Dr. Birgit Hünicke
Dr. Birgit Hünicke
Climate Extremes and Impacts
Head of DepartmentPhone: +49 (0)4152 87-1883
General Information
My main interest is the climate influence on present and future regional sea-level variability and dynamics and its impact on the coast; with a strong focus on the Baltic Sea Area. I have long experience in the statistical analysis of combined datasets of observations, climate reconstructions and atmospheric model data output on timescales of decades to millennia. Due to my first degree, I am also strongly interested in coastal engineering and coastal zone management issues. In the last years, I extended my research interest on the connection of large-scale climate modes on coastal upwelling (including South Africa) and sea-level dynamics and its climate impact on the West African coast and South-East Asia.
In January 2011 the new group *Coastal Impacts' was launched under my responsibility at our Institute with focus on long-term impacts on coastal zones.
Projects
2023-2026
Natural hazards and response of the marine ecosystem - causal relationship and predictability (NECO, funded by BMBF)
2023-2026
Automatic detection of coastline change and causal linkage with natural and human drivers (AutoCoast, funded by HGF, Helmholtz Imaging Platform HIP)
2019-2026
Earth System Variability and Predictability in a Changing Climate, Cluster of Excellence -Climate, Climate Change and Society (CLICCS A6, funded by DFG)
2018-2022
Changes in the Aghulas System and its Impact on Southern African Coasts: regional atmosphere modeling and precipitation changes (CASISAC, funded by BMBF, SPACES Program FONA3)
2016-2019
Extreme sea-level events along South-East Asian coast: past, present and future (Asia-Floods, funded by DFG, SPP 1889 Regional Sea Level Change and Society)
2016
Parental Leave (ARTHUR, funded by BMFSFJ)
2013-2017
Regional sea level under a changing climate at the retreating coast of Ghana (Ghana-SL, funded by DAAD) (PhD Supervisor)
2013-2017
Long-term sea-level variability and change in the Baltic Sea (funded within CliSAP2-B3 by DFG) (PhD Supervisor)
2013-2016
Impact of large scale climate variability on coastal upwelling (funded within CliSAP2-A3 by DFG) (PhD Supervisor)
2013
Parental Leave (MAGNUS, funded by BMFSFJ)
2012
Modelling Storm surges and sea-level rise in the Mediterranean Sea (funded by DAAD). (Host)
2012-2016
Influence of large-scale climate variability on upwelling regimes off the Namibian coast: implications for past and future climates (GENUS, funded by BMBF) (PhD Supervisor)
2011-2016
Climate Signals in Coastal Deposits (CLISCODE, funded within HGF Portfoliothema ‚Regionaler Klimawandel: Ursachen und Folgen’) (PhD Supervisor)
2012-2013
Submerged Prehistoric Archaeology and Landscapes of the Continental Shelf (SPLASHCOS) Research network funded by the European Commission under its COST program. Working Group 2 ‘Environmental Data and Reconstructions’ (Collaborating Scientist)
2011-2012
Working group on drafting a Science Plan for a scientific research network following BALTEX Phase II (POSTBALTEX) (Member)
2010-2013
Wave climate simulations and sea-level change in the Baltic Sea. -Developing regional adaptation strategies to climate change for the German Baltic Sea coast (RADOST, funded by the BMBF within KLIMZUG)
2010-2013
BACC II -Second BALTEX Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea basin. (Lead Author) Chapter ‘Sea level and wind waves’
2009-2013
Coastline Changes for the southern Baltic Sea –past and future projections (COPAF, Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education). (Collaborating Scientist)
2009-2010
Overview of Knowledge about Sea-level Change in the Baltic Sea (in context of the BALTEX project)
2007-2009
Relationships between Baltic Sea level variations and periods of rapid climate change in the Holocene as analogues for future changes (SINCOS II, funded by DFG)
2003-2006
Estimation of the climatic influence on the past and future sea-level changes in the Baltic Sea with the help of statistical methods and simulations with state-of-the-art climate models (SINCOS I, funded by DFG) (PhD Student)
2002
Assessment of the current state of interaction between ecological and socio-economic development in the coastal region of Warnemünde-Rostock, German Baltic Sea: A decision support analysis for conflict management for stakeholder groups, with focus of dune and beach development. (funded by city of Rostock)
DFG: German Science Foundation; BMBF: Federal Ministry for Research; DAAD: German Academic Exchange Service HGF: Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres; COST: European Cooperation in Science and Technology
01/17-
Head of Coastal Impacts and Paleoclimate Group, System Analysis and Modelling, Institute for Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Germany
11/11-12/16
Head of Coastal Impacts Group, System Analysis and Modelling, Institute for Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Germany
02/10-10/11
Research Scientist at Coastal Climate Group, System Analysis and Modelling, Institute for Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Hereon; formerly GKSS), Germany (climate and coastal research)
2008
Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.), Geosciences, Hamburg University, Germany
Thesis Title: “Atmospheric forcing of decadal Baltic Sea level variability in the last 200 years: A statistical analysis”
2003-2008
International Max-Planck Research School for Earth System Modelling (IMPRS-ESM), Hamburg, Germany
02/03-01/10
Research Scientist at Paleoclimate Group, System Analysis and Modelling, Institute for Coastal Research, GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht, Germany (climate and coastal research)
07/02-01/03
Research Scientist at the Institute for Landscape Management and Landscape Ecology, Rostock University, Germany
2002
Diploma Engineer (equivalent. to M.Sc.), Rostock University, Germany
Thesis title: “Studies on coastal protection in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with special emphasis on theeffectiveness of beach nourishment” (in German)
09/00-12/00
Visiting Scholar at North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, USA (Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering)
07/00-08/00
IAESTE Trainee at City Council Turku, Finland (landscape architecture)
11/99-12/99
Trainee at Enterprise for Environmental planning and scientific consulting, Bonn, Germany (environmental planning)
09/99-10/99
Trainee at State Agency for Environment and Nature, Coast Department, Rostock, Germany (coastal protection, beach nourishment)
1995-2002
Landscape Management and Environmental Protection, Rostock University, Germany
Professional Activities
-Member of the University Hamburg’s Cluster of Excellence "Climate, Climate Change, and Society" (CLICCS, funded by DFG) (2019-2025)
-Member of BACC III Author Team (start 2019) and the HELCOM expert network on climate change (EN-CLIME)
-Co-Chair of Baltic Earth Working Group Grand Challenge 'Understanding sea level dynamics in the Baltic Sea Region’ (2013-2019)
-Active Member of the Baltic Earth programme
-Participating Researcher in University Hamburg’s Cluster of Excellence "Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction" (CliSAP, funded by DFG) (2012-2018)
-Lead Author of the second BALTEX Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin (BACC2) Report. Chapter 'Sea level and wind waves ‘ (2010-2014)
-Member of the POSTBALTEX Working group (2011-2013) on drafting a Science Plan for a scientific research network following the BALTEX Phase II -Baltic Earth
-Invited Reviewer of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) Zero-Order Draft (ZOD) of Working Group II Contribution to Climate Change 2013: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability” and Working Group I The Physical Science Basis
-Active Member of collaborative Program on the Regional Aspects of Sea Level Change developed by the European Climate Research Alliance (ECRA)
-Reviewer for: Applied Ocean Research, International Journal of Climatology, Climate Research, Global and Planetary Change, Climate Dynamics, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Ambio, IPCC AR5 WGII, Journal of Marine Systems, Central European Journal of Geosciences, National Research Council (CNCS) Romania, Tellus A, Water Resources Research, Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, Oceanologia, Geophysical Journal International, Geophysical Research Letters, Geologos, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU), Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Continental Shelf Research, Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Ocean Dynamics, Tellus A, Global Health Action, Hydrological Processes, Earth System Dynamics, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Deep Sea Research, Islandic Research Fund, Nature Communications, Atmosphere, Journal of Climate, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, Scientific Reports, Remote Sensing, Frontiers Environmental Science, Journal of Sea Research etc.
-Supervision of PhD students
- Biastoch, A., Rühs, S., Ivanciu, I., Schwarzkopf, F.U., Veitch, J., Reason, C., Zorita, E., Tim, N., Hünicke, B., Vafeidis, A.T., Santamaria-Aguilar, S., Kupfer, S., & Soltau, F. (2024): The Agulhas Current System as an Important Driver for Oceanic and Terrestrial Climate. In: von Maltitz, G.P., Midgley, G.F., Veitch, J., Brümmer, C., Rötter, R.P., Viehberg, F.A., & Veste, M. (eds.): Sustainability of Southern African Ecosystems under Global Change. Ecological Studies, vol 248, Springer, Cham., doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_8
- Rouault, M., Dieppois, B., Tim, N., Hünicke, B., & Zorita, E. (2024): Southern Africa Climate Over the Recent Decades: Description, Variability and Trends. In: von Maltitz, G.P., Midgley, G.F., Veitch, J., Brümmer, C., Rötter, R.P., Viehberg, F.A., & Veste, M. (eds.): Sustainability of Southern African Ecosystems under Global Change. Ecological Studies, vol 248, Springer, Cham., doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_6
- Zorita, E., Hünicke, B., Tim, N., & Rouault, M. (2024): Past Climate Variability in the Last Millennium. In: von Maltitz, G.P., Midgley, G.F., Veitch, J., Brümmer, C., Rötter, R.P., Viehberg, F.A., & Veste, M. (eds.): Sustainability of Southern African Ecosystems under Global Change. Ecological Studies, vol 248, Springer, Cham., doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_5
- Tim, N., Zorita, E., Hünicke, B., & Ivanciu, I. (2023): The impact of the Agulhas Current system on precipitation in southern Africa in regional climate simulations covering the recent past and future. Weather Clim. Dynam., 4, 381–397, doi:10.5194/wcd-4-381-2023
- Meier, H.E.M., Kniebusch, M., Dieterich, C., Gröger, M., Zorita, E., Elmgren, R., Myrberg, K., Ahola, M.P., Bartosova, A., Bonsdorff, E., Börgel, F., Capell, R., Carlén, I., Carlund, T., Carstensen, J., Christensen, O.B., Dierschke, V., Frauen, C., Frederiksen, M., Gaget, E., Galatius, A., Haapala, J. J., Halkka, A., Hugelius, G., Hünicke, B., Jaagus, J., Jüssi, M., Käyhkö, J., Kirchner, N., Kjellström, E., Kulinski, K., Lehmann, A., Lindström, G., May, W., Miller, P.A., Mohrholz, V., Müller-Karulis, B., Pavón-Jordán, D., Quante, M., Reckermann, M., Rutgersson, A., Savchuk, O.P., Stendel, M., Tuomi, L., Viitasalo, M., Weisse, R., & Zhang, W. (2022): Climate change in the Baltic Sea region: a summary. Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 457–593, doi:10.5194/esd-13-457-2022
- Weisse, R., Dailidienė, I., Hünicke, B., Kahma, K., Madsen, K., Omstedt, A., Parnell, K., Schöne, T., Soomere, T., Zhang, W., & Zorita, E. (2021): Sea level dynamics and coastal erosion in the Baltic Sea region. Earth Syst. Dynam., 12, 871–898, doi:10.5194/esd-12-871-2021
- Yi, X., Hünicke, B., & Zorita, E. (2021): Evolution of the Arabian Sea Upwelling from the Last Millennium to the Future as Simulated by Earth System Models. Climate 2021, 9, 72, doi:10.3390/cli9050072
- Tim, N., Zorita, E., Emeis, K.-C., Schwarzkopf, F. U., Biastoch, A., and Hünicke, B. (2019): Analysis of the position and strength of westerlies and trades with implications for Agulhas leakage and South Benguela Upwelling. Earth Syst. Dynam.10, 847–858, 2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-847-2019
- Evadzi, P.I.K., Zorita, E., & Hünicke, B. (2019): West African sea level variability under a changing climate –what can we learn from the observational period? Journal of Coastal Conservation 23, 759-771, doi:10.1007/s11852-019-00704-z
- Weisse, R., & Hünicke, B. (2019): Baltic Sea Level. Past, Present, and Future. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.693
- Evadzi, P.I.K., Scheffran, J., Zorita, E. and Hünicke, B. (2018): Awareness of sea-level response under climate change on the coast of Ghana. Journal of Coastal Conservation 22 (1), 183-197, doi:10.1007/s11852-017-0569-6
- Yi, X., Hünicke, B., Tim, N. and Zorita, E. (2018): The relationship between Arabian Sea upwelling and Indian monsoon revisited in a high resolution ocean simulation. Clim. Dyn. 50 (1-2), 201-213, doi:10.1007/s00382-017-3599-8
- Karabil, S., Zorita, E. and Hünicke, B. (2018): Contribution of atmospheric circulation to recent off-shore sea-level variations in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Earth Syst. Dynam. 9, 69-90, doi:10.5194/esd-9-69-2018
- Karabil, S., Zorita, E. and Hünicke, B. (2017): Mechanisms of decadal sea-level trend variability in the Baltic Sea. Earth Syst. Dynam. 8, 1031-1046, doi:10.5194/esd-8-1031-2017
- Bierstedt, S. E., Hünicke, B., Zorita, E., and Ludwig, J. (2017): A wind proxy based on migrating dunes at the Baltic Coast: statistical analysis of the link between wind conditions and sand movement, Earth Syst. Dynam. 8, 639-652, doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-639-2017
- Evadzi, P.I.K., Zorita, E. and Hünicke, B. (2017): Quantifying and predicting the contribution of sea-level rise to shoreline change in Ghana: Information for Coastal Adaptation Strategies. Journal of Coastal Research 33 (6:): 1283-1291, doi:10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-16-00119.1
- Hünicke, B., Zorita, E. and von Storch, H. (2017): The Challenge of Baltic Sea Level Change. In: Harff, J., Furmanczyk, K. and von Storch, H. (eds) Coastline Changes of the Baltic Sea from South to East. Coastal Research Library 19, 37-54.
- Harff, J., Deng, J., Dudzinska-Nowak, J., Froehle, P., Groh, A., Hünicke, B., Soomere, T. and Zhang, W. (2017): What Determines the Change of Coastlines in the Baltic Sea? In: Harff, J., Furmanczyk, K. and von Storch, H. (Editors) Coastline changes of the Baltic Sea from South to East. Coastal Research Library 19, 15-35.
- Zhang, W., Schneider, R., Harff, J., Hünicke, B., Fröhle, P. (2017): Modeling of Medium-Term (Decadal) Coastal Foredune Morphodynamics - Historical Hindcast and Future Scenarios of the Swina Gate Barrier Coast (Southern Baltic Sea) In: Harff, J., Furmanczyk, K. and von Storch, H. (eds) Coastline Changes of the Baltic Sea from South to East. Coastal Research Library 19, 107-135.
- Harff, J., Flemming, N., Groh, A., Hünicke, B., Lericolais, G., Meschede, M., Rosentau, A., Sakellariou, D., Uscinowicz, S., Zhang, W. and Zorita, E. (2017): Chapter 2: Sea Level and Climate. In: Flemming, N., Harff, J. and Moura, D. (Eds). Quaternary Palaeo-environments on the European continental shelf: survival and destruction of prehistoric remains. Wiley-Blackwell, New York, 550pp.
- Groll N., Grabemann I., Hünicke B. & Meese M. (2017): Baltic Sea wave conditions under climate change scenarios. Boreal Env. Res. 22: 1–12.
- Hünicke, B. and Zorita, E. (2016): Analysis of the acceleration of mean sea-level rise in the Baltic Sea, 1900-2012. Frontiers of Marine Science, doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00125
- Bierstedt, S.E., Hünicke, B., Zorita, E., Wagner, S. and Gomez-Navarro, J.J. (2016): Variability of daily winter wind speed distribution over Northern Europe during the past millennium in regional and global climate simulations. Clim. Past 12, 317-338.
- Tim, N., Zorita, E., Hünicke, B., Yi, X. and Emeis, K.-C. (2016): The importance of external climate forcing on coastal upwelling in past and future climate. Ocean Sci.12(3), 807–823.
- Bierstedt, S.E., Hünicke, B. and Zorita, E. (2015): Variability of wind direction statistics of mean and extreme winds over the Baltic Sea region. Tellus A 67, 29073
- Tim, N., Zorita, E. and Hünicke, B. (2015): Decadal variability and trends of the Benguela Upwelling System as simulated in a high-resolution ocean simulation. Ocean Sci. 11, 483-502.
- Hünicke, B., Zorita, E., Soomere, T., Madsen, K.S., Johansson, M., Suursaar, Ü. (2015): Recent Change: Sea level and wind waves. In: The BACC Author Team: The Second Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 155-185.
- Zhang, W., Harff, J., Schneider, R., Meyer, M., Zorita, E. and Hünicke, B. (2014): Holocene morphogenesis at the southern Baltic Sea: simulation of multi-scale processes and their interactions for the Darss-Zingst peninsula. Journal of Marine Systems 129, 4-18
- Reckermann, M., Omstedt, A., Pawlak, J.F., von Storch, H. and the BACC II Lead Author Team. (2014): Climate Change in the Baltic Sea region - What do we know? In: Social dynamics in adaptation to a changing climate in coastal regions - An interdisciplinary perspective on findings from the KLIMZUG-Projects (Eds: Grit Martinez, Hans-Joachim Meier, Peter Fröhle), oekom Verlag 2014, 19-32.
- Reckermann, M., Langner, J., Omstedt, A., von Storch, H, Keevallik, S., Schneider, B., Arheimer, B., Meier, M.H.E. and Hünicke, B. (2011): BALTEX –An interdisciplinary research network for the Baltic Sea Region. Environ Res Lett 6, 045205 (11p), doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045205.
- Hünicke, B., Zorita, E. and Haeseler, S. (2011): Holocene climate simulations for the Baltic Sea Region -application for sea level and verification of proxy data. Berichte der RGK 92, 211-249
- Hünicke, B. (2010): Contribution of regional climate drivers to future winter sea-level changes in the Baltic Sea estimated by statistical methods and simulations of climate models. Int J Earth Sci 99, 1721-1730, doi: 10.1007/s00531-009-0470-0
- Hünicke, B., Luterbacher, J., Pauling, A. and Zorita, E. (2008): Regional differences in winter sea-level variations in the Baltic Sea for the past 200 years. Tellus 60A (2), 384-393, doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.2007.00298.x.
- Hünicke, B. and Zorita, E. (2008): Trends in the amplitude of Baltic Sea level annual cycle. Tellus 60A (1), 154-164, doi:10.1111/j.1600-0870.2007.00277.x
- Hünicke, B. and Zorita, E. (2007): Estimation of the influence of regional climate on the recent past and future sea-level changes in the Baltic Sea with statistical methods and simulations of climate models. In: SINCOS -Sinking Coasts. Geosphere, Ecosphere and Anthroposphere of the Holocene Southern Baltic Sea. Berichte der RGK 88, 219-240
- Hünicke, B. and Zorita, E. (2006): Influence of temperature and precipitation on decadal Baltic Sea level variations in the 20th century. Tellus 58A (1), 141-153, doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.2006.00157.x