Workshops

Fluid Modeling of Atmospheric Flow and Dispersion Phenomena

Geomatikum H3 + Windtunnel (basement)

Atmospheric flow and transport can be observed and modelled in different ways. Besides field observations and computational modeling, physical modelling of fluid flows represents a well-tried and frequently used approach for the investigation of complex turbulent flow and dispersion phenomena particularly in the lower atmospheric boundary layer. The workshop will very briefly introduce basic theory and modeling technology used in fluid modeling based on examples from the Environmental Wind Tunnel Laboratory at Hamburg University. A guided tour to the wind tunnel lab will be provided at the end of the workshop.

Radiosondenaufstiege als Werkzeug für die Kurzfristvorhersage (German only)

Geomatikum 1643

Radiosondenaufstiege liefern Messdaten für Vertikalprofile von Temperatur, Feuchte, Wind und Druck bis in Höhen von 30 km, die einerseits in die Initialisierung der numerischen Wettervorhersage einfließen. Andererseits werden die gemessenen Radiosondenprofile von Vorhersage-Meteorologen für die Kurzfristprognose genutzt und erweisen sich hierbei als nutzbringendes Werkzeug. Wetteraspekte wie das Entwicklungspotential der thermischen Schichtung, der Tagesgang von Bewölkung, die Gefahr von Nebel, Schauern, Gewittern, Sturmböen, Starkregen oder Hagel und mehr lassen sich durch Analyse von Radiosondendaten vorhersagen. In diesem Workshop sollen Methoden zur Analyse und Interpretation von Radiosondendaten vorgestellt und durch die TeilnehmerInnen praktisch angewandt werden. Ziel wird sein, Radiosondenaufstiege eigenständig auswerten zu können.

(Off-Shore) Wind Energy

Geomatikum H5

Wind energy is one of the main renewable energy sources. Thanks to its proximity to the North Sea and its climate conditions, Hamburg is the prime location for developing wind energy production, trading, and off-shore wind energy parks. Hamburg has also become one of Germany’s leading locations at developing and assessing wind energy production, and wind park building. This workshop will introduce the main principles behind wind energy and wind turbines, complications to consider while building large wind energy plants, as well as an introduction to the market of renewable energy, with a focus on the wind energy.

Urban climate tour - the Green bunker in St. Pauli

Outdoor

Urban structures can be the reasons behind a meteorological phenomenon, such as an urban heat island and an urban precipitation island. Researchers have found that urban structures and asphalt roads can store more heat than rural surfaces. There are also less aqua surfaces in urban areas that contribute to cooling. Buildings generally also have a higher roughness length and are taller than their surroundings. These two factors may cause more precipitation within the city, and even in the downwind region of the city. Understanding urban effects mostly requires modeling, however, in this workshop, you have the opportunity to visit the Grüner Bunker in St. Pauli, which represents one of the examples of how cities and urban areas can combat urban heat islands - green roofing. On the way there, as well as during the visit, you can learn how these urban effects can be observed, modeled, and how much difference a greened roof could make by comparing with the surrounding Heiligengeistfeld.

Plenary discussion about Science Policy

Bu53 22/23

Scientist’s role in policy-making has been a hot debate topic in both science and politics. Should science lead politics, or should policies be the driver of science, or have they always been so intertwined that it is unpractical to separate them from each other? In other words, should scientists influence policy making with their knowledge, or should they only be the provider of information. Can scientific knowledge even be provided to politicians without any biases? All these burning questions are the focal points of this workshop and you are free to discuss them with your fellow StuMeTa participants in this workshop.

Hacking Uni and Economy

Sustainibilty Pavillon UHH Main Campus

The University of Hamburg wants to become the university of sustainability - not a small task for at least 15 thousand staff, 44 thousand students, and 200 buildings. A singular department with enough staff is not enough to achieve this goal, but the cooperation of everyone involved. The presenter, Uwe Lübbermann, became the first active member of this department on January 1st, 2023 and will be reporting about the necessary measures, experiences, and struggles on the way to achieving the university’s goal. The transition to more sustainability is only one of the University of Hamburg’s one of the three phases it is going through. The second transition is towards digitalization, and the third being a change in the working culture - without which the first two transitions would not even be possible. Hereby, Uwe utilizes his experiences of being an independent entrepreneur for 23 years with his own business model that works, but does not exist in any textbooks. Both topics are presented interactively. The decision-making in a consensus democracy can be practiced later in the workshop using the example of moving into a WG and coming up with the necessary compromises and agreements.

Energy Balance Models

Geomatikum 1536a

From the simplest one-layer illustration of the Earth’s radiation energy transfer to one of the most complicated models such as ICON, developed by the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology, all these are models to understand Earth’s energy balance. It is a vital tool to simulate and predict climate change. The continuing climate change alongside the development of new computing technology forces and helps models to improve by having to and being able to consider more processes. Increasing regional impacts by climate change also force global climate models to become more adapted to regional climate changes. In this workshop, you will learn about various energy balance models, their purpose and relevance, the challenges of making the models and interpreting their results, as well as the future developments of models. (Basic knowledge in Python and Jupyter Notebook is required).

Design Contest - Your chance to be part of the StuMeTa history

Geomatikum 1536b+1536c

The StuMeTa needs a new general logo! In this workshop, you will be introduced to design tools and you will create your own logo. If your logo is selected in a public voting, the winner or winning team will have a guaranteed entry to the next StuMeTa in 2026. Furthermore, you will be part of the StuMeTa history for multiple years if not decades! As we are already dealing with digital tools, we’ll discuss climate communication tools and we welcome input about your personal experience. If we have enough time left, you will have the chance to create your own memes which might be posted on the junge DMG social media channel.

DKRZ Tour

DKRZ (Bu 45a)

The Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum (DKRZ, engl.: German Climate Computing Center) is the largest research institute in Germany that is in charge of the computing of large climate models. The DKRZ works closely with the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) for the running and developing of its models, but is also in cooperation with other institutes. It is right next door to the Meteorological Institute of the University of Hamburg and the MPI-M. The demand for a high-speed and efficient computing center with a large storage continues increasing throughout the history of climate study, as more processes can be resolved and model resolution increases. In this workshop, you will learn about the history of DKRZ, the technical details behind the supercomputers installed in DKRZ, and its future development. You also have the opportunity to go on a tour inside the computing room and storage room in this workshop.

Launching Radiosondes

Geomatikum 18. floor

Radiosondes carry measurement devices for temperature, moisture, wind and air pressure and can ascend up to a height of about 30 km. They provide a vital source for documenting, analyzing, and assessing the vertical profile. On the one hand, the radiosonde data can not only be used for numerical weather prediction (models). On the other hand, they can help produce short-term forecasts. There are various launch stations within Germany, but you may never had a chance to launch a radiosonde yourself. In this workshop, you will learn everything that needs to be known before a radiosonde launch, how it can be tracked, and so much more!

Extreme Urban Climate Measurement / Bollerwagen Tour (Handcart Tour)

Outdoor

Just like the climate and weather, measurement campaigns don’t stop at public holidays. To the annoyance of many meteorologists. But how resilient are they outside their usual working hours? Can you always rely on their incorruptible and extremely precise way of working, for which they are admired everywhere? Even on Sundays and public holidays? Even on Ascension Day? This workshop is intended to demonstrate the unshakable morale and efficiency of atmospheric scientists despite the difficult holiday conditions. The feasibility and quality of an urban climate measurement will be tested and analyzed by soon-to-be meteorologists under finely portioned alcohol intake. The classic handcart is used to transport the necessary holiday and exhibition equipment. Cheers!

Introduction to Polar Science and Science Communication

Geomatikum 1528

The polar regions are essential to the Earth’s climate, global circulation, and daily weather. However, climate change is continually altering them. Scientists from different fields of study have been working on understanding the polar regions, the effect of changes caused by climate change, as well as adaptation and mitigation strategies. With the knowledge that scientists have found, how should they communicate with the public? Which knowledge is informative, and which new information might cause havoc and panic? How to deliver the scientific findings neutrally to the public without being altered by the media? In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to ask these questions and learn about research in the polar regions, as well as science communication.