Thomas Kleinen

Thomas Kleinen is a Senior Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. His work focuses on understanding the 'wet' carbon cycle under water-dependent conditions, particularly in permafrost regions and peatlands. He contributes to advanced Earth system modeling and climate-biosphere interactions, with a temporal emphasis on millennial-scale climate periods from MIS 11 to future projections.

Research interests include the

• atmospheric methane cycle
• permafrost carbon dynamics
• peatland biogeochemistry
• climate tipping points
• model-data comparison in paleoclimatology

His recent publications analyze permafrost thaw impacts on carbon budgets, tropical wetland methane emissions, and Arctic climate dynamics.

Teaching involves

• Terrestrial Ecosystem Modelling (MSc course)
• Dynamical Paleoclimatology
• Climate decision-making under uncertainty

He has developed models for peatland methane and permafrost carbon representation in Earth system models.

Publications cover

• global methane budgets
• permafrost carbon projections
• climate-vegetation interactions
• millennial climate modeling
• methane emission hotspots
• climate tipping point analysis

He has contributed to the Global Carbon Project and Palmod initiatives, focusing on long-term climate simulations.