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Name: Peter OBERDORFER
Current position: Master student
Supervisor: Prof. Gabriela SCHRANZ-KIRLINGER

Climate change has been a topic that has accompanied me since my childhood. Now, at the end of my master's degree, with the new physical-mathematical perspective I have developed during my studies, I ask myself the question: How can the fundamental mechanisms of our climate be mathematically captured in simple, physically motivated models?

I begin with the so-called Energy Budget Model, which views the Earth as an idealized black body that absorbs energy from the sun and radiates it back. Building on this, I consider a variant of a single-layer atmospheric model that incorporates the atmosphere as a layer around the Earth.
This layer absorbs some of the thermal radiation emitted by the Earth—a central physical mechanism of the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
The amount and type of greenhouse gases have a significant influence on the strength of this absorption.

It is particularly important to me to clearly present the underlying physical principles, assumptions, and constants used. In this way, I want to ensure that readers of my master's thesis not only understand what the atmospheric greenhouse effect is, but also under what idealized conditions it can be described, mathematically.

I am deliberately keeping all options open for my future career path. I want to remain flexible and find a path in life that is both exciting and balanced. Completing my master's degree is a significant milestone for me, and I am looking forward to reaching it soon.