding, prediction), General Circulation Models, processes on different spatial and
temporal resolutions, steady state (equilibrium simulations) vs. transient simulations,
parameterizations, scenario formulations, evaluations, robust results, systematic biases,
uncertainties, ensemble modelling, regional downscaling of the global simulations.
Exercise (1h): use simple energy balance models and/or ocean budget models to get an
understanding of driving parameters, model sensitivities, and model simulations. Bring your own
computer!!!
12.30-13.30 Lunch
13.30-17.30 Climate change and impacts on ecosystems

Group Exercise (2 h): Each workshop participant have beforehand prepared 3 slides (bring also
printed out on paper):
No1: Background: What climate-change sensitive parameters in the environment (direct or
indirect) may impact the specie/system I am studying? (e.g. temperature, salinity, nutrients,
oxygen, currents, wave-field, trophic interactions etc.)
No2: How do I think/know CC will impact the species/system that I am studying?
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No3: In what way will climate-change impacts be included in my present work and what
tools/data will I use
Group Discussion (3-5 persons in each group)

Each participant presents her/his slides to the group. Discussion on how the climatechange impacts will be studies within that group, are there common
themes/questions/difficulties, what knowledge/data/tool needs are there within the
group to be able to conduct the research, are there synergies within the group.
Each group presents their discussions/conclusions to all.

Lecture (1h) Biogeochemistry in the ocean and impact of climate change, modelling
biogeochemical cycles under climate change, how will e.g. primary production change, what
impacts will decreasing ice coverage have on seasonal cycles, resuspension etc, how will
temperature changes impacts seasonal cycles, oxygen concentrations, oxygen consumptions, and
light climate, how will sediment processes be influenced and how will hypoxic and anoxic areas
be influenced.

Discussions/conclusions (1h)
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Summary of the day
Is there a way to synthesis NorMER research on climate-change impacts in a joint
paper?
How do we move forward – identify needs of further lectures, workshops etc.
After the course the students should have some knowledge of:
1. What is climate and which factors determine the climate.
2. What is a climate scenario and which are the assumptions behind IPCC scenarios.
3. What tools are used to produce the global and regional scenarios? Which variables
(winds, precipitation, temperature..) are projected in the future scenarios.
4. Which scenarios are available and what differs between the underlying assumptions
of the future developments. What are the main uncertainties in these scenarios?
5. What is the impact on the different variables on a global and regional scale,
respectively? What are the projections for your region?
6. How is the response for climate change in the ocean estimated? What is the
difference between a coupled and uncoupled projection of the oceanic state. Which
variables (salinity, temperature, sea level, currents, waves..) are projected in the
future scenarios of the ocean.
7. How is the response for climate change in the ocean biogeochemistry and the
ecosystem estimated? Which scenarios are available in your region? What are the
projections for your region? What are the main uncertainties in these scenarios.
8. How might climate change affect your research area? Where can you find the data
from climate change scenarios? Which variables (oxygen, nutrients,
phytoplankton,..) are projected in the scenarios of the ocean. How do you select
appropriate scenarios?
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9. How do planned NorMER-studies incorporate impacts of climate change? Is there
scope for a joint synthesis on climate change impacts and adaptation?
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