Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus. Centre for altitude and climate research in Bavaria

Transcription

1 Centre for altitude and climate research in Bavaria Overview of the current key scientific and research activities Initiative for a climate-friendly Bavaria

2 Concept Germany's highest-altitude research station located near the top of the mountain Zugspitze provides a unique base not only for the continuous monitoring of physical and chemical characteristics of the atmosphere, but also for the analysis of various processes which influence the weather and climate. It is on the basis of such observations that the current state and the future development of the worldwide climate may be understood. On the initiative of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, a consortium agreement was signed on 16 July 2007 by the Free State of Bavaria, the Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center DLR), the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Research Centre FZK), the Helmholtz Zentrum München (German Research Center for Health HMGU) as well as the Federal Republic of Germany represented by the federal agencies of the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Meteorological Service DWD) and the Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency UBA). This consortium agreement was acceded to by the Technische Universität München (TUM) and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) on 12 October 2007 and by the Universität Augsburg on 10 September The consortium agreement has the scientific goal of establishing a Virtual Institute within the (UFS) and of developing this Virtual Institute to a centre of competence for altitude and climate research in the framework of an international network. The main emphasis of the Virtual Institute is to promote the development, demonstration and implementation of innovative technologies for climate and atmospheric observations, validation of satellite data, high-altitude medicine and early detection of natural hazards. A Consortium Board, which deals with policy issues of the consortium, and a Science Team, which guarantees the scientific quality of the Virtual Institute, have been established, positions in both of these committees being filled by internationally renowned scientists.

3 Key scientific activities and corresponding contact persons 2 Atmosphere and regional climate Prof. Dr. Schmid, FZK IMK-IFU/TUM Atmospheric observation using ground-based remote sensing (NDACC) Scientific case studies relating to the behaviour of the atmosphere under conditions of global change Numerical simulation to predict future regional climate change Process studies relating to the interaction of regional climate change in the biosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere Strategies for adapting to climate consequences and alpine geo-risks Satellite-based observations and early detection PD Dr. Bittner, DLR Coordination of the international global Network for the Detection of Mesopause Change (NDMC) Validation of satellite-based measurements (Satellite Ground Truthing) Early detection of natural hazards (e.g. earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity and storms) Monitoring of international environmental agreements Satellite-supported procedure for earth observation (GMES) Cosmic radiation and radioactivity Prof. Dr. Paretzke, HMGU Bonner sphere spectrometer for neutron detection and high-altitude medicine Prof. Dr. Huber, LMU German reference centre for the effects of moderate altitude exposure on healthy subjects and patients with respiratory disorders Studies relating to altitude acclimatisation, performance at altitude, air-travel, breathing regulation, cognition, metabolism (risk groups) and the effect of climate on manifestations of disease Studies relating to the effect of climate change on illness severity in allergy and asthma patients

4 3 Global Atmosphere Watch Dr. Ries, UBA; Dr. Fricke, DWD Long-term monitoring of climate-influencing gases and atmospheric parameters Provision of data for international environmental and climate-protection treaties Fundamental information for the implementation of EU guidelines relating to air pollution control Quality Assurance and Science Activity Centers (QA/SAC) GAW Training and Education Centre (GAWTEC) Biosphere / Geosphere Prof. Dr. A. Menzel, TUM Overview of the current key scientific and research activities In this document, scientists from various disciplines present their work currently being carried out in the UFS at 2650 m altitude, the present activities concentrating, inter alia, on the fields of global climate monitoring, regional climate processes, satellite-based observations, early detection of natural hazards, environmental medicine and high-altitude medicine.

5 4 German Aerospace Center German Remote Sensing Data Center International Network for Early Detection of Climate Signals in the Mesopause Region (ca. 87 km height) The upper mesosphere can be regarded as a region allowing for the early detection of climate variability. This is because the air density in this region of the atmosphere is about one millionth lower than that on the ground and because infrared cooling to space is very efficient. Strong climate signal strength is expected here which should allow for its early detection in terms of statistical significance. Thus, trends predicted by climate models should be verified more rapidly. Furthermore, it is possible within shorter time periods verifying the efficiency of climate preventive measures. By monitoring the so-called airglow in ca. 87 kilometres height (mesopause region) the infrared spectrometer GRIPS 3 (Ground-based Infrared P-branch Spectrometer) routinely measures the temperature in the mesopause region with high temporal resolution. GRIPS 3 is part of the international Network for the Detection of Mesopause Change (NDMC; --> ndmc) (currently 46 ground-based measurement sites) which is coordinated by DLR in cooperation with the Argentinean organization CONICET; coordination centre is the. NDMC is affiliated with the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). The project is supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (BayStMUGV). PD Dr. Michael Bittner German Aerospace Center (DLR-DFD) phone: mail: michael.bittner@dlr.de Kathrin Höppner German Aerospace Center (DLR-DFD) phone: mail: kathrin.hoeppner@dlr.de

6 5 Establishment of a national point of contact for coordination of ground-truthing activities for satellite based measurements in the atmosphere Atmospheric data from satellite measurements are now considered an essential source of information for science, governments and industry, covering applications from climate change to initialisation of weather forecast models. This is true also for the European initiative Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) which plans to establish a certain number of geo information systems within the next few years. This situation strongly imposes the need of assessing the quality of satellite data and derived products and for reliably quantifying measurement uncertainties. In the present project a comprehensive review on available satellite sensors, validation concepts and activities will be initiated covering all levels of the supply chain from raw data up to the so called data- and information products. In particular all aspects concerning data/product quality will be assessed. At the same time improvements of validation methods are developed. The results will also guide industry towards the development of novel instrumentation. The initial goal of this project, which is carried out in close cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK-IfU), is to develop and implement a strategy for the establishment of a national point of contact for the coordination of ground truthing activities for satellite based measurements in the atmosphere. This point of contact for all operative public agencies is planned to be located in the Center for High-altitude and Climate Research. This project is supported with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economy and Technology by the Raumfahrt-Agentur of the German Aerospace Center under contract number 50 EE Dr. Sabine P. Haase-Straub Betriebsgesellschaft Umweltforschungsstation GmbH phone: mail: sabine.haase-straub@dlr.de

7 6 German Aerospace Center In situ measurements of climate-sensitive trace species in the troposphere The main objective of this work is an improved characterization of climate-sensitive aerosols, aerosol precursor gases and gaseous oxidation products in the atmosphere. Also, their formation and sink processes are studied. Measurement techniques used on the include: chemical ionization mass spectrometry, chemilimuninescence, fluorescence, laser spectrometry, as well as optical and condensation particle counters. The measurements performed so far focused on ozone precursor compounds and their oxidation products. Future measurements will investigate aerosol precursor gases. Therefore a chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometer will be installed in the. Dr. Hans Schlager German Aerospace Center (DLR-IPA) phone: mail: hans.schlager@dlr.de Kayser-Threde GmbH GRIPS-Advanced: From science to series production system for climate observation and early warning in case of natural disasters Based on the scientific instrument GRIPS 4 from DLR-DFD the technological base lines for an autonomously operating system for continuous climate monitoring and early warning in case of natural disasters have been elaborated. This work was performed within the frame of a study for the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology. Compact system layout, automated operation, self monitoring (housekeeping) as well as remote diagnostic capabilities are key features so that this instrument can also be operated at remote locations without the need of local personnel. Dr. Volker Klein Kayser-Threde GmbH phone: mail: volker.klein@kayser-threde.com

8 7 Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung (IMK IFU) High-Power Lidar Sounding of Atmospheric Water Vapour and Temperature Water vapour is the most important green-house gas, a consequence of its high concentration and its physical properties. Humidity changes have the largest impact on the climate and radiative forcing in the altitude range above 5 km, from where the infrared radiation can be emitted to space. The man-made warming increases the evaporation from the sea surface which covers 70 % of the planet. The result would be an amplification of the green-house effect. On the other hand, the increasing water-vapour content leads to changes in precipitation and cloud formation that may counteract the global warming. Measuring water vapour at middle and higher altitudes is a difficult task. Thus, IMK-IFU, supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economics, has developed a unique high-power differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) system that is operated at the research station. The routine measurements, carried out up to the tropopause region even during daytime, impressively demonstrate the potential of this technique. The system performance considerably benefits from the high-altitude location of the laboratory outside the moist boundary layer. The DIAL ideally complements the other remote-sensing (lidar, FTIR, GPS) and in-situ instrumentation operated at IMK-IFU and on the Zugspitze. No operational sounding technique has yet been established for the lower stratosphere where water vapour, in spite of its low concentration, also plays an important role for both the chemistry and the radiative budget. Therefore, an extension of the water vapour soundings with a 300-W Raman lidar system is envisaged that is expected to yield nighttime measurements up to 30 km. This system also provides profiles of the atmospheric temperature to more than 80 km. Furthermore, spectrally highly resolved measurements of the thermal infrared atmospheric radiance, combined with the humidity and temperature profiles, as well as the other trace constituents measured in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area, will provide a fully experimental approach to climate research. Dr. Thomas Trickl phone: mail: thomas.trickl@imk.fzk.de Dr. Hannes Vogelmann phone: mail: hannes.vogelmann@imk.fzk.de Further information:

9 8 Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung (IMK IFU) High resolution regional climate scenarios for the assessment of long term water availability Global warming leads to increased levels of moisture and energy in the atmosphere and hence causes an intensification of the hydrological cycle. The quantification of changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation and its impact on future water availability has significant importance on society and economics. The coarse resolution of global climate scenarios is inappropriate for the identification of regional and catchment-scale climate characteristics. Therefore, at IMK-IFU, refined regional climate data is derived from global scenarios by using dynamical downscaling methods. In combination with hydrological simulations the resulting regional scenarios are used to investigate the impacts of global change on terrestrial water balances. While our main concern for alpine regions are flooding risks, in semi-arid regions of West-Africa and in the Near East we focus on the possible changes in water availability and scarcity. Based on the regional simulations, adaption strategies are developed in co-operation with local authorities that will lead to a sustainable water resources management. Dr. Harald Kunstmann phone: mail: harald.kunstmann@imk.fzk.de Dr. Hans-Richard Knoche phone: mail: hans-richard.knoche@imk.fzk.de

10 9 LMU Munich, Meteorological Institute Changes in solar UV radiation Solar UV radiation has influence on human health, on air chemistry and on weathering. At Zugspitze solar UV radiation, on the one hand, has the highest values in Germany, and on the other hand, the region is visited by very many people. Thus routine observations of UV radiation are made at UFS and the data are online given to the public, both as UVI values and as part of UV maps. These measurements last over years, together with measurements at Zugspitze top and in rural and urban environment in the Bavarian lowlands. The variability of the UV radiation in combination with other meteorological parameters that are measured at UFS is used to investigate their influence, with respect to the consideration of effects of climatic change on the UV-radiation in the future. Moreover, the extensive weathering tests which are performed at UFS benefit from the UV information. Dr. Peter Koepke phone: mail: LMU Munich, Meteorological Institute Supercooled liquid water clouds and their climate forcing The scientific objectives of this project are the characterization of mixed phase clouds (ice crystals, water droplets, supercooled droplets) and estimates of their influence on the radiation budget. For this purpose, critical cloud parameters such as liquid water content, temperature and phase, are measured and the existence of supercooled droplets is identified by a unique combination of two microwave radiometers, a ceilometer and a depolarization lidar. In particular, the depolarization information and the joint evaluation of radiation from different spectral regimes are expected to constitute a significant progress in cloud remote sensing. Note, that the active (lidar, ceilometer) techniques give additional knowledge by providing range resolved information. As the ceilometer and microwave radiometers measure unattended and automatically, long term data can be provided, useful in particular for the detection of trends at an alpine station. Furthermore, the data are available for the validation of model simulations. Climate forcing can be estimated by means of radiative transfer calculations. Dr. Matthias Wiegner mail: m.wiegner@lmu.de

11 10 Universität Bonn, Meteorologisches Institut Universität zu Köln, Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie Universität Hamburg, Meteorologisches Institut Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre TOSCA Towards an Optimal estimation based Snow Characterization Algorithm Within this DFG-funded project, a unique combination of remote sensing instruments has been deployed at the for deriving microphysical properties of falling snow. Numerous well-established algorithms for deriving the liquid phase of precipitation either from satellite or from the ground have been developed and are being routinely applied. Algorithms for deriving snowfall, in contrast, are much less sophisticated and suffer from large uncertainties. This poses a major problem in climate research, because a large part of the global precipitation falls as snow and liquid precipitation often occurs via the ice phase. The global distribution of snowfall is thus very important for climate studies, especially concerning the rapid changes of the hydrological cycle in the Polar Regions. The main problem in the derivation of snowfall parameters is the high spatial and temporal variability of the snow crystals, whose interactions with atmospheric radiation is very difficult to describe. The TOSCA project addresses this point in combining the unique information contained in a combination of passive radiometers, active radar technology and in-situ measurement methods within a unified retrieval scheme. The integrated retrieval algorithm to be developed will aim at deriving the vertical distribution of the specific mass of snow. This includes not only carrying out and care-fully evaluating the measurements, but also the modelling of the interaction (i.e. scattering processes) of atmospheric radiation with the snow crystals. s: Dr. Alessandro Battaglia Meteorologisches Institut der Universität Bonn phone: mail: batta@uni-bonn.de Dr. Ulrich Löhnert Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie, Universität zu Köln phone: mail: loehnert@meteo.uni-koeln.de Dr. Gerhard Peters Meteorologisches Institut, Universität Hamburg phone: mail: gerhard@miraculix.dkrz.de Dr. Martin Hagen Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre phone: mail: martin.hagen@dlr.de

12 11 Federal Environment Agency Global Atmosphere Watch Global Station Zugspitze Federal Environment Agency, Germany (UBA) and German Meteorological Service (DWD) operate the GAW Global Observatory Zugspitze/Hohenpeissenberg. It is divided into two platforms at Hohenpeißenberg (DWD) and at (UBA). Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) is a UNO/WMO Program, a global network for measuring the state and the detection of physical and chemical changes in the atmosphere. station has very good conditions for long term monitoring of the lower free troposphere. The program of the Federal Environment Agency focuses on climate forcing gases, reactive gases and aerosols. Since the chemical composition of the atmosphere and it s aerosol contents are a key to atmospheric processes, the data acquired by the Federal Environment Agency can be essential for the detection of changes, for modeling and ground truthing. Dr. Ludwig Ries phone: mail: ludwig.ries@uba.de Federal Environment Agency Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection Global Atmosphere Watch Training and Education Centre (GAWTEC) Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) is a network for global measurements according to the state of science. The scientific infrastructure of GAW requires scientific and technical training of stations personnel. The Federal Environment Agency Germany operates one of four Quality Assurance and Science Activity Centers (QA/SACs) worldwide. QA/SACs are responsible for the realization of data quality objectives at GAW measurement stations. In order to obtain those data quality objectives, twice a year training courses are organized at the. Trainees from GAW stations around the world, invited by the WMO improve their knowledge on measurement techniques, quality assurance and data evaluation. This unique training and education centre is funded by the Federal Environment Agency and the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Health and Consumer Protection. The organization is performed by the. Dr. Till Rehm phone: mail: t.rehm@schneefernerhaus.de Dr. Ludwig Ries phone: mail: ludwig.ries@uba.de

13 12 Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute for Radiation Protection The UFS is the only research station at mountain altitudes worldwide that includes a Bonner spheres spectrometer, to monitor secondary neutrons from cosmic radiation. The spectrometer was installed in 2005 by the Institute of Radiation Protection of the HMGU, and complemented by a second spectrometer that was installed in 2007 at the Koldewey Station on Spitzbergen. Together, these spectrometers allow continuous measurements of both the intensity of secondary neutrons from cosmic radiation and their energy distribution, at low atmospheric shielding (UFS) and low geomagnetic shielding (Koldewey Station). The measurement results are used to validate energy spectra of cosmic ray particles calculated by means of Monte Carlo methods, at any location and height in the atmosphere and at any time within the normal ll-years cycle of sun activity. With the spectrometer, changes in cosmic radiation during large solar mass ejections (solar storms) will also be quantified. Exact knowledge of the energy distribution of the particles from secondary cosmic radiation in the atmosphere is required to investigate their influence on ion production in the atmosphere which might contribute to global cloud formation. The field of secondary cosmic radiation is also used to calculate doses to pilots and cabin crew. PD Dr. Werner Rühm phone: mail: werner.ruehm@helmholtz-muenchen.de

14 13 Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Ecological Chemistry Bavarian Environment Agency The Alps act as a sink for organic pollutants (POPs) due to the barrier effect and the phenomenon of cold condensation. Their is an altitudinal increase of concentration of POPs (f.i. pesticides) in Alpine ecosystems mainly because precipitation increases and degradation from soils decreases with altitude. Nevertheless air concentrations in remote regions are very low and the measurements pose heavy challenges for instrumentation and analytical procedures. In the framework of the EU Interreg III (Alpine Space) MONARPOP project, high and low volume samplers have been installed at in order to monitor different POP species in dependence of their source regions. Atmospheric concentrations of various substances are so low that active air samplers have to operate several days to collect detectable amounts. Due to the fact that in the Alps information about the possible source region cannot given by using the current wind direction a forecast of possible trajectories has to be performed every day. By relaying the incoming airflow among an array of four filters the air is sampled accordingly to four source regions. Similar measurements are performed at Weißfluhjoch (Switzerland) and Sonnblick (Austria). After three years of MONARPOP project ( ), in which HMGU collaborated with several partners like the UBA Vienna, both monitoring and scientific programmes will continue in cooperation with the Bavarian Environment Agency. The programmes are supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (BayStMUGV). Dr. Manfred Kirchner phone: mail: kirchner@helmholtz-muenchen.de Michael Außendorf Bavarian Environment Agency phone: mail: michael.aussendorf@lfu.bayern.de

15 14 Masaryk University, Research Centre for Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Czech Republic Sampling the free troposphere for the study of organic pollutants atmospheric fate and long-range transport The cycling of many organic pollutants poses a hazard for organisms or human health. Most of these pollutants are long-lived and undergo long-range or even global atmospheric transport. As a consequence of long residences time in the environment and semi volatility they may undergo several cycles of re-volatilisation from ground surfaces, atmospheric transport and subsequent deposition (multi-hopping). Both the substances distributions and the processes which govern fate and transport are incompletely known. Such knowledge is, however, required for risk assessment and national and international chemicals legislation. The station, Zugspitze, is very suitable to study trace substances in the lower free troposphere over central Europe. During two sampling campaigns in summer and winter 2007/08 new insights regarding atmospheric levels, transport pathways and distribution among the phases of the atmospheric aerosol of organochlorine pesticides (OCP), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were gained. The levels of PCB, and the OCPs hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were among the lowest ever reported from outside the Arctic. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Lammel Masaryk University, RECETOX mail: lammel@recetox.muni.cz

16 15 Bavarian Environment Agency Permafrost investigations at Zugspitze summit In the Bavarian Alps three areas are assumed to be concerned by permafrost. Among them, only the Zugspitze is easily accessible. It is also the only permafrost area in Bavaria that concerns buildings and infrastructure. Already in 2006 several instrumentations were achieved and the permafrost distribution was simulated in a 3-D model. In 2007 two boreholes were drilled into the summit crest, one of them crossing the ridge entirely. They were instrumented by 28 high accuracy thermal sensors. Furthermore, for research purposes in one of the boreholes a fibre wire as a thermal sensor and several extensometers was installed. The instruments are connected to the office in Munich by remote transmission. The data will give new insights in the reaction of permafrost to climatic changes and to the heat transport within rock. They will serve as a model for other high peaks in the northern Alps. The information gathered is planned to be transmitted to other research institutes within the EU Alpine Space project PermaNET and so will build the basis for an alpine wide permafrost network. Dr. Andreas von Poschinger phone: mail: andreas.poschinger@lfu.bayern.de LMU München, Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften Bavarian Environment Agency Bavarian Seismic Network the Mt. Zugspitze: a test case for studying topographic effects The Bavarian Seismic Network (a joined initiative of the StMUGV, LfU and LMU) is responsible for monitoring the seismic activity in Bavaria. The main reason for running this network is to inform the public in case of an earthquake as well as strengthen the research capabilities. In addition, the Bavarian Seismic Network is embedded into European and German initiatives for modernizing the seismological infrastructure in Europe. The seismic station ZUGS, which is installed in a gallery of the is an excellent example for the synergy of surveillance and science. The seismic station improves the capabilities for monitoring seismically active areas in the Inn valley/ester mountain region. Furthermore, it servers as naturally laboratory for studying seismic wave propagation in areas with strong 3D topography which in turn can lead to enhanced damage patterns... Dr. J. Wassermann phone: mail: jowa@geophysik.uni-muenchen.de

17 16 Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme TÜV Rheinland Reliability of Photovoltaic (PV) Modules Sustainable energy supply through solar technology requires components withstanding weathering over several decades. Innovative materials should allow further cost reductions in this technology of the future. The accelerated testing of the technology's serviceability and stability under artificial weathering conditions must be verified by comparison with realistic weathering in different climates. To this end we exposed identical photovoltaic modules to the conditions of the tropics (Indonesia), the desert (Israel) and a large city (Cologne) as well as to high ultraviolet radiation, snow and wind conditions (Zugspitze mountain). In each case we recorded the stress and studied changes in efficiency. Funded by the BMU (PFRN: ) with the participation of Schott Solar, Scheuten Solar, Solon, Solarfabrik, Solarwatt and Solarworld. Michael Köhl Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme phone: mail: michael.koehl@ise.fraunhofer.de Dr. Werner Herrmann TÜV Rheinland phone: mail: werner.herrmann@de.tuv.com

18 17 Department of Dermatology and Allergy Biederstein Division of Dermatology and Allergology Institute of Climate Ecology Technische Universität München Effects of high mountain climate on allergies and environmental diseases The climate change is expected to induce an amplification of the problems in the field of allergology, not only because of a longer time of blooming of plants emitting pollen, but also because of immigration of new elicitors of allergies. In this project influences of high mountain climate on allergic reactions will be assessed by experiments in culture and by investigations with humans. First, environmental conditions of the high mountain climate with respect to allergic reactions have to be characterized by measurement of allergen sources (plants), allergen carriers (pollen, spores) and aerosols containing allergens. The influence of the high mountain climate on parameters of allergic reactivity will be assessed in healthy volunteers and selected patients at standardized conditions. In an interdisciplinary approach of dermatologists, allergologists, climate experts, toxicologists and biologists possible strategies for prevention and therapy of allergies and environmental diseases will be analyzed. The project is supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (BayStMUGV). Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Johannes Ring Prof. Dr. med. Heidrun Behrendt Prof. Dr. Annette Menzel phone: mail: johannes.ring@lrz.tum.de LMU München, Institut für Rechtsmedizin Analysis of Breath Alcohol Influence of Climate Conditions The analysis of breath alcohol (BrA) by Dräger Alcotest 7110 Evidential is accredited in court since a couple of years, thought there is up to now a lack of scientific experience concerning the influences of random factors on the analysis and the (individual) pharmacokinetics of BrA. Therefore is it not possible to make an overall forensic statement based on the breath alcohol concentrations. A study group of the Institute of Legal medicine (LMU Munich) is researching on the pathophysiology of the BrA-kinetics especially regarding the climate conditions. Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Graw phone: mail: matthias.graw@med.uni-muenchen.de

19 18 German Aerospace Center German Remote Sensing Data Center LMU Munich Medizinische Klinik Innenstadt, Pneumologie Theme Health weather development of specific health indices for pulmonary diseases Over the years the environment has gradually changed as a result of global climate change. It is assumed that these changes have also impacted human health. The idea of the theme "Health weather" is based on the combination of different geophysical parameters, derived from satellite measurements, with medical data and expertise to define an integrated health index. The fact that environmental factors like temperature, air pressure, tropospheric ozone concentrations, particulate matter and other atmospheric trace gas concentrations impact human health is indisputable. However, there is still medical research to be done to create a reliable weighting of various external factors on the health status of patients. In this interdisciplinary investigation, an air quality model will be used to characterise the relative impact of various environmental factors on the course of pulmonary diseases. The results of this investigation will be validated and optimized based on a cohort of patients with pulmonary disease as part of a health study at the environmental research station (UFS). This research is supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology. Dipl. Geogr. Beate Hildenbrand Prof. Dr. R. M. Huber PD Dr. med. R. Fischer phone: mail: Beate.Hildenbrand@dlr.de

20 19 University of Luebeck Institute of Biomedical Optics Investigation of the wavelength dependence of laser induced optical breakdown in water Nonlinear laser induced effects have been successfully used in many fields of industry and medicine during the last years. For example, short and ultra short laser pulses are used for precise micromachining of transparent media, for nano cell surgery, and for laser eye surgery to correct refractive errors (LASIK). Laser-induced optical breakdown is the fundamental working mechanism in all these applications. Focusing of laser light with a pulse duration of only one part in a billion leads to a high irradiance that abruptly produces a plasma in the focus. In water, this plasma expands explosively and generates a cavitation bubble. The maximum bubble size is a measure for the precision with which the laser induced effect can be produced. Hence, knowledge of the parameter dependence of the optical breakdown threshold and the maximum bubble size is important for many applications and provides a better understanding of the underlying physics. A pump-probe technique enables us to measure the radius of single-shot, laser-induced cavitation bubbles with an accuracy of 10 nm. The investigation of the wavelength dependence of optical breakdown requires an extremely pure and precise laser irradiation. Therefore, the experiments were done in cooperation with the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung in Garmisch- Partenkirchen) in the on the top of the Zugspitze. Here a unique laser system is available that delivers optimum irradiance parameters. This system is normally used for spectroscopic measurements of the atmosphere. Prof Dr. Alfred Vogel Dipl.-Phys. Norbert Linz phone: mail: vogel@bmo.uni-luebeck.de

21 20 Hund am Berg Mountain Dog Scool Avalanche and SAR dog training, dog training in alpine area Avalanche dog training for everybody: playful search work for family dogs ideal for companion dogs of persons who love snow shoe and ski touring. Avalanche dog training for SAR dogs: alternation in area and disaster search work, improvement of dogs nose work. Dog training in alpine area: secure movement of dogs in difficult alpine terrain, rappelling training of dog handler and dog with help of especially developed safety techniques. All training sessions are carried out under consideration of the newest scientific knowledge about working and sports dog physiology. Honoree of the Bavarian Government animal welfare prize R. Frasch phone: mail:

22 21 Contact Persons Priv. Doz. Dr. Michael Bittner Scientific Coordinator c/o German Aerospace Center German Remote Sensing Data Center Oberpfaffenhofen Postfach 1116 D Weßling phone.: fax: mail: Prof. Dr. Siegfried Specht Chairman of the Consortium Board c/o Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection Rosenkavalierplatz 2 D München phone.: /-3502 fax: mail: siegfried.specht@stmugv.bayern.de Dr. Christian Mikulla CEO c/o Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection Rosenkavalierplatz 2 D München phone.: fax: mail: christian.mikulla@stmugv.bayern.de