Mojib Latif

Mojib Latif (born 29 September 1954) is a German meteorologist and oceanographer of Pakistani descent. Latif graduated with a Diplom in meteorology in 1983. He took a position as scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in 1985. In 1987 he earned a Ph.D. in oceanography from the University of Hamburg. In 2003 he became professor at IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences. Latif is a regular guest at TV discussions about global warming.

Academic career From 1974 to 1976, Latif studied business administration, administration, mathematics, physics, oceanography and meteorology at the University of Hamburg. Latif graduated in meteorology and completed his Ph.D. in 1987, under Klaus Hasselmann in oceanography. His thesis was titled Model Theoretical Investigation of the Low-Frequency Variability of the Equatorial Pacific Ocean Circulation.

In 2008 Latif was joint author of a modelling study in Nature whose results suggested "global surface temperature may not increase over the next decade, as natural climate variations in the North Atlantic and tropical Pacific temporarily offset the projected anthropogenic warming." According to this study, global surface temperatures from 2005 to 2015 could be only slightly warmer than the 2000 to 2010 period. In the period from 2010 to 2020, surface temperature were expected to rise again. This study concluded that new heat records were not in prospect until the decade 2010 to 2020.

At the UN's World Climate Conference 2009 in Geneva Latif gave a talk about prediction that used, amongst other material, results from this paper. New Scientist reported about Latif's research that "we could be about to enter one or even two decades of cooler temperatures". This interpretation has been stated as incorrect in an interview with Latif, after being asked whether he was a "global warming sceptic", he explained that "If my name was not Mojib Latif, my name would be global warming. So I really believe in Global Warming. Okay. However, you know, we have to accept that there are these natural fluctuations, and therefore, the temperature may not show additional warming temporarily."

Awards 2000 Sverdrup Gold Medal Award 2015 German Environmental Prize 2016 Order of Merit of Schleswig-Holstein 2023 Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Memberships 2007 Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg

Selected publications

Personal life Latif's father, Chaudhry Abdul Latif, migrated to Germany from Pakistan. He was an imam and one of the founders of Hamburg's Ahmadi-affiliated Fazle Omar Mosque in 1957. Latif is married to Norwegian-born Elisabeth Latif.