Minghua Zhang Professor Dean, SoMAS Director, MSRC Ph.D., 1987, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Academia Sinica E-mail: minghua.zhang@stonybrook.edu Climate modelling, atmospheric dynamics Web Page

Research Interests

My research concerns numerical modeling of climate and global climate change. This includes development and analysis of parameterization components in general circulation models, diagnostic study of physical processes and feedback processes in the climate system, modeling and analysis of past and future climate changes, by using models and satellite measurements as well as other observations.

My main focus on parameterization development is about moist processes related to clouds, radiation, convections, boundary layer physics and their interactions, with the goal of improving global models to more accurately predict climate change on a wide range of time scales. For this purpose, I am involved in several field experiments that collect comprehensive upper air and surface data within an atmospheric column. I work on analyzing these field experimental data and interface them with physical parameterizations in atmospheric models.

I am also interested in the study of the dynamics of large-scale atmospheric waves. We study the excitation, propagation, dissipation of atmospheric waves and their influences on the variability of atmospheric circulation. A better knowledge of the behavior of these waves will improve our understanding of the weather and short-term climate variations.

Selected Publications

Zhang M, Bretherton C, 2008: Mechanisms of Low Cloud Climate Feedback in Idealized Single-Column Simulations with the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM3). Journal of Climate, DOI: 10.1175/2008JCLI2237.1

Zeng, X.., W-Kuo Tao, M. H. Zhang, C. P. Lidard, S. Lang, J. Simpson, S. Kumar, S. C. Xie, J. L. Eastman, C. L. Shie, and J. V. Geiger, 2007: Evaluating Clouds in Long-Term Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations with Observational Data, J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 4153-4177.

Wu, J.B., M. H. Zhang, and W. Y. Lin, 2007, A case study of a frontal system simulated by a climate model: Clouds and radiation, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D12201, doi:10.1029/2006JD008238.

Zhang, X. H., W. Y. Lin, and M. H. Zhang, 2007: Toward Understanding the Double ITCZ Pathology in Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere General Circulation Models, J. Geophys. Res.,112, D12102, doi:10.1029/2006JD007878.

Zhang, M. H., and H. Song, 2006: Evidence of Deceleration of Atmospheric Vertical Overturning Circulation over the Tropical Pacific, Geophysical Research Letters. 33, L12701, doi:10.1029/2006GL025942.

Collins, D. W., P. J. Rasch, B. A. Boville, J. J. Hack, J. R. McCaa, D. L.Williamson, B. P. Briegleb, C. M. Bitz_ , S-J Lin, and M. H. Zhang, 2006: The Formulation and Atmospheric Simulation of the Community Atmosphere Model: CAM3. J. Climate, 19, 2144-2161.

Zhang, M. H., W. Y. Lin, S. A. Klein, J. T. Bacmeister, S. Bony, R. T. Cederwall, A. D. Del Genio, J. J. Hack, N. G. Loeb, U. Lohmann, P. Minnis, I. Musat, R. Pincus, P.Stier, M. J. Suarez, M. J. Webb, J. B. Wu, S. C. Xie, M. -S. Yao, J. H. Zhang, 2005: Comparing Clouds And Their Seasonal Variations in 10 Atmospheric General Circulation Models with Satellite Measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 110, D15S02, doi:10.1029/2004JD005021.

Zhang, M. H., 2004: Cloud-climate feedback, how much do we know? In "Observation, Theory, and Modeling of Atmospheric Variability", edited by Zhu et al., World Scientific Series on Meteorology of East Asia, Vol. 3, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 2004, 632pp.

Lin, J. L., B. Mapes, M. H. Zhang, M. Newman, 2004: Stratiform precipitation, vertical heating Profiles, and the Madden–Julian Oscillation.J. Atmos. Sci. Vol. 61, No. 3, pp. 296–309.

Zhang, M., W. Lin, C. Bretherton, J. J. Hack, and P. J. Rasch, 2003: A modified formulation of fractional stratiform condensation rate in the NCAR Community Atmospheric Model (CAM2), J. Geophys. Res., 108(D1), 4035, doi:10.1029/2002JD002523.

Xie et al., and M. H. Zhang, 2002: Intercomparison and evaluation of cumulus parameterization under summertime midlatitude continental conditions.   Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorology Society, 128, 1095-1135.

Zhang, M. H., J. L. Lin, R. T. Cederwall, J. J. Yio, and S. C. Xie, 2001: Objective analysis of the ARM IOP data: method and sensitivity. Monthly Weather Review. 129, 295-311.

Zhou, X. L., M. A. Geller, and M. Zhang, 2001: Tropical Cold Point Tropopause Characteristics Derived from ECMWF Reanalyses and Soundings, J. Climate, 14, 1823-1838.

Xie, S. C., and M. H. Zhang, 2000: Impact of the convection triggering function on single-column model simulations.  J. Geophys. Res., 105, D11, 14,983-14,996.

Zhang, M. H., and J. L. Lin, 1997: Constrained variational analysis of sounding data based on column-integrated budgets of mass, heat, moisture and momentum: approach and application to ARM measurements,  J. Atmos. Sci., 54, 1503-1524.

Zhang, M. H., and Q. C. Zeng, 1997: Discrete and continuous spectra of the barotropic quasi-geostrophic vorticity model, Part I.  J. Atmos. Sci., 54, 1910-1922.

Zhang, M. H., 1996: Implication of the convection-evaporation-wind feedback to surface climate simulation in climate models.  Climate Dynamics, 12, 299-312.

Zhang, M. H., R. D. Cess, S. C. Xie, 1996:  Relationships between sea surface temperatures and cloud-radiative-forcings over the entire tropical oceans.  J. Climate,  9, 1374-1384.

Zhang, M. H., and M. A. Geller, 1994: Selective excitation of tropical atmospheric waves in wave-CISK: effect of vertical wind shear. J.  Atmos. Sci.,  51,  353-368.

Zhang, M. H., J. J. Hack, J. T. Kiehl  and R. D. Cess, 1994:  Diagnostic study of climate feedback processes in atmospheric general circulation models. J. Geophy.  Res.,  99,  5525-5537.