Katharina Six

Katharina Six is a Research Scientist in the Department of Climate Variability, specifically within the Ocean Physics group at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M). She has been working part-time at the institute since August 2002. Her work focuses on marine biogeochemical modeling, particularly the ocean's role in carbon and sulfur cycling and their interactions with climate change.

• PhD in Physical Oceanography, University of Hamburg (1993)
• Diploma in Physical Oceanography, University of Hamburg (1989)
• Postdoctoral Researcher: MPI for Meteorology (1993–1996), University of Hamburg (1996–1997)

Her research interests span marine biogeochemistry, physical oceanography, and Earth system modeling. She investigates the role of marine biology in carbon storage, the climate impacts of changing dimethylsulfide (DMS) emissions due to ocean acidification, and paleo-biogeochemical conditions in the Mediterranean Sea during the last deglaciation using the MPI-ESM and regional models. Her work integrates modeling with sediment core data to understand past climate-biogeochemistry interactions.

Her recent publications reflect a strong focus on climate-biogeochemical feedbacks, including DMS-climate interactions, carbon isotope modeling, ocean acidification impacts, and paleo-simulations. She contributes extensively to the development and application of the MPI Earth System Model (MPI-ESM) and its ocean biogeochemistry component (HAMOCC). Her work has been published in leading journals such as Nature Climate Change, Biogeosciences, and Global Biogeochemical Cycles.

Among her scientific contributions are studies on the sea-ice carbon pump, nitrogen fixation modeling, and the amplification of global warming due to reduced sulfur emissions. While no formal awards are listed, her sustained publication record in high-impact journals and long-standing role in Earth system model development signify major contributions to the field.

Katharina Six has collaborated with numerous scientists across institutions and has contributed to large modeling intercomparisons such as CMIP5. She has not taken formal supervisory roles but has mentored through collaborative research. Her work continues to advance understanding of ocean biogeochemical processes and their critical role in the Earth’s climate system.