General Lab Information

Yangang Liu

Research Staff 7 Chemistry, EE Climate Model, Environmental and Climate Sciences Department

Yangang Liu

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Environmental and Climate Sciences Department
Bldg. 490D, Room 3-9
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-3266
lyg@bnl.gov

Scientific interests have been centering on atmospheric particle systems — aerosols, clouds and precipitation — and their interactions with climate and weather. Research covers a wide spectrum of topics, including aerosol/cloud physics, turbulence, light scattering, radiative transfer, remote sensing, and computer modeling. Current research concentrates on 1) development and evaluation of cloud-related parameterizations for models of various scales (from large eddy simulations to cloud-resolving models to numerical weather production models to climate models); 2) effects of anthropogenic aerosols on climate and climate change (direct, semi-indirect and indirect effects); 3) development of particle-resolved direct numerical simulation (DNS) models for studying turbulence-microphysics interactions and entrainment-mixing processes; 4) improving WRF-Solar to advance solar irradiance and wind forecast. Other related interests include 1) addressing atmospheric particle systems in the context of broader multiscale complex systems and big-data science, and 2) seeking applications of machine learning and causality analysis. Research activities integrate theoretical development, modeling, and observations. Developing an entirely new framework of scale-dependent models has been a goal of my research.

Research has resulted in 158 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals like Nature, Nature-Geophysics, and Physical Review Letters, numerous conference presentations, and invited talks. Work has been highlighted by Nature News, American Physical Society, American Institute of Physics, American Geophysical Union, DOE Office of Science, and various news media.

Expertise | Research | Education | Appointments | Publications


Expertise

  • Aerosol/cloud/precipitation physics
  • Fast physics in large scale models
  • Climate and climate change
  • Complex systems

Research Activities

  • Senior Scientist: 2011 to present, Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • Tenured Scientist: 2008 to 2011, Brookhavenn National Laboratory
  • Scientist: 2006 to 2008, Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • Associate Scientist: 2003 - 2006, Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • Assistant Scientist: 2001-2003, Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • Research Associate: 1998-2001, Brookhaven National Labortaory

Education

  • University of Nevada-Reno, Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences
  • Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST), China,  M.S., Atmospheric Sciences
  • NUIST, China, B.S., Atmospheric Sciences

Professional Appointments

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • American Meteorological Society
  • American Geophysical Union

Selected Publications

  • Anwar K, Alam K, Liu Y, et al (2022) Analysis of aerosol cloud interactions with a consistent signal of meteorology and other influencing parameters. Atmospheric Research 275:106241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106241
  • Xu X, Sun C, Lu C, Liu Y, Zhang GJ, Chen Q (2021) Factors Affecting Entrainment Rate in Deep Convective Clouds and Parameterizations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. doi: 10.1029/2021jd034881
  • Quan J, Liu Y, Jia X, Liu L, Dou Y, Xin J, Seinfeld JH (2021) Anthropogenic aerosols prolong fog lifetime in China. Environmental Research Letters 16:044048. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/abef32
  • Pan L, Han Y, Lu Z, Li J, Gao F, Liu Z, Liu W, Liu Y (2021) Integrative investigation of dust emissions by dust storms and dust devils in North Africa. Science of The Total Environment 756:144128. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144128
  • Zhang Z, Song Q, Mechem DB, Larson VE, Wang J, Liu Y, Witte MK, Dong X, Wu P (2021) Vertical dependence of horizontal variation of cloud microphysics: observations from the ACE-ENA field campaign and implications for warm-rain simulation in climate models. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 21:3103–3121. doi: 10.5194/acp-21-3103-2021
  • Xie Y, Sengupta M, Liu Y, Long H, Habte A (2020) Progress on the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB): A new DNI computation. 2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC). doi: 10.1109/pvsc45281.2020.9300994
  • Xie X, Myhre G, Liu X, Li X, Shi Z, Wang H, Kirkevåg A, Lamarque J-F, Shindell D, Takemura T, Liu Y (2020) Distinct responses of Asian summer monsoon to black carbon aerosols and greenhouse gases. doi: 10.5194/acp-2020-483
  • Lu C, Liu Y, Yum SS, Chen J, Zhu L, Gao S, Yin Y, Jia X, Wang Y (2020) Reconciling Contrasting Relationships Between Relative Dispersion and Volume-Mean Radius of Cloud Droplet Size Distributions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. doi: 10.1029/2019jd031868
  • Luo S, Lu C, Liu Y, Bian J, Gao W, Li J, Xu X, Gao S, Yang S, Guo X (2020) Parameterizations of Entrainment-Mixing Mechanisms and Their Effects on Cloud Droplet Spectral Width Based on Numerical Simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. doi: 10.1029/2020jd032972
  • Quan J, Dou Y, Zhao X, Liu Q, Sun Z, Pan Y, Jia X, Cheng Z, Ma P, Su J, Xin J, Liu Y (2020) Regional atmospheric pollutant transport mechanisms over the North China Plain driven by topography and planetary boundary layer processes. Atmospheric Environment 221:117098. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.117098
  • Wang M, Peng Y, Liu Y, Liu Y, Xie X, Guo Z (2020) Understanding Cloud Droplet Spectral Dispersion Effect Using Empirical and Semi-Analytical Parameterizations in NCAR CAM5.3. Earth and Space Science. doi: 10.1029/2020ea001276
  • Xie X, Duan A, Shi Z, Li X, Sun H, Liu X, Cheng X, Zhao T, Che H, Liu Y (2020) Modulation of surface sensible heating over the Tibetan Plateau on the interannual variability of East Asian dust cycle. doi: 10.5194/acp-2019-393
  • Xu X, Lu C, Liu Y, Gao W, Wang Y, Cheng Y, Luo S, Van Weverberg K (2020) Effects of Cloud Liquid-Phase Microphysical Processes in Mixed-Phase Cumuli Over the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. doi: 10.1029/2020jd033371
  • Zhao X, Liu Y, Yu F, Heidinger AK, Saha K (2020) Climatology Perspective of Sensitive Regimes and Active Regions of Aerosol Indirect Effect for Cirrus Clouds over the Global Oceans. Remote Sensing 12:823. doi: 10.3390/rs12050823
  • Jia H, Ma X, Liu Y (2019) Exploring aerosol–cloud interaction using VOCALS-REx aircraft measurements. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 19:7955–7971. doi: 10.5194/acp-19-7955-2019
  • Jia X, Liu Y, Ding D, Ma X, Chen Y, Bi K, Tian P, Lu C, Quan J (2019) Combining disdrometer, microscopic photography, and cloud radar to study distributions of hydrometeor types, size and fall velocity. Atmospheric Research 228:176–185. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2019.05.025
  • Jia H, Ma X, Yu F, Liu Y, Yin Y (2019) Distinct Impacts of Increased Aerosols on Cloud Droplet Number Concentration of Stratus/Stratocumulus and Cumulus. Geophysical Research Letters 46:13517–13525. doi: 10.1029/2019gl085081
  • Liu Q, Quan J, Jia X, Sun Z, Li X, Gao Y, Liu Y (2019) Vertical Profiles of Aerosol Composition over Beijing, China: Analysis of In Situ Aircraft Measurements. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 76:231–245. doi: 10.1175/jas-d-18-0157.1
  • Liu Y (2019) Introduction to the Special Section on Fast Physics in Climate Models: Parameterization, Evaluation, and Observation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 124:8631–8644. doi: 10.1029/2019jd030422
  • Wang Y, Niu S, Lu C, Liu Y, Chen J, Yang W (2019) An Observational Study on Cloud Spectral Width in North China. Atmosphere 10:109. doi: 10.3390/atmos10030109
  • Chen J, Liu Y, Zhang M, Peng Y (2018) Height Dependency of Aerosol-Cloud Interaction Regimes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 123:491–506. doi: 10.1002/2017jd027431
  • Gao Z, Liu Y, Li X, Lu C (2018) Investigation of Turbulent Entrainment-Mixing Processes With a New Particle-Resolved Direct Numerical Simulation Model. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 123:2194–2214. doi: 10.1002/2017jd027507
  • Guo X, Lu C, Zhao T, Liu Y, Zhang GJ, Luo S (2018) Observational study of the relationship between entrainment rate and relative dispersion in deep convective clouds. Atmospheric Research 199:186–192. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.09.013
  • Jia X, Quan J, Zheng Z, Liu X, Liu Q, He H, Liu Y (2019) Impacts of Anthropogenic Aerosols on Fog in North China Plain. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 124:252–265. doi: 10.1029/2018jd029437
  • Liu Q, Jia X, Quan J, Li J, Li X, Wu Y, Chen D, Wang Z, Liu Y (2018) New positive feedback mechanism between boundary layer meteorology and secondary aerosol formation during severe haze events. Scientific Reports. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-24366-3
  • Liu W, Han Y, Li J, Tian X, Liu Y (2018) Factors affecting relative humidity and its relationship with the long-term variation of fog-haze events in the Yangtze River Delta. Atmospheric Environment 193:242–250. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.09.015
  • Lu C, Liu Y, Zhu B, Yum SS, Krueger SK, Qiu Y, Niu S, Luo S (2018) On Which Microphysical Time Scales to Use in Studies of Entrainment-Mixing Mechanisms in Clouds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 123:3740–3756. doi: 10.1002/2017jd027985
  • Lu C, Sun C, Liu Y, Zhang GJ, Lin Y, Gao W, Niu S, Yin Y, Qiu Y, Jin L (2018) Observational Relationship Between Entrainment Rate and Environmental Relative Humidity and Implications for Convection Parameterization. Geophysical Research Letters. doi: 10.1029/2018gl080264
  • Van Weverberg K, Morcrette CJ, Petch J, Klein SA, Ma H -Y., Zhang C, Xie S, Tang Q, Gustafson WI, Qian Y, Berg LK, Liu Y, Huang M, Ahlgrimm M, Forbes R, Bazile E, Roehrig R, Cole J, Merryfield W, Lee W -S., Cheruy F, Mellul L, Wang Y -C., Johnson K, Thieman MM (2018) CAUSES: Attribution of Surface Radiation Biases in NWP and Climate Models near the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 123:3612–3644. doi: 10.1002/2017jd027188
  • Wang Y, Vogel JM, Lin Y, Pan B, Hu J, Liu Y, Dong X, Jiang JH, Yung YL, Zhang R (2018) Aerosol microphysical and radiative effects on continental cloud ensembles. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences 35:234–247. doi: 10.1007/s00376-017-7091-5
  • Xie X, Liu X, Che H, Xie X, Li X, Shi Z, Wang H, Zhao T, Liu Y (2018) Radiative feedbacks of dust in snow over eastern Asia in CAM4-BAM. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 18:12683–12698. doi: 10.5194/acp-18-12683-2018
  • Liu W, Liu Y, Zhou X, Xie Y, Han Y, Yoo S, Sengupta M (2021) Use of physics to improve solar forecast: Physics-informed persistence models for simultaneously forecasting GHI, DNI, and DHI. Solar Energy 215:252–265. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2020.12.045
  • Xie X, Liu X, Che H, Xie X, Wang H, Li J, Shi Z, Liu Y (2018) Modeling East Asian Dust and Its Radiative Feedbacks in CAM4-BAM. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 123:1079–1096. doi: 10.1002/2017jd027343
  • Xie X, Zhang H, Liu X, Peng Y, Liu Y (2018) Role of microphysical parameterizations with droplet relative dispersion in IAP AGCM 4.1. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences 35:248–259. doi: 10.1007/s00376-017-7083-5
  • Zhao X, Liu Y, Yu F, Heidinger AK (2018) Using Long-Term Satellite Observations to Identify Sensitive Regimes and Active Regions of Aerosol Indirect Effects for Liquid Clouds Over Global Oceans. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 123:457–472. doi: 10.1002/2017jd027187
  • Gao S, Lu C, Liu Y, Yum SS, Zhu J, Zhu L, Desai N, Ma Y, Wu S (2021) Comprehensive quantification of height dependence of entrainment mixing between stratiform cloud top and environment. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 21:11225–11241. doi: 10.5194/acp-21-11225-2021
  • Luo S, Lu C, Liu Y, Gao W, Zhu L, Xu X, Li J, Guo X (2021) Consideration of Initial Cloud Droplet Size Distribution Shapes in Quantifying Different Entrainment-Mixing Mechanisms. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. doi: 10.1029/2020jd034455
  • Zhu L, Lu C, Yan S, Liu Y, Zhang GJ, Mei F, Zhu B, Fast JD, Matthews A, Pekour MS (2021) A New Approach for Simultaneous Estimation of Entrainment and Detrainment Rates in Non-Precipitating Shallow Cumulus. Geophysical Research Letters. doi: 10.1029/2021gl093817
  • Dou Y, Quan J, Jia X, Wang Q, Liu Y (2021) Near-Surface Warming Reduces Dew Frequency in China. Geophysical Research Letters. doi: 10.1029/2020gl091923
  • Desai N, Liu Y, Glienke S, Shaw RA, Lu C, Wang J, Gao S (2021) Vertical Variation of Turbulent Entrainment Mixing Processes in Marine Stratocumulus Clouds Using High-Resolution Digital Holography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. doi: 10.1029/2020jd033527
  • Zhang Z, Song Q, Mechem DB, Larson VE, Wang J, Liu Y, Witte MK, Dong X, Wu P (2021) Vertical dependence of horizontal variation of cloud microphysics: observations from the ACE-ENA field campaign and implications for warm-rain simulation in climate models. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 21:3103–3121. doi: 10.5194/acp-21-3103-2021
Yangang Liu

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Environmental and Climate Sciences Department
Bldg. 490D, Room 3-9
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-3266
lyg@bnl.gov

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