Ocean Melancholia
Exploring the edge of multistable ocean currents
Hi, I'm Reyk!
I use maths and physics to better understand climate change.
My research interests lie at the intersection of complex systems, statistical physics and earth system science. Currently, I'm a PhD student in applied mathematics at the University of Reading in England. Supervised by Professor Valerio Lucarini, my project is part of the European training network CriticalEarth, which seeks to advance our understanding of climate tipping points.
The climate crisis affects us all, and climate science evolves continuously. With this website I hope to make my research more accessible, especially also for non-scientists. Thanks for being here!
- since 2021: PhD candidate in Applied Mathematics, University of Reading, UK
- 2019-2021: M.Sc. in Physics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2015-2019: B.Sc. in Physics, Free University of Berlin, Germany
News
- Join our EXREC workshop (Extremes and Rare Events in Climate and related applications) on 3 July 2024 at University of Reading!
- My talk at the Fairbrother Lecture 2024 is now available as a full recording.
- We are organising a conference on Metastability and Tipping in Complex Systems, hosted at the University of Leicester from 3-5 September 2024. Abstract submissions close on 25 June!
Projects
Saddle avoidance
When noise kicks you where you wouldn't expect
Modeling diurnal warm layers
A more realistic sea surface for cloud modeling
Oscillator networks with delay
Stability conditions with application to power grids
Publications
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Saddle avoidance of noise-induced transitions in multiscale systems
Reyk Börner, Ryan Deeley, Raphael Römer, Tobias Grafke, Valerio Lucarini & Ulrike Feudel
arXiv preprint arXiv:2311.10231 (2023) PDF -
Limits of predictability of the asymptotic state of the Atlantic Meridional Overturing Circulation in a conceptual climate model
Oliver Mehling, Reyk Börner & Valerio Lucarini
Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 459, 134043 (2023) Link -
A conceptual model of the diurnal warm layer for idealized atmospheric simulations with interactive SST
Reyk Börner, Jan O. Haerter & Romain Fiévet
arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.07933 (2022) PDF -
Delay master stability of inertial oscillator networks
Reyk Börner, Paul Schultz, Benjamin Ünzelmann, Deli Wang, Frank Hellmann & Jürgen Kurths
Physical Review Research 2, 023409 (2020) Link
See also on Google Scholar.
Software
CriticalTransitions.jl
A Julia package offering a toolbox for noise- and rate-induced transitions in dynamical systems. Based on DynamicalSystems.jl and DifferentialEquations.jl.
Edge tracking in Attractors.jl
Implementation of the edge tracking algorithm to find so-called edge states or Melancholia states (chaotic saddles) in multistable dynamical systems.
DiuSST - diurnal warm layer model
Python implementation of three models of diurnal sea surface warming: the DiuSST model, the Zeng-Beljaars model, and a simple slab ocean model.
See also on Github.
Public science & outreach
Fairbrother Lecture 2024
I had the exciting opportunity to deliver the 2024 Fairbrother Lecture at the University of Reading, a public lecture given by a PhD student each year.
Breaking the walls of...
... climate predictability: Watch my 3-minute thesis pitch presented at the finals of the MSCA Falling Walls Lab 2022 competition.