Ocean and climate
The ocean plays a central role in regulating Earth’s climate. Yet, its complex, interconnected influences remain only partially understood. We investigate key ocean-climate interactions across multiple timescales.
Ocean-atmosphere interactions have shaped Earth’s climate throughout most of its existence. The ocean takes up and holds vast amounts of carbon and thereby helps regulate atmospheric CO₂ levels and global temperatures. Ocean circulation transports heat and salt from low to high latitudes and drives vertical mixing of carbon, nutrients, and oxygen between the upper and deep ocean. The ocean floor has accumulated sinking material for millions of years and hence its sediments offer long records that capture Earth’s climate variability. By integrating these research lines, we improve our understanding of ocean-climate dynamics across timescales in the past, present, and future.