C3i (Climatic Change and Climate Impacts Research) is the leading climate research group in French-speaking Switzerland and is headed by Professor Martin Beniston, who is also currently the Director of the Institute for Environmental Sciences at the University of Geneva. C3i is also affiliated with the University's Departments of Physics and of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
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CLIMATE GROUP MAKES IT TO THE FRONT COVER OF "NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE"!
A paper by A. Sorg, T. Bolch, M. Stoffel, O. Solomina, and M. Beniston was published in the October 2012 edition of the journal. You can access this paper in pdf format on our Publications pages (Nr. 110 in the list)
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Overview
While the signs of human influence on climate are becoming increasingly obvious, the problem today is not to know whether climate is warming, but at what speed it is changing, as well as to assess the natural, economic and social impacts of rapid change at global and regional geographic scales. The C3i Group currently comprises 14 scientists, 8 of whom are supported by external research funds. In addition to Professor Martin Beniston, who is also the head of the Institute for Environmental Sciences of the University of Geneva, the group is made up of 4 senior scientists, 3 Post-docs, and 6 PhD researchers.
The C3i group is involved in a wide range of research activities that include in particular:
Planet Solar Deepwater Project
This project is designed to use Planet Solar, the Swiss solar-powered boat that completed a round-the-world trip in 2012, to undertake high-tech measurements of water mass transistions along the Gulf Stream and in the vicinity of regions of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation, a crucial element of the oceanic thermohaline circulation - and a major regulator of global climate
• The estimation of climate trends at the European and Alpine scales, based on observational data
• The mathematical simulation of extreme events in a warming climate, using state-of-the-art regional climate models, developed in collaboration with UQAM , the University of Quebec at Montreal, and the Ouranos Consortium, also in Montreal
• The study of the economic impacts of extreme climates on infrastructure, forests, and other economic sectors
• Investigations of natural hazards triggered by climate, using experimental and numerical approaches (in collaboration with the DENDROLABat the University of Berne)
• The study of shifts in water resources in glaciated mountain regions such as the Alps, the Andes, or Central Asia, and the impacts of these changes for a range of economic sectors. This is the mandate of the European FP7 ACQWA project coordinated by C3i
• The assessment of a warmer climate on water quality in Swiss lakes and implications for public health
• The analysis of water regulation and governance approaches to help avert rivalries between sectors confronted with changing water availability
• The assessment of future glacier risks on nuclear waste repositories in a future ice age, under contract with NAGRA , the Swiss cooperative for nuclear waste disposal
• Simulations of non-linear climate processes, funded by the Swiss CADMOS Consortium (Center for Advanced Modeling Science), using high-performance computers
• Consulting with Swiss authorities at the regional and federal levels to provide guidance for climate policy.
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Further information
Further in-depth information can be found by downloading a detailed pdf description of C3i activities:
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You can also browse through the different topics that can be accessed via the menu on the left-hand-side of this page.
To contact any team member (listed under "Research Team" in the menu):
- University of Geneva
C3i/Climatic Change and Climate Impacts Research Group
Institute for Environmental Sciences
Site de Battelle / Bat. D
7 route de Drize
CH 1227 Carouge / GE, Switzerland - Phone: + 41 (0)22 379 07 99 - Fax: +41 (0)22 379 07 44
- e-mail: Firstname.Lastname@unige.ch
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