Earth Scientist II
Earth Scientist II

Biography

Ziming Chen is an Earth Scientist in the Atmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, working with Prof. L. Ruby Leung. His research includes Earth system changes, global response and atmospheric predictability across timescales in physics-based and AI/ML-based models. His research has been published in Nature, Nature Communications, AGU Advances, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, Earth’s Future, Geophysical Research Letters, Environmental Research Letters, Journal of Climate and many major journals.

Personal Website

Research Interests

  • Earth System Changes & Observational Constraint 
  • S2S Predictability & Global Responses in AI/ML-based Models
  • Stationary Waves & Global Monsoon
  • Machine Learning & Hierarchical Modeling

Disciplines and Skills

  • Numerically Idealized Modeling: Design idealized numerical experiments by prescribing a zonally asymmetric basic state and forcing to quantify the contribution of regional heating to heat-dome stationary waves over the North America
  • E3SM and NeuralGCM: 
    • Conduct future projection simulation under high-emission scenario using E3SM-2-0
    • Design idealized warming experiments using NeuralGCM
  • ML-based high-resolution modelling and downscaling:
    • Design and train convective-permitted ML-based model with high resolution (3 km)

Combining Dynamical Model with Machine Learning

Education

  • Post Doctorate RA B, Project Manager: Prof. Ruby Leung, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Meteorology (Ph.D.), Supervisor: Prof. Tianjun Zhou - Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China P. R.
  • Marine Science (B.S) - Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China P. R.

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • American Geophysical Union
  • American Meteorological Society
  • Reviewer for National Science Foundation (NSF) Proposal
  • Reviewer for peer-reviewed journals: npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, Geophysical Research Letters, Atmospheric Research, Journal of Climate, Climate Dynamics, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Awards and Recognitions

  • “BESTie” Award for the creativity and pioneering work employing AI-based weather & climate models to advance our understanding of extreme events and PNNL’s mission, Earth & Biological Sciences Directorate (EBSD), PNNL, Dec 2025
  • Outstanding Doctoral Thesis of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2023
  • Special Prize of President Scholarship in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2022

Publications

See my Google Scholar for more.

2026

  • Chen Z., L. R. Leung, W. Zhou, J. Lu, S. W. Lubis, Y. Liu, C. C. Chang, B. E. Harrop, Y. Wang, M. Yang, G. Zhang, & Y. Qian (2026). Hierarchical Testing of a Hybrid Machine Learning-Physics Global Atmosphere Model. AGU Advances, 7(1):1–20. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025AV002075
  • Huang, H., Adebiyi, A. A., Liu, Y., Chen, Z., Kibria, M., Wu, M., et al. (2026). Spring dust in Colorado Plateau: Transport pathways and interannual variability derived from two decades of MERRA‐2 reanalysis. Geophysical Research Letters, 53, e2025GL119096. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL119096
  • Zhou W., L. R. Leung, B. E. Harrop, Z. Chen, C. C. Chang: Distinct land relative humidity trends in observations, reanalyses, and models explained by a theoretical wetness index. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (In Press)

Key Publications

  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, L. Zhang, X. Chen, W. Zhang, and J. Jiang, 2020: Global Land Monsoon Precipitation Changes in CMIP6 Projections. Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086902. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)
  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, W. Zhang, P. Li, and S. Zhao, 2020: Projected Changes in the Annual Range of Precipitation Under Stabilized 1.5°C and 2.0°C Warming Futures. Earth’s Future., 8, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EF001435.
  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, X. Chen, W. Zhang, L. Zhang, M. Wu, and L. Zou, 2022: Observationally constrained projection of Afro-Asian monsoon precipitation. Nature Communications, 13, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30106-z. (Featured Papers by Nature Communications)
  • Chen, Z., J. Lu, C.C. Change, S. W. Lubis, and L. R. Leung, 2023: Projected increase in summer heat-dome-like stationary waves over Northwestern North America. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 6, 194, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00511-2.
  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, X. Chen, W. Zhang, M. Zuo, W. Man, and Y. Qian, 2023: Emergent Constrained Projections of Mean and Extreme Warming in China. Geophys. Res. Lett., 50, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL102124. (Highlighted by AGU)
  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, X. Chen, L. Zhang, Y. Qian, Z. Wang, L. He, and L. R. Leung, 2024: Understanding the biases in global monsoon simulations from the perspective of atmospheric energy transport. J. Clim., 4647–4666, https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-23-0444.1. 
  • Lubis, S. W., Z. Chen, J. Lu, S. Hagos, and C. Chang, 2024: Enhanced Pacific Northwest Heat Extremes and Wildfire Risks Induced by the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation. npj Clim. Atmos. Sci., 7, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00766-3. 
  • Jiang, J., T. Zhou, Y. Qian, L. Chao, F. Song, H. Li, X. Chen, W. Zhang, & Z. Chen, 2023: Precipitation regime changes in High Mountain Asia driven by cleaner air. Nature, 623, 544–549. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06619-y. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)

See my Google Scholar for more: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=eJ_cSTgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra

2025

  • Chang, C., M. Zhao, S. Lubis, Z. Chen, K. Balaguru, S. Hagos, L. Leung, W. Zhou:  Are North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Modulated by the Madden-Julian Oscillation in HighResMIP AGCMs? J. Clim. (Accepted)
  • Gu C., Y. Luo, F. Liu, J. Lu, and Z. Chen. 2025. "Increased Asian Aerosols Contribute to Historical Climate Change in Antarctica." Geophysical Research Letters 52, no. 13:e2025GL114888. PNNL-SA-209155. doi:10.1029/2025GL114888

2024

  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, X. Chen, L. Zhang, Y. Qian, Z. Wang, L. He, and L. R. Leung, 2024: Understanding the biases in global monsoon simulations from the perspective of atmospheric energy transport. J. Clim., 4647–4666, https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-23-0444.1. 
  • Lubis, S. W., Z. Chen, J. Lu, S. Hagos, and C. Chang, 2024: Enhanced Pacific Northwest Heat Extremes and Wildfire Risks Induced by the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation. npj Clim. Atmos. Sci., 7, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00766-3. 
  • Akinsanola, A. A., Z. Chen, G. J. Kooperman, and V. Bobde, 2024: Robust future intensification of winter precipitation over the United States. npj Clim. Atmos. Sci., 7, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00761-8.
  • Tang, L., R. Lu, Z. Lin, J. Lu, and Z. Chen, 2024: Concurrent inter-¬model spread of boreal winter westerly jet meridional positions between the Northern and Southern hemispheres in CMIP6 models. Int. J. Climatol., 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8647. 

2023

  • Chen, Z., J. Lu, C.C. Change, S. W. Lubis, and L. R. Leung, 2023: Projected increase in summer heat-dome-like stationary waves over Northwestern North America. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00511-2. (In press)
  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, X. Chen, W. Zhang, M. Zuo, W. Man, and Y. Qian, 2023: Emergent Constrained Projections of Mean and Extreme Warming in China. Geophys. Res. Lett., 50, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL102124.
  • Jiang, J., T. Zhou, Y. Qian, L. Chao, F. Song, H. Li, X. Chen, W. Zhang, & Z. Chen, 2023: Precipitation regime changes in High Mountain Asia driven by cleaner air. Nature, 623, 544–549. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06619-y.
  • Huang, X., T. Zhou, J. C. L. Chan, R. Zhan, Z. Chen, and J. Zhao, 2023: Understanding uncertainties in projections of western North Pacific tropical cyclogenesis. Environ. Res. Lett., 18, 4037, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad02ad.

2022

  • Chen, Z., T. Zhou, X. Chen, W. Zhang, L. Zhang, M. Wu, and L. Zou, 2022: Observationally constrained projection of Afro-Asian monsoon precipitation. Nature Communications, 13, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30106-z.

2021

  • Zhang, L., Z. Chen, and T. Zhou, 2021: Human Influence on the Increasing Drought Risk Over Southeast Asian Monsoon Region. Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093777.
  • Zhou, T., Z. Chen, X. Chen, et al., 2021: Interpreting IPCC AR6: future global climate based on projection under scenarios and on near-term information. Climate Change Research, 2021, 17 (6): 652-663, https://doi.org/10.12006/j.issn.1673-1719.