Dr. Ute Merkel Universität Bremen MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and FB5 - Geowissenschaften Geosystem Modelling Postbox address: Postfach 330 440 D-28334 Bremen Mailing address: Leobener Str. 10 ZfT Building - Room 4330 D-28359 Bremen Tel: +49 (0) 421 - 218 - 65440 Email: umerkel(a)marum.de

* Research interests

* Publications

* Presentations

* Outreach

* Teaching

* Curriculum vitae

* Memberships

Research interests

General focus:

Climate of the past, present and future

Variability of the climate system on seasonal and interannual up to millennial scales

Climate modelling using complex coupled Earth-system models

Selection of topics and research projects:

Simulating the last glacial-interglacial cycle with an Earth-system model (BMBF project PalMod Phase I-III)

Centennial-to-millennial climate variability during the LGM and MIS3 (BMBF project PalMod Phase II)

Simulations and variability of mineral dust (BMBF project PalMod Phase I)

Tropical climate variability (DFG Priority Program SPP2299)

Paleoclimate simulations for Marine Isotope Stage 3 (German Research Foundation project)

Paleoclimate simulations for Last Glacial Maximum and Mid-Holocene (EU project MOTIF, PMIP2)

ENSO teleconnections and the impact of ENSO on the North Atlantic/European sector

ENSO and tropical storms

Role of horizontal resolution in AGCMs

Publications

Special issue of PAGES Magazine: Denis-Didier Rousseau, Jan-Berend Stuut, Gisela Winckler and myself were guest editors for a special PAGES magazine dedicated to the topic of mineral dust.

Refereed publications:

• Lawman, A. E., C. Sun, X. Wu, T. Sun, N. Piatrunia, K. Gomez, M. Kageyama, U. Merkel, M. Prange, B. Otto-Bliesner, X. Zhang, P. DiNezio, and T. Shanahan, 2025: Mechanisms driving the global tropical response to a weakened AMOC during Heinrich Stadial 1 Quaternary Science Reviews, doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109567


• DiNezio, P. N., T. M. Shanahan, T. Sun, C. Sun, X. Wu, A. Lawman, D. Lea, M. Kageyama, U. Merkel, M. Prange, B. Otto-Bliesner, and X. Zhang, 2025: Tropical response to ocean circulation slowdown raises future drought risk, Nature, doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09319-x


• Prange, M., L. Jonkers, U. Merkel, M. Schulz, and P. Bakker, 2023: A multicentennial mode of North Atlantic climate variability throughout the Last Glacial Maximum, Science Advances, 9 (44), doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh1106


• Malmierca-Vallet, I., L. C. Sime, and the D-O community members (A. Abe-Ouchi, A. Born, N. Bouttes, P. Ditlevsen, M. P. Erb, G. Feulner, E. J. Gowan, L. Gregoire, C. Guo, S. P. Harrison, H. Andres, M. Kageyama, M. Klockmann, F. Lambert, A. N. LeGrande, U. Merkel, L. S. Nazarenko, K. H. Nisancioglu, K. Oliver, B. Otto-Bliesner, W. R. Peltier, M. Prange, K. Rehfeld, A. J. Robinson, L. Tarasov, P. J. Valdes, G. Vettoretti, N. Weitzel, Q. Zhang, and X. Zhang), 2023: Dansgaard-Oeschger events in climate models: review and baseline Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3) protocol, Climate of the Past, 19, 915-942, doi:10.5194/cp-19-915-2023


• Kurahashi-Nakamura, T., A. Paul, U. Merkel, and M. Schulz, 2022: Glacial state of the global carbon cycle: time-slice simulations for the last glacial maximum with an Earth-system model, Climate of the Past, 18, 1997-2019, doi:10.5194/cp-18-1997-2022


• van der Does, M., G.-J. A. Brummer, F. C. J. van Crimpen, L. F. Korte, N. M. Mahowald, U. Merkel, H. Yu, P. Zuidema, and J.-B. W. Stuut, 2020: Tropical Rains Controlling Deposition of Saharan Dust Across the North Atlantic Ocean, Geophys. Res. Lett, doi:10.1029/2019GL086867


• Kurahashi-Nakamura, T., A. Paul, G. Munhoven, U. Merkel, and M. Schulz, 2020: Coupling of a sediment diagenesis model (MEDUSA) and an Earth system model (CESM1.2): a contribution toward enhanced marine biogeochemical modelling and long-term climate simulations, Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 825-840, doi:10.5194/gmd-13-825-2020


• Bakker, P., I. Rogozhina, U. Merkel, and M. Prange, 2020: Hypersensitivity of glacial summer temperatures in Siberia, Climate of the Past, 16, 371-386, doi:10.5194/cp-16-371-2020


• Nandini-Weiss, S. D., M. Prange, K. Arpe, U. Merkel, and M. Schulz, 2020: Past and future impact of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation in the Caspian Sea catchment area, Int. J. Climatology, 40, No. 5, 2717-2731, doi:10.1002/joc.6362


• Guerreiro, C. V., K.-H. Baumann, G.-J. A. Brummer, G. Fischer, L. F. Korte, U. Merkel, C. Sá, H. de Stigter, and J.-B. W. Stuut, 2017: Coccolithophore fluxes in the open tropical North Atlantic: influence of thermocline depth, Amazon water, and Saharan dust, Biogeosciences, 14, 4577-4599, doi:10.5194/bg-14-4577-2017


• Häggi, C., C. M. Chiessi, U. Merkel, S. Mulitza, M. Prange, M. Schulz, and Enno Schefuss, 2017: Response of the Amazon rainforest to late Pleistocene climate variability, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 479, 50-59, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2017.09.013


• Friese, C., M. van der Does, U. Merkel, M. H. Iversen, G. Fischer, and J.-B. W. Stuut, 2016: Environmental factors controlling the seasonal variability in particle size distribution of modern Saharan dust deposited off Cape Blanc, Aeolian Research, 22, 165-179, doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2016.04.005


• Fischer, G., O. Romero, U. Merkel, B. Donner, M. Iversen, N. Nowald, V. Ratmeyer, G. Ruhland, M. Klann, and G. Wefer, 2016: Deep ocean mass fluxes in the coastal upwelling off Mauritania from 1988 to 2012: variability on seasonal to decadal timescales, Biogeosciences, 13, 3071-3090, doi:10.5194/bg-13-3071-2016


• Tian, Q., M. Prange, and U. Merkel, 2016: Precipitation and temperature changes in the major Chinese river basins during 1957-2013 and links to sea surface temperature, J. Hydrology, 536, 208-221, doi:10.1016/j.hydrol.2016.02.048


• Zhang X., M. Prange, U. Merkel, and M. Schulz, 2015: Spatial fingerprint and magnitude of changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during marine isotope stage 3, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 1903-1911, doi:10.1002/2014GL063003


• Ronge, T., S. Steph, R. Tiedemann, M. Prange, U. Merkel, D. Nürnberg, and G. Kuhn, 2015: Pushing the boundaries: Glacial/interglacial variability of intermediate and deep waters in the southwest Pacific over the last 350,000 years, Paleoceanography, 30, 23-38, doi:10.1002/2014PA002727


• Zhang, X., M. Prange, U. Merkel, and M. Schulz, 2014: Instability of the Atlantic overturning circulation during Marine Isotope Stage 3, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 4285-4293, 28 June 2014, doi:10.1002/2014GL060321


• Mohtadi, M., M. Prange, D. W. Oppo, R. De Pol-Holz, U. Merkel, X. Zhang, S. Steinke, and A. Lückge, 2014: North Atlantic forcing of tropical Indian Ocean climate, Nature, 509, 76-80, doi:10.1038/nature13196


• Handiani, D., A. Paul, M. Prange, U. Merkel, L. Dupont, and X. Zhang, 2013: Tropical vegetation response to Heinrich Event 1 as simulated with the UVic ESCM and CCSM3, Climate of the Past, 9, 1683-1696, doi:10.5194/cp-9-1683-2013


• Kageyama, M., U. Merkel, B. Otto-Bliesner, M. Prange, A. Abe-Ouchi, G. Lohmann, R. Ohgaito, D. M. Roche, J. Singarayer, D. Swingedouw, and X. Zhang, 2013: Climatic impacts of fresh water hosing under Last Glacial Maximum conditions: a multi-model study, Climate of the Past, 9, 935-953, doi:10.5194/cp-9-935-2013


• Tharammal, T., A. Paul, U. Merkel, and D. Noone, 2013: Influence of Last Glacial Maximum boundary conditions on the global water isotope distribution in an atmospheric general circulation model, Climate of the Past, 9, 789-809, doi:10.5194/cp-9-789-2013


• Felis, T., U. Merkel, R. Asami, P. Deschamps, E. C. Hathorne, M. Kölling, E. Bard, G. Cabioch, N. Durand, M. Prange, M. Schulz, S. Y. Cahyarini, and M. Pfeiffer, 2012: Pronounced interannual variability in tropical South Pacific temperatures during Heinrich Stadial 1, Nature Communications, 3:965, doi:10.1038/ncomms1973


• Stuut, J.-B., M. Prange, U. Merkel, and S. Steph, 2012: Tropical oceans. In Quaternary Environmental Change in the Tropics, S. E. Metcalfe and D. J. Nash (eds.), Wiley-Blackwell, Blackwell Quaternary Geoscience Series, pp. 47-78


• Hessler, I., L. Dupont, D. Handiani, A. Paul, U. Merkel, and G. Wefer, 2012: Masked millennial-scale climate variations in South West Africa during the last glaciation, Clim. Past, 8, 841-853, doi:10.5194/cp-8-841-2012


• Stuut, J.-B., U. Merkel, and D.-D. Rousseau, 2012: Challenges in Understanding Past and Present Eolian Dust Dynamics, EOS, 93, No. 19, 8 May 2012


• Varma, V., M. Prange, U. Merkel, T. Kleinen, G. Lohmann, M. Pfeiffer, H. Renssen, A. Wagner, S. Wagner, and M. Schulz, 2012: Holocene evolution of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds in transient simulations with global climate models, Clim. Past, 8, 391-402, doi:10.5194/cp-8-391-2012


• Varma, V., M. Prange, F. Lamy, U. Merkel, and M. Schulz, 2011: Solar-forced shifts of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies during the Holocene, Clim. Past, 7, 339-347, doi:10.5194/cp-7-339-2011


• Merkel, U., M. Prange, and M. Schulz, 2010: ENSO variability and teleconnections during glacial climates, Quaternary Science Reviews, 29, 86-100, doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.11.006


• Timmermann, A., L. Menviel, Y. Okumura, A. Schilla, U. Merkel, O. Timm, A. Hu, B. Otto-Bliesner, and M. Schulz, 2010: Towards a quantitative understanding of millennial-scale Antarctic warming events, Quaternary Science Reviews, 29, 74-85


• Fraile, I., M. Schulz, S. Mulitza, U. Merkel, M. Prange, and A. Paul, 2009: Modeling the seasonal distribution of planktonic foraminifera during the Last Glacial Maximum, Paleoceanography, 24, No. 2, doi:10.1029/2008PA001686


• Zheng, W., P. Braconnot, E. Guilyardi, U. Merkel, and Y. Yu, 2008: ENSO at 6ka and 21ka from ocean-atmosphere coupled simulations, Climate Dynamics, 30, 7-8, 745-762, doi:10.1007/s00382-007-0320-3


• Braconnot, P., B. Otto-Bliesner, S. Harrison, S. Joussaume, J.-Y. Peterschmitt, A. Abe-Ouchi, M. Crucifix, E. Driesschaert, Th. Fichefet, C. D. Hewitt, M. Kageyama, A. Kitoh, A. Lainé, O. Marti, U. Merkel, G. Ramstein, P. Valdes, S. L. Weber, Y. Yu, and Y. Zhao, 2007: Results of PMIP2 coupled simulations of the Mid-Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum - Part 1: experiments and large-scale features, Climate of the Past, 3, 261-277


• Braconnot, P., B. Otto-Bliesner, S. Harrison, S. Joussaume, J.-Y. Peterschmitt, A. Abe-Ouchi, M. Crucifix, E. Driesschaert, Th. Fichefet, C. D. Hewitt, M. Kageyama, A. Kitoh, M.-F. Loutre, O. Marti, U. Merkel, G. Ramstein, P. Valdes, S. L. Weber, Y. Yu, and Y. Zhao, 2007: Results of PMIP2 coupled simulations of the Mid-Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum - Part 2: feedbacks with emphasis on the location of the ITCZ and mid- and high latitudes heat budget, Climate of the Past, 3, 279-296


• Justino, F., A. Timmermann, U. Merkel, and W. R. Peltier, 2006: An initial intercomparison of atmospheric and oceanic climatology for the ICE-5G and ICE-4G models of LGM paleotopography, J. Climate, 19,  3-14


• Masson-Delmotte, V., M. Kageyama, P. Braconnot, S. Charbit, G. Krinner, C. Ritz, E. Guilyardi, J. Jouzel,  A. Abe-Ouchi, M. Crucifix, R. M. Gladstone, C. D. Hewitt, A. Kitoh, A. N. LeGrande, O. Marti, U. Merkel, T. Motoi, R. Ohgaito, B. Otto-Bliesner, W. R. Peltier, I. Ross, P. J. Valdes, G. Vettoretti, S. L. Weber, F. Wolk, and Y. Yu, 2005: Past and future polar amplifications of climate change: climate model intercomparisons and ice-core constraints, Climate Dynamics, DOI 10.1007/s00382-005-0081-9


• Justino, F., A. Timmermann, U. Merkel, and E. P. Souza, 2005: Synoptic reorganization of atmospheric flow during the Last Glacial Maximum, J. Climate, 18, 2826-2846


• Merkel, U., and M. Latif (2002): A High Resolution AGCM Study of the El Niño Impact on the North Atlantic/European Sector, Geophysical Research Letters, 29(9), 10.1029/2001GL013726, 2002 (PDF Download)

Other publications:

• Nandini-Weiss, S., K. Arpe, U. Merkel, and M. Prange (2021): Future decline of the Caspian Sea level: Does the North Atlantic Oscillation matter?, Proceedings of the Scientific Conference on Climate Change in the Caspian Sea Region, UNEP, pp. 149-150


• Merkel, U., K. Kandler, and K. Schepanski (2019): 5. Deutscher Staubtag in Darmstadt - Tagungsbericht, Mitteilungen der Deutschen Meteorologischen Gesellschaft, Heft 1-2019, S. 45


• Merkel U. (2018): 4. Deutscher Staubtag in Bremen - Tagungsbericht, Mitteilungen der Deutschen Meteorologischen Gesellschaft, Heft 1-2018, S. 52


• Merkel, U., D.-D. Rousseau, J.-B. W. Stuut, and G. Winckler (2014): Present and past mineral dust variations - a cross-disciplinary challenge for research, PAGES Magazine "Dust", Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 59-60


• Schepanski, K., U. Merkel, and I. Tegen (2014): Mineral dust: Meteorological controls and climate impacts, PAGES Magazine "Dust", Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 62-63


• Merkel, U., M. Prange, and M. Schulz (2013): Interannual variability in the tropical Pacific and associated atmospheric teleconnections during the last glacial period, PAGES Newsletter (PAGES news), Vol. 21, No. 2, August 2013, pp. 68-69


• Stuut, J.-B., U. Merkel, and D.-D. Rousseau (2012): Processes and Quaternary history of dust dynamics: low-latitude records and global climate implications, PAGES Newsletter (PAGES news), Vol. 20, No. 2, December 2012, p.98


• Merkel U., and J.-B. Stuut (2012): Mineralstaub-Workshop in Bremen - Processes and Quaternary history of dust dynamics: low-latitude records and global implications, Mitteilungen der Deutschen Meteorologischen Gesellschaft, Heft 1-2012, S. 29


• Merkel, U., M. Prange, and M. Schulz (2010): How did tropical Pacific interannual variability and teleconnections change during glacial climates?, GeoDarmstadt2010 - Geowissenschaften sichern Zukunft, Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften, Heft 68, 389


• Prange, M., U. Merkel, and M. Schulz (2008): Modellierung känozoischer Klimazustände, HLRN - Norddeutscher Verbund für Höchstleistungsrechnen, Newsletter, Nr. 5, Juni 2008, 2-4


• Merkel, U. (2003): ENSO teleconnections in high resolution AGCM experiments (Abstract), Dissertation, Universität Hamburg, Also available as MPI-Examensreport No. 93 from Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstr. 53, 20146 Hamburg


• Merkel, U., and M. Latif (2002): The ENSO impact on the North Atlantic/European sector as simulated by high resolution ECHAM4 experiments, Clivar Newsletter Exchanges, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 6-7 (PDF Download)


• Merkel, U., and M. Latif (2001): A High Resolution AGCM Study of the El Niño Impact on the North Atlantic/European Sector, Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie, Report No. 325 (Abstract, PDF version)


• Merkel, U. (1998): Die Sensitivität der Atmosphäre bezüglich extratropischer SST-Anomalien (The atmospheric response to extratropical sea surface temperature anomalies, Abstract), Diplomarbeit, Universität Hamburg

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Presentations

Talks (Selection):

• "On the oscillatory behaviour of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation on millennial timescales", 12 July 2023, IUGG 28th General Assembly, Berlin


• "The PalMod initative - an overview" and "Climate variability on centennial-to-millennial scales in CESM", 15 June 2022, CESM Annual Workshop, Online Conference (invited talk)


• "Climate variability on centennial-to-millennial scales in CESM", 17 May 2022, PalMod-II General Assembly, Travemünde


• "The PalMod project - An overview", March 2019, MARUM Scientific Advisory Board Meeting, Bremen


• "Millennial-to-interannual climate variability during the last glacial - insights from climate modelling", June 2018, Kolloquium des Instituts für Umweltphysik, Heidelberg


• "Mineral dust", June 2018, GEOMOD seminar, Bremen


• "Instability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and interannual climate variability during the last glacial period", September 2015, 10. Deutsche Klimatagung, Hamburg (U. Merkel, M. Prange, X. Zhang, M. Schulz)


• "GEOMOD Glacial climate modelling activities", November 2014, MARUM, Joint Workshop of the AWI Paleoclimate Dynamics and Bremen Geosystem Modelling Working Groups, Bremen


• "Aerosol-induced feedbacks in the Earth system - Cross Cutting Project CCP1", June 2014, MARUM Annual Retreat, Farge


• "Mineral dust", April 2014, NIOZ-MARUM Joint Workshop, NIOZ, Texel, The Netherlands (Tandem talk by J.-B. Stuut, U. Merkel, M. Iversen)


• "Dust modelling in GCMs", October 2013, DUSTTRAFFIC Kickoff Meeting, NIOZ, Texel, The Netherlands


• "Tropical dynamics of the glacial atmosphere", 4 February 2011, GEOMOD seminar, Bremen


• "How did tropical Pacific interannual variability and teleconnections change during glacial climates?", 12 October 2010, GeoDarmstadt 2010, Darmstadt (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Paleo-climate modelling - learning lessons from the past?", 29 June 2010, 5th Scientific Computing Seminar with special emphasis on Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations in Earth Sciences, Kiel


• "ENSO variability and tropical Pacific mean-state changes in glacial climates", 4 May 2010, EGU General Assembly 2010, Vienna, Austria (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Atmospheric dynamics and teleconnections during glacial climates", 4 February 2010, OC3 Meeting, MARUM, Bremen


• "Atmospheric dynamics and teleconnections during glacial climates", 3 November 2009, ADOM/PAGES-Workshop High-mid latitude northern atmospheric circulation changes during the last climate cycle, Hyères, France (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Teleconnections between low and high latitudes during glacial climates", 21 September 2009, MARUM Advisory Board Meeting, Bremen (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "ENSO variability and teleconnections during glacial climates", 19-24 April 2009, EGU General Assembly 2009, Vienna, Austria (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Modeling the Global Monsoon System During Glacial Climate Events", 19-24 April 2009, EGU General Assembly 2009, Vienna, Austria (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Glacial climate as simulated by a comprehensive climate model", FB 1 Ocean circulation and Climate Dynamics Seminar, 30 June 2008, IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Atmospheric circulation at the last glacial as simulated by a complex coupled general circulation model", 14-19 April 2008, EGU General Assembly 2008, Vienna, Austria (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "West African drying triggered by glacial slowdowns of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation", 14-19 April 2008, EGU General Assembly 2008, Vienna, Austria (M. Prange, U. Merkel, S. Mulitza, J.-B. Stuut, M. Schulz)


• "Atmospheric and oceanic response to glacial boundary conditions in a comprehensive climate model", 16 January 2008, RCOM Research Area A "Oceans and Climate" Meeting, Bremen (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Sensitivity of the African monsoon to glacial boundary conditions in a comprehensive climate model", 13-16 November 2007, MARUM Workshop: Response of North African ecosystems to abrupt climate change, MARUM, Bremen (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Sensitivity of the African Monsoon to glacial boundary conditions in a comprehensive climate model", 1-5 October 2007, International Conference and 97th Annual Meeting of the Geologische Vereinigung (GV) "The Oceans in the Earth System", Bremen (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• "Seasonal changes in Holocene and Last Interglacial Monsoon climate: Evidence from Seychelles corals", 2-7 April 2006, EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria (J. Zinke, M. Pfeiffer, U. Merkel, H. Renssen, C. Gerber, W.-C. Dullo, M. Latif, and G. R. Davies)


• "Paleo climate simulations within the EU project MOTIF", November 2005, Réunion d'équipe, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Gif-sur-Yvette, France


• "Paleo climate simulations within MOTIF: The long way to a coupled GCM simulation of the LGM", November 2005, MOTIF project meeting, Istituto di Scienze Marine, Venice, Italy


• "Paleo climate simulations within the EU project MOTIF: Tropical Pacific Variability at 6K", November 2005, MOTIF project meeting, Istituto di Scienze Marine, Venice, Italy


• "Status quo of MOTIF activities at IFM-GEOMAR and MPI", 4-8 October 2004, MOTIF project meeting, MetOffice, Exeter, UK


• "Paleo climate modelling - learning from the past", 24 September 2004, Scientific Advisory Board Meeting, Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften, Kiel


• "High resolution AGCM experiments on present and future climate ENSO teleconnections", November 2003, START International Young Scientists' Global Change Conference, Trieste, Italy


• "The role of transient eddies in determining the atmospheric ENSO response", 6-11 April 2003, EGS-AGU-EUG Joint Assembly, Nice, France


• "ENSO teleconnections in high resolution AGCM experiments", May 2003, SFB 460 Seminar, Institute for Marine Research, Kiel


• "ENSO teleconnections as simulated by high resolution ECHAM4 experiments", December 2002, MPI Seminar Series, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg


• "El Niño, die stärkste kurzfristige Klimaschwankung", November 2002, MPI Board of Trustees Meeting, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg


• "Transient eddies and the atmospheric response to ENSO in high resolution ECHAM4 experiments", September 2002, MPI-Klausurtagung der Abt. Physikal. Klimasystem, Rissen


• "ENSO und NAO oder Hat der tropische Pazifik einen Einfluss auf die NAO und Europa?", Januar 2002, SFB 512 Workshop, Institute for Marine Research, University of Hamburg


• "A high resolution AGCM study on the ENSO impact on extratropical and tropical cyclones with focus on the North Atlantic", March 2001, EGS XXVI General Assembly, Nice, France


• "NAO and ENSO teleconnections or Are European climate fluctuations predictable from SST?", March 2001, Joint Workshop IPSL-MPI, Rissen


• "The impact of ENSO on tropical and extratropical storms as simulated by high resolution ECHAM4 experiments", February 2001, MPI-Klausurtagung der Abt. Physikal. Klimasystem, Rissen


• "Global ENSO impacts as simulated by a high resolution atmospheric GCM", September 2000, Conference on Nonlinear Phenomena in Global Climate Dynamics at ICTP, Trieste, Italy


• "ENSO teleconnections and the impact of ENSO on the North Atlantic/European sector", April 2000, EGS XXV General Assembly, Nice, France


• "ENSO teleconnections and the impact of ENSO on the North Atlantic/European sector", October 1999, COACH Fall Meeting, Kapellerput, The Netherlands

Posters (Selection):

• PalMod General Assembly, Bremerhaven, 27-29 September 2023: "Millennial Oscillatory Behaviour of the AMOC in CESM1.2" (Ute Merkel, Matthias Prange, and Michael Schulz)


• PalMod Annual Meeting, Kiel, February 2019: "Mineral dust in PalMod simulations with CESM1.2" (Ute Merkel, Samuel Albani, Pepijn Bakker, Ania Matulka, Natalie Mahowald, and Michael Schulz)


• 5. Deutscher Staubtag, Darmstadt, November 2018: "Sensitivity of Mineral Dust to Glacial Climate Boundary Conditions" (Ute Merkel, Samuel Albani, Pepijn Bakker, Natalie Mahowald, and Michael Schulz)


• EGU General Assembly 2018 Vienna, Austria, 8-13 April 2018: "A Mineral Dust Setup for Comprehensive Transient Paleoclimate Model Simulations" (Ute Merkel, Samuel Albani, Natalie Mahowald, and Michael Schulz)


• PalMod International Open Science Conference, Vienna, Austria, 7-8 April 2018: "Sensitivity of Mineral Dust to Glacial Climate Boundary Conditions" (Ute Merkel, Samuel Albani, Pepijn Bakker, Natalie Mahowald, and Michael Schulz)


• 4. Deutscher Staubtag, Bremen, 22 November 2017: "Mineral dust during the last glacial cycle - simulations within the PalMod project" (Ute Merkel and Michael Schulz)


• 4. Deutscher Staubtag, Bremen, 22 November 2017: "The role of Saharan dust in the coccolithophore export production in the tropical North Atlantic: fertilization or ballasting?" (Catarina Guerreiro, Karl-Heinz Baumann, Geert-Jan Brummer, Gerhard Fischer, Laura Korte, Ute Merkel, Carolina Sá, Henko de Stigter, Jan-Berend Stuut)


• PalMod Annual Meeting, Lübeck, February 2017: "Simulating the mineral dust cycle" (Ute Merkel and Michael Schulz)


• 11th International Conference on Paleoceanography: Long-term perspectives on ocean and climate dynamics - Three decades of ICP, Sitges, Spain, 1-6 September 2013: "North Atlantic atmosphere-ocean coupling during MIS2 and MIS3" (Ute Merkel, Matthias Prange, and Michael Schulz)


• 3rd International Conference on Earth System Modelling, Hamburg, 17-21 September 2012: "Glacial variations in atmospheric dynamics from simulations with a comprehensive climate model" (Ute Merkel, Matthias Prange, and Michael Schulz)


• AGU Fall Meeting 2011, San Francisco, USA, 5-9 December 2011: "Linkage of annual laminae formation in the Bering Sea and the Bølling/Allerød and Preboreal warm periods in the North Atlantic" (Julia Gottschalk, Lars Max, Ralf Tiedemann, Michael Schulz, and Ute Merkel)


• EGU General Assembly 2011, Vienna, Austria, 03-08 April 2011: "Influence of LGM boundary conditions on the global water isotope distribution in an atmospheric general circulation model" (Thejna Tharammal, André Paul, Ute Merkel, and David Noone)


• EGU General Assembly 2011, Vienna, Austria, 03-08 April 2011: "Teleconnections between North Pacfic and North Atlantic climate variations during the last deglaciation from laminated sediments" (Julia Gottschalk, Michael Schulz, Ute Merkel, Lars Max, and Ralf Tiedemann)


• EGU General Assembly 2011, Vienna, Austria, 03-08 April 2011: "A comparison of the climate response to fresh water discharges under glacial conditions" (Masa Kageyama, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Ute Merkel, Bette Otto-Bliesner, Didier M. Roche, Joy Singarayer, and Didier Swingedouw)


• IODP/ICDP-Kolloquium, Muenster, 14-16 March 2011: "Masked millennial-scale climate fluctuations in SW Africa during the last glacial" (I. Hessler, L. Dupont, D. Handiani, S. Steinke, J. Groeneveld, U. Merkel, A. Paul)


• DUSTSPEC Workshop: Dust Records For A Changing World, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, USA, 24-26 May 2010: "Modelling glacial aerosol transport" (U. Merkel, M. Prange, and M. Schulz)
• North Cluster Meeting, Wissenschaftszentrum Kiel, 8-9 October 2009: "ENSO and ENSO teleconnections during glacial climates" (U. Merkel, M. Prange, M. Schulz)


• EGU General Assembly 2009, Vienna, Austria, 19-25 April 2009: "Solar-induced shifts of the Southern Hemisphere westerly wind belt" (V. Varma, M. Prange, F. Lamy, U. Merkel, and M. Schulz)


• AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, 15-19 December 2008: "Modeling the Global Monsoon System During Glacial Climate" (U. Merkel, M. Prange, and M. Schulz)


• 9th International Conference on Paleoceanography - The Future Ocean: Perspectives from the past, Shanghai, China, 3-7 September 2007: "Sensitivity of monsoon systems to glacial boundary conditions in a comprehensive climate model" (U. Merkel, M. Prange, and M. Schulz)


• Second International Conference on Earth System Modelling, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, 27-31 August 2007: "Sensitivity studies on glacial climate using a complex general circulation model" (U. Merkel, M. Prange, and M. Schulz)


• Second International Conference on Earth System Modelling, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, 27-31 August 2007: "ENSO at 6 ka and 21 ka from Ocean-Atmosphere Coupled Model Simulations" (W. Zheng, P. Braconnot, E. Guilyardi, U. Merkel, and Y. Yu)


• IODP Topical Symposium "North Atlantic and Arctic Climate Variability", MARUM, Bremen, 15-16 August 2007: "North Atlantic Climate Response to Last Glacial Boundary Conditions in Comprehensive Model Simulations" (U. Merkel, M. Prange, and M. Schulz)


• EGU General Assembly 2007, Vienna, Austria, 15-20 April 2007: "ENSO at 6ka and 21ka from ocean-atmosphere coupled model simulations" (W. Zheng, P. Braconnot, E. Guilyardi, U. Merkel, and Y. Yu)


• EGU General Assembly 2006, Vienna, Austria, 2-7 April 2006: "On ENSO teleconnections in PMIP2/MOTIF model simulations" (U. Merkel, P. Braconnot, and M. Latif)


• IFM-GEOMAR Evaluation by Scientific Advisory Board, Kiel, September 2005: "Paleo Climate Modelling at IFM-GEOMAR" (U. Merkel, S. Flögel, M. Latif, and S. Renner)


• EGU General Assembly 2005, Vienna, Austria, 24-29 April 2005: "The impact of ice sheet topography on the glacial atmosphere: An intercomparison of results for the ICE-5G and ICE-4G models" (F. Justino, A. Timmermann, U. Merkel, and W. R. Peltier)


• EGU General Assembly 2005, Vienna, Austria, 24-29 April 2005: "The sensitivity to Last Glacial Maximum boundary conditions in ECHAM5 simulations" (U. Merkel, S. Renner, and M. Latif)


• International PMIP2 Workshop, Giens, France, 3-8 April 2005: "Tropical Pacific climate and variability during the Mid-Holocene" (U. Merkel, M. Latif, J. Jungclaus, and C. Gerber)


• International PMIP2 Workshop, Giens, France, 3-8 April 2005: "The sensitivity of the ECHAM5 model to glacial boundary conditions and horizontal model resolution" (U. Merkel, S. Renner, and M. Latif)


• DEKLIM-EEM-Konferenz, Mainz, 7-11 March 2005: "Tropical Pacific climate and variability during the Mid-Holocene" (U. Merkel, and M. Latif)


• XVIèmes Rencontres de Blois "Challenges in the Climate Sciences", Blois, France, 24-28 May 2004: "The Role of Transient Eddies in Determining the Atmospheric Response to ENSO" (U. Merkel, and M. Latif)


• International Conference on Earth System Modelling, Hamburg, 15-19 September 2003: "The Role of Transient Eddies in Determining the Atmospheric ENSO Response" (U. Merkel, and M. Latif)


• Parlamentarischer Abend, 10. Mai 2000, Berlin: Meeresforschung im nächsten Jahrzehnt


• EXPO 2000 - Projekt des Max-Planck-Instituts für Meteorologie: "Auswirkungen menschlichen Handelns auf das Klima" - Das El Niño/Southern Oscillation-Phänomen (deutsch)

EXPO 2000 - project of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology: "Impact of Human Activities on the Climate" - The El Niño/Southern Oscillation-Phenomenon (english)

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Outreach

• "MARUM im Dialog - Wissenschaft trifft Politik", 2025, Kunsthalle Bremen


• "Klimaarchiv Koralle", in der Reihe KlimaTaucher - Wissen aus der Meeresforschung, Beitrag der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) zum Wissenschaftsjahr 2016/2017 "Meere und Ozeane"


• "Klimawandel und seine Folgen", Beitrag zum Kapitel 3 "Klimageschichte" im Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) des Deutschen Klimakonsortiums (DKK) und des World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
  

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Teaching Experience

• Introduction to Meteorology I and II: Practical Exercises (Diploma studies in Meteorology)
• Earth System Data Analysis: Lectures and Programming Exercises (Bachelor of Marine Geosciences programme)
• Introduction to Climate Modelling - Part: Modelling the atmosphere using complex general circulation models (ECOLMAS Course)

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Curriculum Vitae

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Memberships

• Deutsche Meteorologische Gesellschaft (DMG)
• European Geophysical Union (EGU)

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