This theme is promoting IPSL research studying how the atmosphere, the water cycle or different ecosystems in urban environments interact with the built-up surface and anthropogenic activities.
Interdisciplinary research projects improve the understanding and description of a city’s weather and climate conditions, the water cycle (e.g. water availability, flood risk), air quality, greenhouse gas exchanges, thermal comfort (e.g. heat risk, winds), soil processes (e.g. biodiversity, soil health, carbon sequestration), plant ecophysiology (e.g. evapotranspiration, biogenic emissions), and implications for human health and energy systems.
For these different domains, the specific processes of urban environments (e.g. the relatively rough, hot and dry urban surface; high population densities, high emissions of pollutants, greenhouse gases, heat, etc) are studied in relation to the city's rural surroundings and the regional context to assess the interactions of the urban environment with larger-scale atmospheric dynamics, river catchments, and vegetated surfaces.
To investigate the highly variable processes in the heterogeneous urban environment, IPSL uses a combination of numerical tools from street-scale simulations to regional climate modelling. Novel insights are gained from satellite data analysis as well as advanced ground-based measurements that are operated both continuously at various supersites and with a specific focus during dedicated field campaigns. The theme strongly supports the development of the AERIS-PANAME database in the Paris region.
The theme works closely with a range of stakeholders to ensure the high-quality urban research at IPSL is translated into meaningful indicators that can inform the design of resilient cities and sustainable policy decisions.
Moderators of the theme
sophie bastin (since 2024) • LMD-IPSL
Gilles Forêt (since 2024) • LMD-IPSL
Simone Kotthaus (since 2024) • LMD-IPSL
