Franco-Argentine Institute for Climate and Impact Studies
Home institute: INSU
Country of cooperation: Argentina
Introduction :
The IRL IFAECI (Institut Franco-Argentin d’Études sur le Climat et ses Impacts) was created in January 2010 to strengthen scientific collaboration between France and Argentina on the study of climate in the context of climate change. Its aim is to improve knowledge of the physical processes that lead to climate variation and change, but also to encourage studies that address the impacts on population, biodiversity and production, and finally, to generate information to design the implementation of applications.
Missions and research topics :
The unit focuses its research on three main areas: southern South America and the extra-tropical Andes, both of which are characterized by significant climate variation, and the South Atlantic Ocean, which is one of the most productive oceanic regions in the world.
In addition, its scientific agenda is organized into 9 themes:
- Climate change in southern South America
- Mathematical methods for studying climate and meteorology
- Weather and climate predictions
- Regional climate modeling and sensitivity studies
- Impact studies
- Ground-based remote sensing of the atmosphere and its applications
- South Atlantic studies
- Physical atmospheric processes at meso and synoptic scales
- Physical processes in coastal areas and the River Plata estuary
Main research projects :
IRL IFAECI has initiated a number of innovative projects to acquire knowledge about the climate dynamics of these regions. Here are a few examples of projects in which French researchers have taken part:
- The CASSIS project aims to improve our understanding of the dynamics of the South-West Atlantic Ocean by studying the circulation of the Patagonian continental shelf, the dynamics of the Falklands Current and the interactions between them. To carry out this study, the team uses an oceanographic vessel, the Puerto Deseado, and satellite altimetry data.
- The DADA project aims to apply Statistical Methods of Detection and Attribution (SMDA) to climate science, for example, to highlight the influence of human activities on climate.
- The CLIMAX project, on the other hand, focuses on Argentina and seeks to understand the impacts of climate change in the region. The project focuses on activities in the agroproductive sector and intends to study the relationship between extreme climatic events, production systems and public policies designed to moderate the impacts.
Institutions and laboratories involved:
French side :
- CNRS
Argentina:
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)