Inaugural lecture of Prof. Claudia Stephan at the University of Rostock

Last Thursday, Prof. Claudia Stephan, Professor of Theoretical Atmospheric Physics at the University of Rostock since the beginning of the year, gave her inaugural lecture on the topic of “Weather forecasts and climate predictions to the edge of space”. It provided insights into the changes currently taking place in the Earth's atmosphere and highlighted the challenges and potential of modern atmospheric models.

While the troposphere is warming as a result of climate change, the middle and upper atmosphere is cooling at rates of up to -2°C per decade, leading to a shrinking of these layers. This process has a direct impact on the lifespan and trajectories of satellites and space debris. At the same time, the use of space for civil, commercial and military applications is increasing rapidly, which increases the need for precise models for the upper atmospheric layers. Against this background, Prof. Stephan emphasized the importance of a new numerical model that can provide weather and climate data for altitudes above 50 km.

Her research therefore aims to improve the modeling of the atmosphere at altitudes beyond 50 km in order to provide sound insights into an area that is becoming increasingly important for scientific and technical applications.