John C. H. Chiang

Associate Professor
Department of Geography &
Center for Atmospheric Sciences
University of California, Berkeley

547 McCone Hall
University of California
Berkeley CA 94720-4740

 

tel: 510 642 3900

fax: 510 642 3370
jchiang [AT] atmos.berkeley.edu

 

publications

publication slides

cv            

links       

osx tips

 

My research focuses on the dynamics of the large-scale tropical atmosphere, ocean, and land systems and its interactions with the global climate.

An early interest was on the large-scale convective climate of the tropical Atlantic, which possesses a remarkable property of being exquisitely sensitive to change; and in changing, become agents of climate change elsewhere.  It got me to thinking about the larger role the tropics play in the global climate system, in particular the way it responds to, and feeds back on, climate forcing.  This line of questioning has led me to consider ocean-atmosphere interactions in different ocean basins, and the interactions between them; to interactions between the extratropics and tropics, considering processes as far removed as the thermohaline circulation, and building ice sheets.  Past climates motivate much of my research, as it offers valuable clues on the linkages between various climate processes and just how susceptible our climate is to change.  My ultimate goal is to understand how the global climate reorganizes in the face of climate forcings, past and future; while that goal is still in the far distance, all signs point to the tropical climate as key. 

I use a variety of tools in my research, from statistical analysis of climate data, to developing simple models, to using more complex models of the atmosphere and ocean.  My most effective research tool by far, however, is the mug of coffee at the neighborhood café!

 

Courses  [previous semesters]

Fall 2009  

GeogC139 / EPS C181  Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics

MW 9:30a-11a, 575 McCone Hall

Geog 257  Topics in Climatology

T 1-4p, 55A McCone Hall

This semester’s topic: The interhemispheric gradient in tropical climate and climate change.

Course website

 

 

 

Group  [past members] [group photo]

Postdoctoral scholars

Shih-Yu Lee

Ching-Yee Chang

Graduate students

Hyo-Seok Park
Andrew Friedman

Yuwei Liu

 

New stuff

Chiang, J. C. H., and Y. Fang: “Was the North Pacific wintertime climate less stormy during the mid-Holocene?”.  Submitted as a Note to Journal of Climate, Nov 2009.  pdf

Park, H.-S., J. C. H. Chiang, and S.-W. Son: “The role of the Central Asian Mountains on the midwinter suppression of North Pacific storminess”.  Submitted to Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Oct 2009.  pdf

Vizcaino, M, S Rupper, and JCH Chiang: ”Permanent El Niño” and the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciations: mechanism and comparison with other hypotheses.  Revised, Paleoceanography, Sep 2009.  pdf


Last updated 6 November 2009