The IRD research teams in the DISCO Department (Internal and Surface Dynamics of Continents) study the functioning of the Earth’s system via its physical and biogeochemical dynamics, subject to global changes (climatic, economic and demographic) which can take situations beyond tipping points.
Research focuses on two main seminal areas: observation and modelling of the continents’ physical environments, and the interactions between changes to the physical environments and socio-economic dynamics. The scientific goals are the understanding of global changes and above all climate change, the quantification of hazards, risk mitigation for populations, and the prospects for new resources.
In 2018, the department’s research teams placed particular emphasis on the following topics: