PNNL

Weiming Ma is an atmospheric scientist with extensive expertise in atmospheric dynamics, the polar climate system, and the predictability of climate and weather extremes across various time scales. His research focuses on the mechanisms driving variability in extreme moisture transport events, known as atmospheric rivers (ARs), which play a critical role in regional and global climate systems.

Dr. Ma’s work has provided key insights into the interannual variability of winter ARs in the Northern Hemisphere and the multi-decadal poleward shift of ARs in the Southern Hemisphere. These findings have advanced understanding of the complex factors influencing ARs and their evolving patterns in a changing climate.

As ARs gain recognition for their significant role in accelerating Arctic warming, Dr. Ma’s current research seeks to deepen our understanding of ARs in the Arctic climate system. His ongoing projects focus on unraveling the impacts of ARs on Arctic warming, identifying the drivers behind their long-term trends, tracing their moisture sources, and pinpointing the sources of biases in their representation within climate models. His work contributes to improving climate predictability and fostering sustainable adaptation strategies, ultimately supporting societal resilience to the challenges posed by climate change.

Climate dynamics, polar climate, climate variability, climate predictability, climate and weather extremes

Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, at the University of California, Los Angeles, 2022

MS in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, at the University of California, Los Angeles, 2020

BSc in Atmospheric Sciences, at the University of Washington, 2016

Editor for The AGU Earth and Space Science Open Archive   June 2024 - Present

Outstanding Contribution Award to the DOE RGMA HiLAT-RASM project      2024

Visit Weiming's Google Scholar profile

2025

• Huo Y., H. Wang, M. Veneziani, D. Comeau, R. Osinski, B.R. Hillman, and E.L. Roesler, et al. 2025. "E3SM-Arctic: Regionally Refined Coupled Model for Advanced Understanding of Arctic Systems Interactions." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 17, no. 6:e2024MS004726. PNNL-SA-203932. doi:10.1029/2024MS004726

2024

• Huo Y., H. Wang, J. Lu, Q. Fu, A. Jonko, Y. Lee, and W. Ma, et al. 2024. "Assessing Radiative Feedbacks and their Contribution to the Arctic Amplification Measured by Various Metrics." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 129, no. 21:Art. No. e2024JD040880. PNNL-SA-194815. doi:10.1029/2024JD040880
• Ma W., H. Wang, G. Chen, L. Leung, J. Lu, P.J. Rasch, and Q. Fu, et al. 2024. "The role of interdecadal climate oscillations in driving Arctic atmospheric river trends." Nature Communications 15. PNNL-SA-190165. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-45159-5
• Ma W., H. Wang, G. Chen, Y. Qian, I. Baxter, Y. Huo, and M. Seefeldt. 2024. "Wintertime extreme warming events in the high Arctic: characteristics, drivers, trends, and the role of atmospheric rivers." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, no. 7:4451-4472. PNNL-SA-190012. doi:10.5194/acp-24-4451-2024

2023

• Ding X., G. Chen, and W. Ma. 2023. "Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling of Extreme Stratospheric Wave Activity in CMIP6 Models." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 128, no. 16:Art. No. e2023JD038811. PNNL-SA-192554. doi:10.1029/2023JD038811
• Ma W., G. Chen, B. Guan, C.A. Shields, B. Tian, and E. Yanez. 2023. "Evaluating the Representations of Atmospheric Rivers and Their Associated Precipitation in Reanalyses with Satellite Observations." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 128, no. 22:Art. No. e2023JD038937. PNNL-SA-183183. doi:10.1029/2023JD038937