Without clouds, the hydrological cycle that makes life on earth possible would be inconceivable. Clouds also play an important role in the Earth’s radiation budget. The radiation properties of clouds change depending on their height, time of day and composition. A particular focus of my research is on high ice clouds, known as cirrus clouds, and their formation in ice supersaturated regions (ISSRs).

I manage the weather station at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics at JGU Mainz. Here, we have been measuring all key meteorological parameters for two decades. Monthly summaries and analyses of the data are provided. Additionally satellite data, reanalysis data, and data from surrounding measurement stations are also used to contextualize the measurements of our station.
  1. Atmosphärische Thermodynamik
    Instructor: Dr. Philipp Reutter
  2. Methodenkenntnis
    Instructor: Dr. Heiko Bozem; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Peter Hoor; Dr. Daniel Kunkel; Dr. Franziska Köllner; Jun.-Prof. Dr. Annette Miltenberger; Dr. Philipp Reutter; Dr. Michael Riemer; Dr. Miklos Szakall; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Holger Tost; Prof. Dr. Thomas Wagner; Dr. Ralf Weigel; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Volkmar Wirth
  3. Planetenatmosphären
    Instructor: Dr. Philipp Reutter
  4. Projekt Umweltwissenschaften
    Instructor: Dr. Heiko Bozem; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Peter Hoor; Dr. Daniel Kunkel; Dr. Franziska Köllner; Jun.-Prof. Dr. Annette Miltenberger; Dr. Philipp Reutter; Dr. Michael Riemer; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Peter Spichtinger; Dr. Miklos Szakall; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Holger Tost; Dr. Ralf Weigel; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Volkmar Wirth

SoSe 2026

previous courses

SoSe 2025Atmosphärische Thermodynamik
WiSe 2024/2025BSc-Project “Anleitung zum Klimawandel”
BSc-Project “Urban Heat Island”
SoSe 2024Atmosphärische Thermodynamik
BSc-Project “Urban Heat Island”
WiSe 2023/2024BSc-Project “Anleitung zum Klimawandel”
SoSe 2023Atmosphärische Thermodynamik
WiSe 2022/2023Modellierung mit ODEs (Übung)
SoSe 2022Atmosphärische Thermodynamik
WiSe 2021/2022Clouds and Aerosols
SoSe 2021Atmosphärische Thermodynamik
Modellierung mit PDEs (Übung)

2026

Reutter, P., and Spichtinger, P. (2026). The frosty frontier: redefining the mid-latitude tropopause using the relative humidity over ice. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI

2025

Reutter, P., Spichtinger, P. (2025). The frosty frontier: redefining the mid-latitude tropopause using the relative humidity over ice. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 25(22), 16303-16314. DOI Author/Publisher URL
Schuh, H. Z., Reutter, P., Niebler, S., Spichtinger, P. (2025). Fractal Characteristics of Ice-Supersaturated Regions in the Tropopause Region of the northern midlatitudes. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Reutter, P., Spichtinger, P. (2025). The Frosty Frontier: Redefining the Tropopause as a transport barrier using the Relative Humidity over Ice. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Schuh, H., Spichtinger, P., Reutter, P. (2025). Fractal Characteristics and Seasonal Variations of Ice-SupersaturatedRegions (ISSRs) in the Tropopause Region. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Brast, N., Li, Y., Rohs, S., et al. (2025). Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Ice Supersaturation: A 3D climatology over the North Atlantic Region. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Reutter, P., Niebler, S., Miltenberger, A., Spichtinger, P. (2025). Lagrangian analysis of ice supersaturated air masses in connection with low level fronts of extratropical cyclones. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Spichtinger, P., Reutter, P. (2025). Impact of radiation, water vapour and ice clouds on the tropopause region. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI

2024

Koehler, D., Reutter, P., and Spichtinger, P. (2024). Relative humidity over ice as a key variable for Northern Hemisphere midlatitude tropopause inversion layers. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 24(17), 10055-10072. DOI Author/Publisher URL

2023

Köhler, D., Reutter, P., Spichtinger, P. (2023). The extratropical tropopause inversion layer and its correlation with relative humidity. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Brast, N., Li, Y., Rohs, S., et al. (2023). 3D climatology of ice supersaturated regions over the North Atlantic. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Reutter, P., Köhler, D., Spichtinger, P. (2023). Tropopause inversion layer and its correlation with relative humidity. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Lachnitt, H.-C., Hoor, P., Kunkel, D., et al. (2023). Gravity-wave-induced cross-isentropic mixing: a DEEPWAVE case study. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 23(1), 355-373. DOI Author/Publisher URL

2022

Lachnitt, H.-C., Hoor, P., Kunkel, D., et al. (2022). Gravity wave induced cross-isentropic mixing: A DEEPWAVE case study. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Brast, N., Reutter, P., Spichtinger, P. (2022). Evaluation of ERA-5 reanalysis data with respect to the humidity in the UTLS region, using the in-situ data set IAGOS. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Konjari, P., Krämer, M., Brast, N., et al. (2022). UTLS Water Vapor Climatologies derived from combined In-Situ Passenger and Research Aircraft Measurements. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI

2020

Reutter, P., Neis, P., Rohs, S., et al. (2020). Ice supersaturated regions: properties and validation of ERA-Interim reanalysis with IAGOS in situ water vapor measurements. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Reutter, P., Neis, P., Rohs, S., Sauvage, B. (2020). Ice supersaturated regions: properties and validation of ERA-Interim reanalysis with IAGOS in situ water vapour measurements. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 20(2), 787-804. DOI Author/Publisher URL

2019

Reutter, P. (2019). Reply to review #1. Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Reutter, P. (2019). Reply to review #2. Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Reutter, P., Neis, P., Rohs, S., and Sauvage, B. (2019). Comparison of IAGOS in-situ water vapour measurements and ECMWF ERA-Interim Reanalysis data. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI

2017

Voigt, C., Schumann, U., Minikin, A., et al. (2017). ML-CIRRUS THE AIRBORNE EXPERIMENT ON NATURAL CIRRUS AND CONTRAIL CIRRUS WITH THE HIGH-ALTITUDE LONG-RANGE RESEARCH AIRCRAFT HALO. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, 98(2), 271-288. DOI Author/Publisher URL

2016

Weigel, R., Spichtinger, P., Mahnke, C., et al. (2016). Thermodynamic correction of particle concentrations measured by underwing probes on fast-flying aircraft. Atmospheric measurement techniques, 9(10), Seiten: 5135-5162. Author/Publisher URL

2015

Bretl, S., Reutter, P., Raible, C. C., et al. (2015). The influence of absorbed solar radiation by Saharan dust on hurricane genesis. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES, 120(5), 1902-1917. DOI Author/Publisher URL
Mueller, S., Hoor, P., Berkes, F., et al. (2015). In situ detection of stratosphere-troposphere exchange of cirrus particles in the midlatitudes. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 42(3), 949-955. DOI Author/Publisher URL
Reutter, P., Škerlak, B., Sprenger, M., Wernli, H. (2015). Stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) in the vicinity of North Atlantic cyclones. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Chang, D., Cheng, Y., Reutter, P., et al. (2015). Comprehensive mapping and characteristic regimes of aerosol effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-convective clouds. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 15(18), 10325-10348. DOI Author/Publisher URL
Reutter, P., Skerlak, B., Sprenger, M., Wernli, H. (2015). Stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) in the vicinity of North Atlantic cyclones. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 15(19), 10939-10953. DOI Author/Publisher URL

2014

Chang, D., Cheng, Y., Reutter, P., et al. (2014). Aerosol and dynamic effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-clouds. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Chang, D., Cheng, Y., Reutter, P., et al. (2014). Supplementary material to “Aerosol and dynamic effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-clouds”. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Joos, H., Spichtinger, P., Reutter, P., Fusina, F. (2014). Influence of heterogeneous freezing on the microphysical and radiative properties of orographic cirrus clouds. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 14(13), 6835-6852. DOI Author/Publisher URL
Reutter, P., Trentmann, J., Seifert, A., et al. (2014). 3-D model simulations of dynamical and microphysical interactions in pyroconvective clouds under idealized conditions. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 14(14), 7573-7583. DOI Author/Publisher URL

2013

Reutter, P., Trentmann, J., Seifert, A., et al. (2013). 3-D model simulations of dynamical and microphysical interactions in pyro-convective clouds under idealized conditions. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI
Joos, H., Spichtinger, P., Reutter, P., Fusina, F. (2013). Influence of heterogeneous freezing on the microphysical and radiative properties of orographic cirrus clouds. In Copernicus GmbH. DOI

2009

Reutter, P. (2009). Numerical simulations of microphysical processes in pyro-convective clouds [PhD Thesis]. DOI Author/Publisher URL
Reutter, P., Su, H., Trentmann, J., et al. (2009). Aerosol- and updraft-limited regimes of cloud droplet formation: influence of particle number, size and hygroscopicity on the activation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 9(18), 7067-7080. DOI Author/Publisher URL