CO2 Simulation and Inversion

I am particularly interested in using chemistry and transport models to simulate and inverse the possible sources and sinks for the CO2 at surface. CO2 is a very important greenhouse gases, and it can influence the global climate. I have employed different chemistry and transport models (e.g., Caltech/JPL CTM, GEOS-Chem, and MOZART-2) to study atmosphere/biosphere interactions and the carbon cycle. My ongoing research focuses on interpreting satellite observations of CO2 to quantify the atmospheric carbon cycle, including the atmospheric variability of CO2 and the controlling processes.

The ozone recovery is difficult to detect since total column ozone exhibits strong interannual variability (IAV) associated with dynamics and climate change. A primary motivation for studying the IAV of column ozone is to separate the anthropogenic perturbations of the ozone layer from natural variability. The distribution of ozone in the atmosphere is determined by a combination of photochemistry and transport. I have investigated the pattern of observed changes in the ozone layer and their associated climate changes, using statistical methods outlined in some of my papers [Ruzmaikin et al., 2004; 2005; Jiang et al., 2005]. I have carried out the first realistic simulation of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and the beat between QBO and the annual cycle (QBO-AB) signal in column ozone from 1979 to 2002. To investigate the vertical propagations of QBO and QBO-AB signals in ozone, Jiang et al. [2005] used the idealized model and successfully revealed the characteristic pattern of the downward propagation of QBO and upward propagation of QBO-AB. The model results are similar to those exhibited in the data. I propose to use the chemistry and transport model to study the IAV of O3 in the high latitudes, especially the influence of solar variability and the feedback of O3 on radiation and meridional circulation.

I am also interested in exploring the recycling rate of the atmospheric moisture at the global scale between numerical models and observations.

Project Title: Investigate Physical Processes in Global Climate Models Using Atmospheric Infrared Sounder. PI: Xun Jiang. Program contact: Marvin Cruz, Email: marvin.r.cruz@jpl.nasa.gov. Sponsoring Agency: NASA JPL. Period: 10/2008-09/2012.

Project Title: Comparison Between Atmospheric Chemistry Model and Observations for the Second Texas Air Quality Study Period. PI: Xun Jiang, Co-I: Barry Lefer. Program contact: Doreen Neil, Email: Doreen.O.Neil@nasa.gov, Phone: 757-864-8171. Sponsoring Agency: NASA Stennis Space Center. Period: 05/2009-12/2011.

Project Title: Global Change and Air Pollution: Phase 2 Implications. PI: Xun Jiang. Program contact: Daniel Jacob, Email: djacob@fas.harvard.edu, Phone: 617-495-1794. Sponsoring Agency: Harvard University, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) STAR Program. Period: 04/2009-04/2011.

Project Title: Improving the characterization of pollution transported into Texas. PI: Xun Jiang; Co-I: Daniel Jacob, Gregory Osterman, Barry Lefer. Program contact: Jim Smith, Email: Jim.Smith@tceq.texas.gov. Sponsoring Agency: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Period: 05/2010-02/2011.

Project Title: Enhancing the Speed and Quality of CO2 Retrievals From the OCO-2 Mission. Co-I: Xun Jiang; PI: Yuk Yung. Program contact: Kenneth Jucks, Email: Kenneth.w.jucks@nasa.gov. Sponsoring Agency: NASA ROSES 2011 (Science Team for the OCO-2 Mission). Period: 11/2011-10/2014.

Current Graduate Student:

Jingqian Wang ( Homepage )

Harold Justin Trammell

Alumni: Hyun-Cheol Kim (Previous Posdoctoral Fellow; Now at NOAA/ARL)

Job Opportunity

We have research assistant scholarships for graduate students. The interested student will be involved in using CO2 retrievals from satellites (AIRS, TES, GOSAT, and OCO-2) to investigate CO2 variability and inverse CO2 surface sources and sinks. Students with background from related fields (e.g., Applied Mathematics, Physics, Meteorology, Environmental Sciences) are encouraged to apply. Please contact Xun Jiang (xjiang4@mail.uh.edu) for more information.