Seminar Series

Oeschger Seminar Series

Climate change and water

Extreme flooding

23 February 2021

Various OCCR researchers helped prepare the recently published report (in German) Extreme Flooding Aare-Rhine (EXAR). The study makes risk assessment possible even for very rare events. Detailed hazard analyses were carried out for five sites, including the Mühleberg, Gösgen and Beznau nuclear power plants. The findings provide authorities and plant operators with a sound basis to better protect critical infrastructure against extreme flooding.

On the trail of urban heat islands

4 February 2021

Moritz Burger graduated second best in his class at the Graduate School of Climate Sciences and has been awarded a 2020 Oeschger Young Scientist's Prize for this achievement. Now, as he writes his doctoral thesis, he remains true to his master’s thesis topic: Bern’s urban climate.

A top educated climate activist

3 February 2021

Conall Heusaff finished at the top of his class at the Graduate School of Climate Sciences, winning a 2020 Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize for his achievements. Now he provides expert analysis of electricity market issues in Ireland.

Understanding future climate risks

27 January 2021

With global warming, extreme events like heatwaves and droughts of unimaginable proportions are becoming a possibility. Olivia Romppainen, co-organizer of an international conference on the subject, explains why we need a better understanding of these combined weather and climate events – so-called compound events.

From classical music to the economic consequences of forest fires

3 February 2021

Ranking second in her class at the Graduate School of Climate Sciences, Sarah Meier has been awarded a 2020 Oeschger Young Scientist’s Prize for her achievements. For her master’s degree she majored in economics.

Climate change and the seasons

13 January 2021

The BernClim observation network is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, there's a new brochure out in German: "Klimawandel und Jahreszeiten". It was produced by a team of researchers here at OCCR, and it highlights the importance of phenological observations while showing how climate change affects the seasons.

A sharper look behind the political scenes

23 November 2020

With an eye on countries around the world, political scientist Marlene Kammerer researches the road from good intentions to effective climate policy.

On the ball for 50 years

15 December 2020

In 2020, the Institute of Geography at the University of Bern is celebrating 50 years of climate research. Now a key pillar of Bern’s internationally renowned climate research, the institute had a humble start. Stefan Brönnimann, climatology professor and OCCR member, has made a film to mark this anniversary. It offers a scientific as well as personal retrospective of this eventful period in interdisciplinary research.

“I’ve always had two mainstays in my career”

7 December 2020

Bettina Schaefli joined the University of Bern a year ago as a professor of hydrology. In this interview, the OCCR member talks about the risks of water and electricity shortages, the importance of field research and the interest in her findings.

Climate reconstruction from the archives of societies

10 November 2020

OCCR members Chantal Camenisch and Heli Huhtamaa were part of the editing team of the latest issue of the Past Global Changes Magazine which presents the state of research in the field of historical climatology. Its articles examine different regions of the world and review innovative methodological approaches, recent scientific results, and analyses of new source materials.

From data collector to climate modeller

30 October 2020

Frerk Pöppelmeier is working towards a better understanding of the Atlantic circulation. At the OCCR, the geoscientist has found exactly the expertise in climate modelling that he needed to advance his research. He’s combining his knowledge of environmental proxies with the unique capacities of the Bern 3D model.

Swiss hail measurement network

5 October 2020

Because of its complex topography and an exceptional hail data base, Switzerland is a perfect laboratory for hail research. It is regularly affected by severe thunderstorms which cause substantial damage and represent high costs for insurance companies. The Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks explains in a new video (in German) why Swiss hail research is unique.

Marine heatwaves are human made

24 September 2020

Heatwaves in the world’s oceans have become over 20 times more frequent due to human influence. This is what researchers from the OCCR are now able to prove. Marine heatwaves destroy ecosystems and damage fisheries.

Anthropogenic CO₂ increase is unprecedented

21 August 2020

Even in earlier warm periods there were pulse-like releases of CO₂ to the atmosphere. Today's anthropogenic CO₂ rise, however, is more than six times larger and almost ten times faster than previous jumps in the CO₂ concentration. This is the conclusion reached by a European research team led by the OCCR.

Flood Damage Simulator launched

25 June 2020

The OCCR’s Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks has launched a novel online tool that shows the possible extent of damage from floods throughout Switzerland. The Flood Damage Simulator is based on innovative models developed by the Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks, derived from data on round 15,000 flood insurance claims across all of Switzerland.

Eruption of volcano in Alaska linked to extreme cold in ancient Rome

22 June 2020

An international team of scientists and historians including OCCR members has found evidence connecting an unexplained period of extreme cold in ancient Rome with an unlikely source: a massive eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano, located on the opposite side of the Earth.

Arctic Ocean acidification worse than previously expected

17 June 2020

The Arctic Ocean will take up more CO2 over the 21st century than predicted by most climate models. This additional CO2 causes a distinctly stronger ocean acidification. These results were published in a study by climate scientists from the OCCR and École normale supérieure in Paris. Ocean acidification can have serious consequences for the entire food chain.

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