The Institute IEK-8 explores the chemistry of the troposphere, performs global observations, and simulates atmospheric chemistry and transport processes by numerical models.

Anthropogenic activities, in particular increasing energy use and production, and natural processes release large quantities of trace substances into the atmosphere influencing living conditions on Earth. Since the beginning of the industrialisation in the 19th century, a significant increase of atmospheric trace gases and pollutants has been observed world-wide. On one side, changing greenhouse gases and aerosols perturb the energy balance of the atmosphere and thereby the climate system. On the other side, increasing air pollution levels constitute a threat to human and ecosystem health especially in industrialised countries and large cities.

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How non-equilibrium aerosol chemistry impacts particle acidity: the GMXe AERosol CHEMistry (GMXe–AERCHEM, v1.0) sub-submodel of MESSy

Aqueous-phase chemical processes in clouds, fog, and deliquescent aerosols are known to alter atmospheric composition and acidity significantly. Traditionally, global and regional models predict aerosol composition by relying on thermodynamic equilibrium models and neglect non-equilibrium processes.

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Job offer

PhD-position - Climate stress induced biogenic emissions and their impact on atmospheric composition As a PhD candidate you will be part of the Helmholtz Young Investigator Group “ClimStress - Climate stress impacts on forest emissions and aerosol pollution” at the Institute for Energy and Climate Research - Troposphere (IEK-8) within Forschungszentrum Jülich.

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Photochemistry and Radicals

Investigation of the chemistry of free radicals (OH, HO2, RO2, NO3) in the atmosphere and their impact on the atmospheric self-cleaning and formation of secondary air pollutants (ozone, aerosols etc).

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Reactive Trace Substances

Reactive trace gases like hydrocarbons and nitric oxides are emitted in enormous amounts by natural and anthropogenic sources into the atmosphere. The measurement of their concentrations and the review of their depletion paths help us to understand the complex processes, which are needed to remove the contamination from the atmosphere.

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Aerosols

Investigations of the sources, the chemical composition, and the micro physical properties of atmospheric aerosols under various aspectes.

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Global Monitoring

The tropopause region and the adjacent layers of the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere (UTLS) are very sensitive to changes of the chemical composition and the climate. However, the knowledge about this region is still limited.

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Atmospheric Modelling

Our central goal is to expand our understanding of tropospheric processes and accurately model the atmospheric composition.

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Publications IEK-8