Staff information

Biography

Dr. Qian has been involved in the regional climate modeling and the study of aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions. He developed a regional coupled climate-aerosol/chemistry model to estimate the direct and indirect radiative forcing and climatic and hydrological response of aerosol over East Asia and South Asia. He was analyzing the long-term climate records to elucidate the relationships in the trends of aerosol, cloud, solar radiation, sunshine duration and precipitation, and to investigate the role of anthropogenic aerosol in the climate change in China. He coupled a regional climate model (mm5) and a land surface hydrology model (VIC) to study the hydrology-land-atmosphere interactions. Dr. Qian also applies the regional models to understand the impacts of climate variability and changes on water resources in North America and Asia. He is currently applying the coupled meteorology-chemistry model (i.e. WRF-Chem) to investigate the sub-grid progressing of aerosols and atmosphere chemistry. He is also leading research projects in investigating the effects of aerosols deposition on snow albedo and water resource in western U.S. and eastern Asia.

Dr. Qian's research on aerosol-climate interaction are prominently featured by the New York Times, Nature, Washington Post, New Scientist, China Daily, People's Daily and other news media. Dr. Qian's research on the effects of climate change and soot on snowpack and water resources in the western United States are featured or highlighted by Science, Associated Press, C&E News, National Public Radio, and ABC News. Dr. Qian has published 50 peer-reviewed journal papers and has been convener, chair and invited speaker at dozens of workshops and conferences. He reviewed the proposals for the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Science Program, Atmospheric Radiation Program, and Climate Change Prediction Program. He also served as a reviewer for more than sixteen international scientific journals.

Selected journal papers published before joining PNNL include:

(1) Qian, Y., and Filippo Giorgi, 1999, Interactive coupling of regional climate and sulfate aerosol models over East Asia, Journal of Geophysical Research, 104, 6477-6499.

(2) Qian, Y. and F. Giorgi, 2000, Regional climatic effects of anthropogenic aerosols? The case of Southwestern China, Geophysical Research Letters, 27, 3521-3524.

(3) Qian, Y., F. Giorgi, Y. Huang, W. L. Chameides, C. Luo, 2001, Regional simulation of anthropogenic sulfur over East Asia and its sensitivity to model parameters. Tellus, 53B, 171-191.

Research Interests

• Regional climate modeling
• Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interaction
• Climate variability and change
• Hydrology-land-atmosphere interactions

Education and Credentials

• Ph.D., Atmospheric Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
• M.S., Atmospheric Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
• B.S., Atmospheric Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

Affiliations and Professional Service

• American Meteorological Society
• American Geophysical Union

Awards and Recognitions

• START (global change SysTem for Analysis, Research, and Training) Fellowship Award ($8,000), International Council for Science (ICSU), 1997
• Xue-Du-Feng-Zheng National Excellent Paper Award for Young Scientists in Atmospheric Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, 1998
• Nanjing University Kwang-Hwa Scholarship Award (Tier 1), Taiwan Kwang-Hwa Foundation, 1994
• Nanjing University Ying-Song Scholarship Award (Tier 2), Nanjing University, 1992

PNNL Publications

2009

• Qian Y, WI Gustafson, Jr, LYR Leung, and SJ Ghan. 2009. "Effects of soot-induced snow albedo change on snowpack and hydrological cycle in western United States based on Weather Research and Forecasting chemistry and regional climate simulations." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 114:D03108.  doi:10.1029/2008JD011039
• Leung LR, and Y Qian. 2009. "Atmospheric Rivers Induced Heavy Precipitation and Flooding in the Western U.S. Simulated by the WRF Regional Climate Model." Geophysical Research Letters 36:Article number: L03820.  doi:10.1029/2008GL036445
• Qian Y, D Gong, J Fan, LR Leung, R Bennartz, D Chen, and W Wang. 2009. "Heavy pollution suppresses light rain in China: observations and modeling." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 114:article number D00K02.  doi:10.1029/2008JD011575
• Zhang Y, R Fu, H Yu, Y Qian, R Dickinson, MAF Silva Dias, PL da Silva Dias, and K Fernandes. 2009. "Impact of biomass burning aerosol on the monsoon circulation transition over Amazonia." Geophysical Research Letters 36(L10814):, doi:10.1029/2009GL037180

2008

• Qian Y, Q Song, S Menon, S Yu, SC Liu, G Shi, LR Leung, and Y Luo. 2008. "Climate Impacts of Atmospheric Sulfate and Black Carbon Aerosols." In Changes In The Human-Monsoon System Of East Asia In The Context Of Global Change, ed. C Fu, JR Freney. JWB Stewart, pp. 115-132.  World Scientific Publishing Company, Imperial College Press, Hackensack, NJ. 
• Adhikary B, Kulkarni, A Dallura, Y Tang, T Chai, LR Leung, Y Qian, CE Chung, V Ramanathan, and G Carmichael. 2008. "A regional scale chemical transport modeling of Asian aerosols with data assimilation of AOD observations using optimal interpolation technique." Atmospheric Environment 42(37):8600-8615.  doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.08.031

2007

• Qian Y, and LR Leung. 2007. "A Long-term Regional Simulation and Observations of the Hydroclimate in China." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 112:, doi:10.1029/2006JD008134
• Adhikary B, G Carmichael, Y Tang, LR Leung, Y Qian, JJ Schauer, EA Stone, V Ramanathan, and MV Ramana. 2007. "Characterization of the seasonal cycle of south Asian aerosols: A Regional-Scale Modeling Analysis. ." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 112(D22):D22S22 (22 pages).  doi:10.1029/2006JD008143
• Gong D, CH Ho, D Chen, Y Qian, YS Choi, and J Kim. 2007. "Weekly cycle of aerosol-meteorology interaction over China." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 112(D22):Art. No. D22202.  doi:10.1029/2007JD008888,2007
• Qian Y, W Wang, LR Leung, and DP Kaiser. 2007. "Variability of Solar Radiation under Cloud-Free Skies in China: The Role of Aerosols." Geophysical Research Letters 34:Art. No. L12804.  doi:10.1029/2006GL028800

2006

• Qian Y, DP Kaiser, LR Leung, and M Xu. 2006. "More Frequent Cloud-Free Sky and Less Surface Solar Radiation in China from 1955 to 2000." Geophysical Research Letters 33(1):L01812, doi: 10.1029/2005GL024586. 

2005

• Leung LR, and Y Qian. 2005. "Downscaling Extended Weather Forecasts for Hydrologic Prediction." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 86(3):332-333. 
• Leung LR, and Y Qian. 2005. "Hydrologic Response to Climate Variability, Climate Change, and Climate Extreme in the U.S.: Climate Model Evaluation and Projections." In Regional Hydrological Impacts of Climate Change - Impact Assessment and Decision Making, IAHS Publication 295, ed. T. Wagener, et al., pp. 37-44.  IAHS Press, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. 
• Zhao Z, LR Leung, and Y Qian. 2005. "Characteristics of Diurnal Variations of Rainfall in China for the Recent Years." Exchanges : newsletter of the Climate Variability and Predictability Programme (CLIVAR) 10(3):24-26. 

2004

• Leung LR, Y Qian, X Bian, WM Washington, J Han, and JO Roads. 2004. "Mid-Century Ensemble Regional Climate Change Scenarios for the Western United States." Climatic Change 62(1-3):75-113. 
• Leung LR, S Zhong, Y Qian, and Y Liu. 2004. "Evaluation of Regional Climate Simulations of the 1998 and 1999 East Asian Summer Monsoon Using the GAME/HUBEX Observational Data." Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan 82(6):1695-1713. 

2003

• Qian Y, LR Leung, SJ Ghan, and F Giorgi. 2003. "Regional Climate Effects of Aerosols Over China: Modeling and Observation." Tellus Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology 55(4):914-934. 
• Giorgi F, X Bi, and Y Qian. 2003. "Indirect vs. Direct Effects of Anthropogenic Sulfate on the Climate of East Asia as Simulated with a Regional Coupled Climate-Chemistry/Aerosol Model." Climatic Change 58(3):345-376. 
• Leung LR, Y Qian, and X Bian. 2003. "Hydroclimate of the Western United States Based on Observations and Regional Climate Simulations of 1981-2000. Part I: Seasonal Statistics." Journal of Climate 16(12):1892-1911. 
• Leung LR, Y Qian, J Han, and JO Roads. 2003. "Intercomparison of Global Reanalyses and Regional Simulations of Cold Season Water Budgets in the Western United States." Journal of Hydrometeorology 4(6):1067-1087. 
• Leung LR, Y Qian, X Bian, and AG Hunt. 2003. "Hydroclimate of the Western United States Based on Observations and Regional Climate Simulations of 1981-2000. Part II: Mesoscale ENSO Anomalies." Journal of Climate 16(12):1912-1928. 
• Leung LR, and Y Qian. 2003. "Changes in Seasonal and Extreme Hydrologic Conditions of the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound in an Ensemble Regional Climate Simulation for the Mid-Century." Canadian Water Resources Journal 28(4):605-631. 
• Leung LR, and Y Qian. 2003. "The Sensitivity of Precipitation and Snowpack Simulations to Model Resolution via Nesting in Regions of Complex Terrain." Journal of Hydrometeorology 4(6):1025-1043. 

2002

• Giorgi F, X Bi, and Y Qian. 2002. "Direct Radiative Forcing and Regional Climatic Effects of Anthropogenic Aerosols Over East Asia: A Regional Coupled Climate-Chemistry/Aerosol Model Study." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 107(D20):art.no.4439. 
• Kaiser DP, and Y Qian. 2002. "Decreasing Trends in Sunshine Duration Over China for 1954-1998: Indication of Increased Haze Pollution?" Geophysical Research Letters 29(21):2042.  doi:10.1029/2002/GL016057
• Leung LR, X Bian, and Y Qian. 2002. "Long-Term Regional Climate Simulations Driven by Two Global Reanalyses and a GCM for the Western United States." In 4th International Scientific Conference on Global Energy and Water Cycle, 13th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations, pp. 65-67.  American Meteorological Society, Boston, MA.