Ping Chang

Ping Chang

Professor

Louis & Elizabeth Scherck Chair in Oceanography

  ping@tamu.edu

  (979) 845-8196

  Eller O&M 624

Research

Dr. Chang’s expertise is on climate dynamics and climate prediction, as well as global and regional climate modeling. He leads a research group in global and regional climate modeling studies at TAMU and has developed research collaborations with many institutions in the US, Asia and Europe. Dr. Chang’s research involves the understanding of climate variability and predictability, including El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Tropical Atlantic variability (TAV) and Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV). He has published over 164 refereed journal articles (http://scholar.google.com/citations?User=ciw1niuaaaaj&hl=en), with some of his research being used to guide the design of major international research programs, such as the Climate and Ocean-Variability, Predictability and Change (CLIVAR) Research Program (http://www.clivar.org).  He co-chaired the International CLIVAR Atlantic Research Panel (http://www.clivar.org/clivar-panels/atlantic) and was a contributing author to three chapters in the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He is currently the Director of the International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Prediction (iHESP) at Texas A&M University where he and his collaborators have made ground breaking work on climate modeling and prediction.

Selected Publications

1. Yuan, M., Z. Song, Z. Li, Z. Jing, P. Chang, B. Sun, H. Wang and L. Wu. An Improved Parameterization of Wind-driven Turbulent Vertical Mixing Based on an Eddy-Resolving Climate Model, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 13(10), e2021MS002630 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002630.

2021

2. Szunyogh, I., E. Forinash, G. Gyarmati,Y. Jia, P. Chang, and R. Saravanan,  Evaluation of a Coupled Modeling Approach for the Investigation of the Effects of SST Mesoscale Variability on the Atmosphere, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 13(9), e2020MS002412 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002412.

2021

3. Yang, P., Z. Jing, B. Sun, L. Wu, B. Qiu, P. Chang, S. Ramachandran, C. Yuan. On the Upper-Ocean Vertical Eddy Heat Transport in the Kuroshio Extension. Part II: Effects of Air-Sea Interactions, J. Phys. Oceanogr. 51(10), 3297-3312 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-21-0013.1

2021

4. Yeager, S. G., F. Castruccio, P. Chang, G. Danabasoglu, E. Maroon, J. Small, H. Wang, L. Wu, S. Zhang. An Outsized Role for the Labrador Sea in the Multidecadal Variability of the Atlantic Overturning Circulation, Sci. Adv., 7(41), eabh3592 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3592.

2021

5. Fu, D., P. Chang, C. M. Patricola, R. Saravanan and H. E. Beck. Central American mountains inhibit eastern North Pacific tropical cyclone activity, Nat. Commun., 12, 4422 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467- 021-24657-w.

2021

6. Fu, D., R. J. Small, J. Kurian, Y. Liu, B. Kauffman, A. Gopal, S. Ramachandran, Z. Shang, P. Chang, G. Danabasoglu, K. Thayer-Calder, M. Vertenstein, X. Ma, H. Yao, M. Li, Z. Xu, X. Lin, S. Zhang, L. Wu. Introducing the new Regional Community Earth System Model, R-CESM, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 102(9), E1821-E1843 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0024.1

2021

7. Li, D., P. Chang, S. Ramachandran, Z. Jing, Q. Zhang, J. Kurian, A. Gopal, H. Yang. Contribution of the two types of Ekman pumping induced eddy heat flux to the total vertical eddy heat flux, Geophys.  Res. Lett., 48(9), e2021GL092982 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092982.

2021

8. Yeager, S.G., P. Chang, G. Danabasoglu, J. Edwards, N. Rosenbloom, Q. Zhang, D. Fu, X. Liu, F. Castruccio. Bringing the Future into Focus: Benefits and Challenges of High-Resolution Global Climate Change Simulations, Computing in Science & Engineering, 23(3), 34-41 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1109/MCSE.2021.3068244.

2021

9. Liu, X., X. Ma, P. Chang, Y. Jia, D. Fu, G. Xu, L. Wu, R. Saravanan and C. M. Patricola. Ocean Fronts and Eddies Remotely Forcing Atmospheric Rivers and Heavy Precipitation, Nat. Comm., 12, 1268 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21504-w.

2021

10. Kurian, J., P. Li, P. Chang, C.M. Patricola and R.J. Small. Impact of the Benguela Coastal Low-Level Jet on the Southeast Tropical Atlantic SST Bias in a Regional Ocean Model, Clim. Dyn., 56(4), 2773–2800 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05616-5.

2021

11. Yang, H., L. Wu, P. Chang, B. Qiu, Z. Jing, Q. Zhang, Z. Chen. Mesoscale energy balance and air-sea interaction in the Kuroshio Extension low-frequency versus high-frequency variability, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 51(3), 895-910 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0148.1.

2020

12. Yang P., Z. Jing, B. Sun, L. Wu, B. Qiu, P. Chang, S. Ramachandran. On the Upper-Ocean Vertical Eddy Heat Transport in the Kuroshio Extension. Part I: Variability and Dynamics, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 51(1), 229-246 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0068.1.

2020

13. Chang, P., S. Zhang, G. Danabasoglu, S.G. Yeager, H. Fu, H. Wang et al. An unprecedented set of high-resolution earth system simulations for understanding multiscale interactions in climate variability and change. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 12(12), e2020MS002298 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002298.

2020

14. Xu, G., X. Ma, P. Chang, IPART: A Python Package for Image-Processing based Atmospheric River Tracking. Journal of Open Source Software, 5(55), 2407 (2020). https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.02407.

2020

15. Richter, I., P. Chang and X Liu. Impact of Systematic GCM Errors on Prediction Skill as Estimated by Linear Inverse Modeling, J. Climate, 33(23), 10073-10095 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0209.1.

2020

16. Li, M., S. Zhang, L. Wu, X, Lin, P. Chang et al. An Examination of the Predictability of Tropical Cyclone Genesis in High-Resolution Coupled Models with Dynamically Downscaled Coupled Data Assimilation Initialization. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 37, 939-950 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-020- 9220-9.

2020

17. Xu, G., X. Ma, P. Chang, and L. Wang. Image Processing Based Atmospheric River Tracking Method Version 1 (IPART-1), Geoscientific Model Development, 13(10), 4639-4662 (2020). https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13- 4639-2020.

2020

18. Zhang, S., H. Fu, L. Wu, Y. Li, H. Wang et al. Optimizing High-Resolution Community Earth System Model on a Heterogeneous Many-Core Supercomputing Platform (CESM-HR-sw1.0), Geoscientific Model Development, 13(10) 4809-4829 (2020). https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2020-18.

2020

19. Shan, X., Z. Jing, B. Sun, P. Chang, L. Wu, and X. Ma. Influence of the Ocean Mesoscale Eddy- Atmosphere Thermal Feedback on the Upper-Ocean Haline Stratification. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 50(9), 2475-2490 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0193.1.

2020

20. Jing, Z., S. Wang, L. Wu, P. Chang et al. Maintenance of mid-latitude oceanic fronts by mesoscale eddies, Sci. Adv., 6(31), eaba7880 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aba7880.

2020

21. Li, M., S. Zhang, L. Wu, X. Lin, P. Chang et al. A High-Resolution Asia-Pacific Regional Coupled Prediction System with Dynamically Downscaling Coupled Data As-Simulation, Sci. Bull. 65(21), 1849-1858 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2020.07.022.

2020

22. Roberts, M. J., L.C. Jackson, C.D. Roberts. et al. Sensitivity of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation to Model Resolution in CMIP6 HighResMIP Simulations and Implications for Future Change, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 12(8), e2019MS002014 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS002014.

2020

23. Xu, G., X. Ma, P. Chang, L. Wang. A Comparison of Northern Hemisphere Atmospheric Rivers Detected by a New Image-Processing Based Method and Magnitude-Thresholding Based Methods. Atmosphere, 11(6), 628 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11060628.

2020

24. Lu, L., S. Zhang, S. G. Yeager, G. Danabasoglu et al. Impact of Coherent Ocean Stratification on AMOC Reconstruction by Coupled Data Assimilation with  a Biased Model, J. Climate, 33(17), 7319-7334 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0735.1.

2020

25. Shan, X., Z. Jing, B. Gan, L. Wu, P. Chang et al. Surface Heat Flux Induced by Mesoscale Eddies Cools the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension Region, Geophys. Res. Lett. 47, e2019GL086050 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086050.

2020

26. Yang, H., P. Chang, B. Qiu, Q. Zhang and L. Wu et al. Mesoscale air-sea interaction and its role in eddy energy dissipation in the Kuroshio Extension, J. Climate, 32(24), 8659-8676 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI- D-19-0155.1.

2019

27. Verma, T., R. Saravanan, P. Chang and S. Mahajan. Tropical Pacific Ocean Dynamical Response to Short-term Sulfate Aerosol Forcing, J. Climate, 32(23), 8205-8221 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-19- 0050.1.

2019

28. Wang, S., Z. Jing, Q. Zhang, P. Chang, Z. Chen, H. Liu and L. Wu. Ocean Eddy Energetics in the Spectral Space as Revealed by High-Resolution General Circulation Models, J. Phys. Oceanogr. 49(11), 2815-2827 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0034.1.

2019

29. Fu, D., P. Chang, C. M. Patricola, and R. Saravanan. High Resolution Tropical Channel Model Simulations of Tropical Cyclone Climatology and Intraseasonal-to-Interannual Variability, J. Climate, 32(22), 7871-7895 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0130.1.

2019

30. Jia, F., W. Cai, L. Wu, B. Gan, G. Wang, F. Kucharski, P. Chang, and N. Keenlyside. Weakening Atlantic Niño-Pacific connection under greenhouse warming, Science Advances, 5(8), eaax4111 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax4111.

2019

31. Foltz, G.R., P. Brandt, I. Richter, B. Rodriguez-Fonseca et al. The Tropical Atlantic Observing System, Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 206 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00206.

2019

32. Xu, G., P. Chang, X. Ma, and M. Li. Suppression of winter heavy precipitation in Southeastern China by the Kuroshio warm current, Clim. Dyn. 53, 2437-2450 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-019-04873- 3.

2019

33. Jia, Y., P. Chang, I. Szunyogh, R Saravanan and J.T. Bacmeister. A Modeling Strategy for the Investigation of the Effect of Mesoscale SST Variability on Atmospheric Dynamics, Geophys. Res. Lett., 46, 3982-3989 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL081960.

2019

34. Jing, Z., P. Chang, X. Shan, S. Wang, L. Wu and Jaison Kurian. Mesoscale SST Dynamics in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension Region, J. Phys. Oceanogr. 49(5), 1339-1352 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO- D-18-0159.1.

2019

35. Cai, W., L. Wu, M. Lengaigne et al. Pantropical climate interactions, Science, 363(6430), eaav4236 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav4236.

2019

36. Yu, X., S. Zhang, J. Li, L. Lu et al. A Multi-Timescale EnOI-Like High-Efficiency Approximate Filter for Coupled Model Data Assimilation, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 11(1), 45-63 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1029/2018MS001504.

2018

37. Hsu, W.C., C. Patricola and P. Chang. The Impact of Climate Model Sea Surface Temperature Biases on Tropical Cyclone Simulations, Clim. Dyn. 53, 173-192 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018- 4577-5.

2018

38. Yang, H., B. Qiu, P. Chang, L. Wu, S. Wang, Z. Chen. Decadal variability of eddy characteristics and energetics in the Kuroshio Extension, J. Geophys. Res. -Ocean, 123(9), 6653-6669 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014081.

2018

39. Patricola, C. M., S. J. Camargo, P. J. Klotzbach, R. Saravanan, and P. Chang. The Influence of ENSO Flavors on Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Activity, J. Climate, 31(14), 5395-5416 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI- D-17-0678.1.

2018

40. Liu, X., P. Chang, J. Kurian, R. Saravanan and X. Lin. Satellite Observed Precipitation Response to Ocean Mesoscale Eddies, J. Climate, 31(17), 6879-6895 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0668.1.

2018

41. Roberts, M. J., P.L. Vidale, C. Senior et al. The Benefits of Global High Resolution for Climate Simulation: Process Understanding and the Enabling of Stakeholder Decisions at the Regional Scale, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99(11), 2341-2359 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00320.1.

2018

42. Jing, Z., P. Chang, S. DiMarco and L. Wu. Observed Energy Exchange between Low-Frequency Flows and Internal Waves in the Gulf of Mexico, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 48(4), 995-1008 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-17-0263.1.

2018

43. Patricola, C. M., R. Saravanan and P. Chang. The Response of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones to Suppression of African Easterly Waves, Geophys. Res. Lett. 45, 471-479 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076081.

2018

44. Bracco, A., J. Choi, J. Kurian, P. Chang. Vertical and horizontal resolution dependency in the model representation of tracer dispersion along the continental slope in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Ocean Modelling, 122, 13-25 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2017.12.008.

2018

45. Kim, W. M., S. Yeager P. Chang and G. Danabasoglu. Low-Frequency North Atlantic Climate Variability in the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble, J. Climate, 31, 787-813 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0193.1.

2018

46. Dong, D., P. Brandt, P. Chang, F. Schu¨tte, X. Yang, Z. Li. Mesoscale Eddies in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean: Three-Dimensional Eddy Structures and Heat/Salt Transports, J. Geophys. Res.-Ocean, 122, 9795-9813 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JC013303.

2017

47. Schmidt, M.W., P. Chang, A. O. Parker, L. Ji and F. He. Deglacial Tropical Atlantic subsurface warming links ocean circulation variability to the West African Monsoon, Scientific Reports, 7, 15390 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15637-6.

2017

48. Kovilakam, M., S. Mahajan, R. Saravanan, P. Chang. Climate Impacts of CALIPSO-Guided Corrections to Black Carbon Aerosol Vertical Distributions in a Global Climate Model, Geophys. Res. Lett. 44, 10549-10559 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074652.

2017

49. Khade, V., P. Chang, I. Szunyogh, J. Kurian, K. Thyng, R. Montuoro. Oceanic Ensemble Forecasting in the Gulf of Mexico: An application to the case of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, Ocean Modelling, 113, 171-184 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2017.04.004.

2017

50. Fu, D., P. Chang and C. M. Patricola. Intrabasin Variability of East Pacific Tropical Cyclones During ENSO Regulated by Central American Gap Winds, Scientific Reports, 7, 1658 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01962-3.

2017

Education

Ph.D., Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, 1985

M.A., Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, 1984

M.E., Mechanical Engineering, City College of New York, New York, NY, USA, 1983

B.S., Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, East China Engineering Institute, Nanjing, China., 1982

Awards

1993-1998: National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award

1998: College Award for Outstanding Research, Texas A&M University

2000-2002: Faculty Fellow, Texas A&M University

2001: Overseas Outstanding Scholar Foundation Award, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2003: TAMU Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award

2010-Present: Louis & Elizabeth Scherck Chair in Oceanography, Texas A&M University

2011-2014: Recipient of the Short-Term Chinese Thousand Talent Program

2014: Follow of the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo

2014: Followship of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

2015: Francis Bretherton Visitorship of NCAR Climate & Global Dynamics

2019: Fellow of American Meteorological Society

Courses

Numerical Ocean Modeling I (OCNG 615, Credit 4)

Numerical Ocean Modeling II (OCNG 616, Credit 4)

Theories of Ocean Circulation (OCNG 617, Credit 3)

Elements of Ocean Wave Theory (OCNG 612, Credit 3)

Dynamics of the Ocean and Atmosphere (OCNG 614, Credit 3)

Meteorological Oceanography (OCNG 651, Credit 3)

Numerical Methods for Geosciences (ATMO/GEOP/OCNG 618, Credit 3)

Additional Information

Current Research Projects:

  • NSF Convergence Accelerator Track E: Combining Global High-Resolution Climate Simulations with Ocean Biogeochemistry, Fisheries and Decision-Making Models to Improve Sustainable fisheries (PI: P. Chapman, Co-PI: Z. Zhang, SP: P. Chang and others) sponsored by NSF
  • Understanding the relative roles of Atlantic vs. Pacific coupled dynamics in initializing decadal climate predictions (PI: S. Yeager, Co-PI: P. Chang and W. Cheng) sponsored by DOC
  • Assessing the influence of background state and climate variability on tropical cyclones using initialized ensembles and mesh refinement in E3SM (PI: R. Saravanan, Co-PI: P. Chang) sponsored by DOE
  • International Laboratory for High-Resolution Earth System Prediction (iHESP) (PI: P. Chang) sponsored by QNLM and TAMU

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