Central IT Services
IT services are provided at MPI-M by the Central IT Services (CIS) group.
The most important services of the Central IT Services are:
- Procurement, setup and management of IT hardware and software for both users (laptops, PCs) and infrastructure (servers, networks, etc.)
- Central user administration
- Provision of an efficient network (LAN, WLAN)
- Central IT help desk as a contact point for all IT-related issues
- Provision of services to support daily work (e.g. version management, project management, websites, etc.)
- Ensuring secure IT operations (failover, backup, IT security)
Detailed documentation on the IT Group’s offerings can be found in the Wiki of the institute.
An account (username and password) is required to use most IT services. Usually, an account will be created for you as soon as you have a contract with MPI-M. If you are a guest at MPI-M and need an account, your group leader at MPI can request an account for you. Further details are described in the institutes Wiki.
If you have any questions or problems using the IT systems at MPI-M, please contact the IT help desk.
Please note that questions regarding the DKRZ systems (e.g. Levante or data archive) will be answered by the DKRZ user support.
Contact
Rainer Weigle
Group leader
Tel.: +49 (0)40 41173-373
rainer.weigle@mpimet.mpg.de
Helpdesk
Tel.: +49 (0)40 41173-361
help-it@mpimet.mpg.de
More Content
A Journey Through the Reception History of a Key Oceanographic Publication
Long before the term 'tipping point' was coined, American oceanographer Henry Stommel discovered that ocean circulation driven by differences in temperature and salinity can exhibit multiple equilibria. He also demonstrated that relatively small perturbations can trigger abrupt transitions between these states. Stommel’s groundbreaking work, which he published in the journal Tellus in 1961, underpins much—if not all—of today’s research on the stability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
In a contribution to a special collection of the recently relaunched Tellus, Jochem Marotzke, an oceanographer and director at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), revisits Stommel’s work 65 years after it was first published. Marotzke highlights the strength and finesse of Stommel’s work and analyzes the history of its reception—from its slow start to its lasting legacy.
“The history of Stommel (1961) is particularly dear to me, because this paper ultimately was the one that started my own research career”, Marotzke says. “Its reception shows how circuitous the flow of scientific ideas can be. The paper now rightfully counts as one of his—and thus the field’s—most important ever.”
First clue to tipping point
In his work, Stommel used a simple box model with two water vessels that are connected by pipes at the top and bottom. He investigated the circulation that arises when the salinity and temperature of the water in the vessels differ, with one vessel corresponding to the polar ocean and the other to the equatorial ocean. Stommel showed that this system has two stable equilibria, each with opposite flow directions, as well as one unstable equilibrium. The latter is often referred to today as a tipping point.
The work was initially viewed primarily as a theoretical contribution and was cited only eight times in the first 25 years. Interest in the topic grew substantially in the mid-1980s, when it was demonstrated that multiple equilibria also occur in more realistic Ocean General Circulation Models. Today, Stommel’s paper is regarded as seminal—due to the groundbreaking idea it introduced and due to its conceptual simplicity. According to Marotzke, Stommel’s box model proves to be a “superb teaching tool for dynamical systems”. The MPI-M director speculates that the author’s fame may also have played a role in the paper’s enduring success: Henry Stommel made other highly respected contributions, including on the behavior of the Gulf Stream, and is considered one of the most highly regarded oceanographers of the 20th century.
Original publication
Marotzke, J. (2026) ‘Stommel’s 1961 Tellus Paper on Thermohaline Circulation Stability: Curious Early History and Lasting Legacy’, Tellus, 79(1), p. 126–135. DOI: 10.16993/tellus.4175.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jochem Marotzke
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
jochem.marotzke@mpimet.mpg.de
A Journey Through the Reception History of a Key Oceanographic Publication
Long before the term 'tipping point' was coined, American oceanographer Henry Stommel discovered that ocean circulation driven by differences in temperature and salinity can exhibit multiple equilibria. He also demonstrated that relatively small perturbations can trigger abrupt transitions between these states. Stommel’s groundbreaking work, which he published in the journal Tellus in 1961, underpins much—if not all—of today’s research on the stability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
In a contribution to a special collection of the recently relaunched Tellus, Jochem Marotzke, an oceanographer and director at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), revisits Stommel’s work 65 years after it was first published. Marotzke highlights the strength and finesse of Stommel’s work and analyzes the history of its reception—from its slow start to its lasting legacy.
“The history of Stommel (1961) is particularly dear to me, because this paper ultimately was the one that started my own research career”, Marotzke says. “Its reception shows how circuitous the flow of scientific ideas can be. The paper now rightfully counts as one of his—and thus the field’s—most important ever.”
First clue to tipping point
In his work, Stommel used a simple box model with two water vessels that are connected by pipes at the top and bottom. He investigated the circulation that arises when the salinity and temperature of the water in the vessels differ, with one vessel corresponding to the polar ocean and the other to the equatorial ocean. Stommel showed that this system has two stable equilibria, each with opposite flow directions, as well as one unstable equilibrium. The latter is often referred to today as a tipping point.
The work was initially viewed primarily as a theoretical contribution and was cited only eight times in the first 25 years. Interest in the topic grew substantially in the mid-1980s, when it was demonstrated that multiple equilibria also occur in more realistic Ocean General Circulation Models. Today, Stommel’s paper is regarded as seminal—due to the groundbreaking idea it introduced and due to its conceptual simplicity. According to Marotzke, Stommel’s box model proves to be a “superb teaching tool for dynamical systems”. The MPI-M director speculates that the author’s fame may also have played a role in the paper’s enduring success: Henry Stommel made other highly respected contributions, including on the behavior of the Gulf Stream, and is considered one of the most highly regarded oceanographers of the 20th century.
Original publication
Marotzke, J. (2026) ‘Stommel’s 1961 Tellus Paper on Thermohaline Circulation Stability: Curious Early History and Lasting Legacy’, Tellus, 79(1), p. 126–135. DOI: 10.16993/tellus.4175.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jochem Marotzke
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
jochem.marotzke@mpimet.mpg.de
A Journey Through the Reception History of a Key Oceanographic Publication
Long before the term 'tipping point' was coined, American oceanographer Henry Stommel discovered that ocean circulation driven by differences in temperature and salinity can exhibit multiple equilibria. He also demonstrated that relatively small perturbations can trigger abrupt transitions between these states. Stommel’s groundbreaking work, which he published in the journal Tellus in 1961, underpins much—if not all—of today’s research on the stability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
In a contribution to a special collection of the recently relaunched Tellus, Jochem Marotzke, an oceanographer and director at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), revisits Stommel’s work 65 years after it was first published. Marotzke highlights the strength and finesse of Stommel’s work and analyzes the history of its reception—from its slow start to its lasting legacy.
“The history of Stommel (1961) is particularly dear to me, because this paper ultimately was the one that started my own research career”, Marotzke says. “Its reception shows how circuitous the flow of scientific ideas can be. The paper now rightfully counts as one of his—and thus the field’s—most important ever.”
First clue to tipping point
In his work, Stommel used a simple box model with two water vessels that are connected by pipes at the top and bottom. He investigated the circulation that arises when the salinity and temperature of the water in the vessels differ, with one vessel corresponding to the polar ocean and the other to the equatorial ocean. Stommel showed that this system has two stable equilibria, each with opposite flow directions, as well as one unstable equilibrium. The latter is often referred to today as a tipping point.
The work was initially viewed primarily as a theoretical contribution and was cited only eight times in the first 25 years. Interest in the topic grew substantially in the mid-1980s, when it was demonstrated that multiple equilibria also occur in more realistic Ocean General Circulation Models. Today, Stommel’s paper is regarded as seminal—due to the groundbreaking idea it introduced and due to its conceptual simplicity. According to Marotzke, Stommel’s box model proves to be a “superb teaching tool for dynamical systems”. The MPI-M director speculates that the author’s fame may also have played a role in the paper’s enduring success: Henry Stommel made other highly respected contributions, including on the behavior of the Gulf Stream, and is considered one of the most highly regarded oceanographers of the 20th century.
Original publication
Marotzke, J. (2026) ‘Stommel’s 1961 Tellus Paper on Thermohaline Circulation Stability: Curious Early History and Lasting Legacy’, Tellus, 79(1), p. 126–135. DOI: 10.16993/tellus.4175.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jochem Marotzke
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
jochem.marotzke@mpimet.mpg.de