Research report 2023 - Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry

Why deserts are warmer

Authors
Kleidon, Axel
Departments
Forschungsgruppe Biosphärische Theorie & Modellierung
Summary
Climate research is currently mainly carried out using complex models on powerful computers. We are going in the opposite direction and trying to explain the climate as simply as possible using basic physical principles. In doing so, we assume that the complex climate system can be described simply because it operates at its performance limit - it works as hard as it can to keep air moving. This explains, for example, why deserts are warmer than tropical rainforests and makes it possible to describe climate phenomena in a simple but physically sound way.

For the full text, see the German version.

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