Climate & Monitoring

The monitoring program is carried out for the Kingdom of Denmark including Faroe Islands and Greenland covering both terrestrial and marine systems. The program includes sampling of a large variety of samples (air, fresh and sea water, food, plants, marine animals, soil and sediment), sample preperation, radiochemical analysis and measurements.

Quantification of biosphere-atmosphere exchange of greenhouse gases, feedback mechanisms between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, and studies of the effects of climate change on the functioning, productivity, and carbon sequestration potential of terrestrial ecosystems.

Organic waste in landfills generates methane, the most prominent greenhouse gas emission route from waste. Biocover technologies involving on-site microbial methane oxidation processes provide full-scale approaches for mitigation of these methane emissions.

The functional relationships between hydrology and ecology at multiple scales for freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems are investigated. We develop and apply ecohydrological indicators for risk assessing land degradation, drought, multiple stressors (e.g. pollutants) on ecosystem resilience.

Radioecology & Tracer Studies is capable of conducting all steps of sample processing, data analysis and customer support. Our state-of-the-art methods have been applied successfully for the determination of difficult-to-measure radionuclides as well as gamma emitters in various samples (e.g. metals, steel, graphite, concrete, plastic, soil, sludge water, ion-exchange resin, evaporate concentrate) from decommissioning of nuclear facilities.

Quantification of vegetation uptake of gaseous pollutants (e.g. tropospheric ozone) and determination of effects in combination with environmental parameters e.g. increased temperature. Quantification of anthropogenic particle sources (wood stoves, road traffic & ships) for determination of potential health effects.

Rainfall observations from gauges and weather radar, scaling from point rainfall to high-resolution weather models used in climate change predictions, non-stationary point process models, climate change factors for design, Tools to guide design and analysis.

Observation and modeling of the anthropogenic influence on terrestrial ecosystems with the goal of maintaining their services for humankind such as climate and air quality regulation, water, food, energy, etc. Apply knowledge of ecosystem resource efficiency to design industrial symbioses.

Interactions of the terrestrial biosphere with the carbon and hydrological cycles and the atmosphere. Methods used include optical and thermal remote sensing from satellites and UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems), in situ sensors and biophysical models.

Cities of the future, impacts from rainfall and storm surges, risk-based design of urban water infrastructure, hydrological modelling of novel urban drainage systems, multifunctional solutions, decision making under uncertainty, innovation on climate adaptation.

Analytical and numerical models are used to quantitatively analyze water resources engineering problems aiding in the interpretation of data, development of conceptual models, design of experiments and field campaigns, and scenario evaluation for decision making.

The major objectives of the radioecological studies are inventory estimates, source identification, understanding of transfer processes for radioactive pollutants and dose assessments. Research on nuclear and radiological emergencies is focused on improving the knowledge platform for decision makers to justify and optimize intervention strategy plans and secure operationality.

Rainfall forecasts, in-situ probes and software sensors, on-line data assimilation and deterministic-stochastic modelling. Flood warning and risk-based, dynamically optimized control of sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants.

Quantification and control of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from waste and biomass technologies is important for emission mitigation. Advanced full-scale measurement techniques offer new knowledge as basis for mitigation actions.

We develop new measurement techniques for water resources and hydrological processes, using satellite remote sensing, unmanned airborne vehicle surveys, and near-surface geophysics. Data are used to inform models, forecasting tools and decision support systems.

Climate change is closely linked to the ocean water movement and the ocean-atmospheric interaction. Studies using radioactive tracer are important to facilitating out better understanding in ocean water body movement as well as the interaction between ocean and atmosphere. Tracer studies in geological dating, soil erosion, biological studies, air pollution and circulation of fresh water have also been carried out.

We develop decision support tools for sustainable water resources management using stochastic optimization and system dynamics simulation models to determine the spatial, inter-temporal and inter-sectoral trade-offs in water resources allocation, taking into account ecosystem water requirements and the climate-water-energy-food nexus.