The Polar regions play a crucial role in balancing global climate – with the poles heating up much faster than the rest of the world. Yet, climate projections for the Polar regions still have significant uncertainties. This is hampering efforts to curb climate change and deal with the effects we already see at play not only within the Polar regions, but also in Europe and the rest of the world. PolarRES, a new research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme will work to make climate projections in the polar regions more reliable.
Over the next four years, researchers in the project will develop new insights on polar processes and adopt a so-called ‘storylines approach’. The research will explore how polar climate change, for example, will affect Boreal wildfires and permafrost thaw. If ancient permafrost thaws, more greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere, further contributing to a hotter planet. Research results from the PolarRES project will contribute important knowledge to the EU Strategy on Climate Action.
At Utrecht University, Willem Jan van de Berg will use regional and global models to study the current and future interaction between the atmosphere, sea ice and clouds for both the Arctic and Antarctica. This research will lead to improved understanding of the sensitivity of the polar regions for climate change.
Read more at Utrecht University
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