Joke Lübbecke
Tel: +49 (0)421 218-62159
Email: jluebbecke [at] uni-bremen.de
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7839-3284

Research Interests
Ocean Circulation
The Ocean in a changing climate
Tropical Ocean-Atmosphere Variability
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Atlantic Niños
Upwelling

Academic Education and Degrees  
07.2010 Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography
Leibniz-Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) at Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
12.2005 Diploma in Physical Oceanography, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany

Professional Experience  
since 03.2025 Full Professor for Physical Oceanography, University of Bremen,Germany
01.2022 to 02.2025 Senior Scientist, Physical Oceanography, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
12.2020 to 12.2021 Temporary Professor (Professurvertretung) for Marine Meteorology at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
04.2014 to 12.2020 Junior Professor for Physical Oceanography at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
08.2011 to 03.2014 NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate at NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), Seattle, USA
08.2006 to 07.2011 Research Scientist at Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR), Kiel, Germany
01.2008 to 07.2009 Visiting Scientist at NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), Princeton, USA
01.2006 to 07.2006 Degree Project at Department of Meteorology at Stockholm University (MISU), Stockholm, Sweden

Committees  
since 2023 EGU Ocean Sciences OS1 Sub-Programme Group Scientific Officer
since 2023 Member of the KDM Future Forum on the Ocean (ZFO)

Publications
Aroucha, L. C., J.F. Lübbecke, P. Brandt, F.U. Schwarzkopf, and A. Biastoch (2025), River discharge impacts coastal southeastern tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature and circulation: a model-based analysis, Ocean Sci., 21, 661–678, doi:10.5194/os-21-661-2025.

Rudloff, D., J. F. Lübbecke, and S. Wahl (2025), Seasonality of feedback mechanisms involved in Pacific coastal Niño events. Clim. Dyn., 63:58, doi:10.1007/s00382-024-07549-9.

McPhaden, M.J., S. Jarugula, L.C. Aroucha, and J.F. Lübbecke (2024) Indian Ocean Dipole intensifies Benguela Niño through Congo River discharge. Commun Earth Environ 5, 779, doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01955-x.

Bayr, T., J. F. Lübbecke, J. Vialard, and M. Latif (2024) Equatorial Pacific Cold Tongue Bias degrades simulation of ENSO Asymmetry due to underestimation of strong Eastern Pacific El Niños. J. Clim, 37, 6167-6182, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-24-0071.1.

Imbol Koungue, R.A., P. Brandt, A. Prigent, L. C. Aroucha, J. F. Lübbecke, A. S. N. Imbol Nkwinkwa, M. Dengler, and N. S. Keenlyside (2024) Drivers and impact of the 2021 extreme warm event in the tropical Angolan upwelling system. Sci Rep 14, 16824, doi:10.1038/s41598-024-67569-7.

Bayr, T., J. F. Lübbecke, and S. Fiedler (2024), Is El Niño - Southern Oscillation a Tipping Element in the Climate System?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 51, e2023GL107848, doi:10.1029/2023GL107848.

Burmeister, K. , F. U. Schwarzkopf, W. Rath, A. Biastoch, P. Brandt, J. F. Lübbecke, and M. Inall (2024), Dependency of simulated tropical Atlantic current variability on the wind forcing, Ocean Sci., 20, 307–339, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-307-2024.

Aroucha, L. C. , J. F. Lübbecke, M. Körner, R. A. Imbol Koungue, and F. M. Awo (2024), The Influence of Freshwater Input on the Evolution of the 1995 Benguela Niño, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 129 (2), c2023JC020241, doi:10.1029/2023JC020241.

Prigent, A., R. A. Imbol Koungue, J. F. Lübbecke, P. Brandt, J. Harlaß, and M. Latif (2024), Future weakening of southeastern tropical Atlantic Ocean interannual sea surface temperature variability in a global climate model. Clim. Dyn., 62: 1997-2016, doi:10.1007/s00382-023-07007-y.

Latif, M., T. Bayr, J. Kjellsson, J. F. Lübbecke, T. Martin, H. C. Nnamchi, W. Park, A. Savita, J. Sun, and D. Dommenget (2023), Strengthening atmospheric circulation and trade winds slowed tropical Pacific surface warming, Commun Earth Environ 4, 249, doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00912-4.

Casselman, J. W., J. F. Lübbecke, T. Bayr, W. Huo, S. Wahl, and D. I. V. Domeisen (2023). The teleconnection of extreme El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events to the tropical North Atlantic in coupled climate models, Weather Clim. Dynam., 4, 471–487, doi:10.5194/wcd-4-471-2023.

Siuts, T., T. Bayr, and J. F. Lübbecke (2023). Changes in ENSO characteristics in model simulations with considerably altered background climate states, J. Climate, 36 (2), 467-483, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-21-1004.1.

Lübbecke, J. F., I. Richter, and H. Nnamchi (2022). Dynamics of Tropical Atlantic Variability, CLIVAR Exchanges, 82, pp. 9-14, doi: 10.36071/clivar.82.2022.

Fu, Y., P. Brandt, F. P. Tuchen, J. F. Lübbecke, and C. Wang (2022). Representation of the mean Atlantic Subtropical Cells in CMIP6 models, J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans, 127, e2021JC018191, doi:10.1029/2021JC018191.

Tuchen, F. P., P. Brandt, J. F. Lübbecke, and R. Hummels (2022). Transports and pathways of the tropical AMOC return flow from Argo data and shipboard velocity measurements, J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans, 127, e2021JC018115, doi:10.1029/2021JC018115.
Turner, K., N. J. Burls, A. v. Brandis, J. F. Lübbecke, and M. Claus (2022). Seasonality in the relationship between equatorial-mean heat content and interannual eastern equatorial Atlantic sea surface temperature variability, Clim. Dyn, 59:61-75, doi:10.1007/s00382-021-06116-w.

Imbol Koungue, R. A., P. Brandt, J. F. Lübbecke, A. Prigent, M. Sena Martins, and R. R. Rodrigues (2021), The 2019 Benguela Niño, Frontiers in Marine Sciences, 8, 800103, doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.800103.
Bayr, T., A. Drews, M. Latif, and J. F. Lübbecke (2021), The interplay of thermodynamics and ocean dynamics during ENSO growth phase, Clim. Dyn., 56, 1681-1697, doi:10.1007/s00382-020-05552-4.

Tuchen, F. P., J. F. Lübbecke, P. Brandt, and Y. Fu (2020), Observed transport variability of the Atlantic Subtropical Cells and their connection to tropical sea surface temperature variability, J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans, 125, e2020JC016592, doi:10.1029/2020JC016592.

Prigent, A., R. A. Imbol Koungue, J. F. Lübbecke, P. Brandt, and M. Latif (2020), Origin of weakened interannual sea surface temperature variability in the Southeastern Tropical Atlantic Ocean, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL089348, doi:10.1029/2020GL089348.

Illig, S., M.-L. Bachèlery, and J. F. Lübbecke (2020), Why do Benguela Niños lead Atlantic Niños?, J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans, 125, e2019JC016003, doi:10.1029/2019JC016003.

Burmeister, K., J. F. Lübbecke, P. Brandt, M. Claus, and J. Hahn (2020), Fluctuations of the Atlantic North Equatorial Undercurrent and associated changes in oxygen transports, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL088350, doi:10.1029/2020GL088350.
Prigent, A., J. F. Lübbecke, T. Bayr, M. Latif, and C. Wengel (2020), Weakened SST variability in the tropical Atlantic Ocean since 2000, Clim. Dyn., 54, 2731-2744, doi:10.1007/s00382-020-05138-0.

Lübbecke, J. F., D. Rudloff, and L. Stramma (2019), Stand-alone Eastern Pacific Coastal Warming events, Geophys. Res. Lett., 46, doi:10.1029/2019GL084479.

Tuchen, F. P., J. F. Lübbecke, S. Schmidtko, R. Hummels, and C. W. Böning (2019), The Atlantic Subtropical Cells inferred from observations, J. Geophys. Res.: Oceans, 124, doi:10.1029/2019JC015396.

Lübbecke, J. F., P. Brandt, M. Dengler, R. Kopte, J. Lüdke, I. Richter, M. Sena Martins, and P. C. M. Tschipalanga (2019), Causes and evolution of the southeastern tropical Atlantic warm event in early 2016, Clim. Dyn., 53:261-274, doi:10.1007/s00382-018-4582-8.

Bayr, T., C. Wengel, M. Latif, D. Dommenget, J. F. Lübbecke, and W. Park (2019), Error compensation of ENSO atmospheric feedbacks in climate models and its influence on simulated ENSO dynamics, Clim. Dyn., 53:155-172, doi:10.1007/s00382-018-4575-7.

Foltz, G. R., et al. (2019), The Tropical Atlantic Observing System, Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 206, doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00206.

Dippe, T., J. F. Lübbecke, and R. J. Greatbatch (2019), A comparison of the Atlantic and Pacific Bjerknes feedbacks: Seasonality, Symmetry, and Stationarity, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 124, doi:10.1029/2018JC014700.
Bourlès, B., M. Araujo, M. J. McPhaden, P. Brandt. G. R. Foltz, R. Lumpkin, H. Giordani, F. Hernandez, N. Lefèvre, P. Nobre, E. Campos, R. Saravanan, J. Trotte‐Duhà, M. Dengler, J. Hahn, R. Hummels, J. F. Lübbecke, M. Rouault, L. Cotrim, A. Sutton, M. Jochum, and Renellys C. Perez (2019), PIRATA: A Sustained Observing System for Tropical Atlantic Climate Research and Forecasting, Earth and Space Science, 6, doi:10.1029/2018EA000428.

Burmeister, K., J. F. Lübbecke, P. Brandt, and O. Duteil (2019), Interannual variability of the Atlantic North Equatorial Undercurrent and its impact on oxygen, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 124, doi:10.1029/2018JC014760.

Lübbecke, J. F., B. Rodríguez‐Fonseca, I. Richter, M. Martín‐Rey Marta, T. Losada, I. Polo, and N. S. Keenlyside (2018), Equatorial Atlantic variability—Modes, mechanisms, and global teleconnections, WIREs Clim Change, 9 (4), doi:10.1002/wcc.527.

Dippe, T., M. Krebs, J. Harlaß, and J. F. Lübbecke (2018), Can Climate Models Simulate the Observed Strong Summer Surface Cooling in the Equatorial Atlantic? In: Jungblut S., Liebich V., Bode M. (eds) YOUMARES 8 – Oceans Across Boundaries: Learning from each other. Springer, Cham, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-93284-2_2.

Rouault, M., S. Illig, J. F. Lübbecke, and R. A. Imbol Koungue (2018), Origin, development and demise of the 2010-2011 Benguela Niño, J. Marine Systems, 188, 39-48, doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2017.07.007.

Lübbecke, J. F., and M. J. McPhaden (2017), Symmetry of the Atlantic Niño mode, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, doi:10.1002/2016GL071829.

Burmeister, K., P. Brandt, and J. F. Lübbecke (2016), Revisiting the Cause of the Eastern Equatorial Atlantic Cold Event in 2009, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 121, doi:10.1002/2016JC011719.

Lübbecke, J. F., J. V. Durgadoo, and A. Biastoch (2015), Contribution of increased Agulhas leakage to tropical Atlantic warming, J. Climate, 28 (24), 9697-9706, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0258.1.
Lübbecke, J. F., N. J. Burls, C. J. C. Reason, and M. J. McPhaden (2014), Variability in the South Atlantic Anticyclone and the Atlantic Niño mode, J. Climate, 27 (21), 8135-8150, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00202.1.

Lübbecke, J. F., and M. J. McPhaden (2014), Assessing the Twenty-First-Century Shift in ENSO Variability in Terms of the Bjerknes Stability Index, J. Climate, 27 (7), 2577-2587, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00438.1.

Lübbecke, J. F., and M. J. McPhaden (2013), A comparative stability analysis of Atlantic and Pacific Niño modes, J. Climate, 26 (16), pp. 5965-5980, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00758.1.

Lübbecke, J. F. (2013), Tropical Atlantic warm events, Nature Geoscience, News & Views, 6, 22-23, doi:10.1038/ngeo1685.

Behrens, E., F. U. Schwarzkopf, J. F. Lübbecke, and C. W. Böning (2012). Model simulations on the long-term dispersal of Cs-137 released into the Pacific Ocean off Fukushima, Environ. Res. Lett., 7 (3), 034004, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034004.

Lübbecke, J. F., and M. J. McPhaden (2012), On the inconsistent relationship between Pacific and Atlantic Niños, J. Climate, 25 (12), pp. 4294-4303, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00553.1.

Lübbecke, J. F., C. W. Böning, N. Keenlyside, and S.-P. Xie (2010), On the connection between Benguela and Equatorial Atlantic Niños and the role of the South Atlantic Anticyclone, J. Geophys. Res., 115 (C9). C09015, doi:10.1029/2009JC005964.

Lübbecke, J. F., C. W. Böning, and A. Biastoch (2008), Variability in the Subtropical-Tropical Cells and its Effects on Near-Surface Temperature of the Equatorial Pacific: A Model Study, Ocean Sci., 4 (1), pp. 73-88, doi:10.5194/os-4-73-2008.

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