Zhongjing Jiang

姜中景 Zhongjing Jiang

Research Scientist

About Me

Hello! My name is Zhongjing Jiang (姜中景). I am a research scientist at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Currently, as a staff member of Agroecoystem Sustainability Center (ASC), I work closely with Prof. Kaiyu Guan ’s group and CABBI colleagues, and my research focuses on ecosystem modeling and bioenergy systems. I also serve on the Editorial Board of Communications Earth & Environment (CEE), a journal in the Nature Portfolio.

More broadly, my research focuses on Earth system modeling and uncertainty quantification, with an emphasis on ocean–atmosphere–land interactions and carbon–water–energy coupling. Drawing on a diverse academic background spanning mathematics, atmospheric science, and environmental studies, my work bridges the atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial components of the Earth system. I identify myself as an interdisciplinary Earth system scientist and am always excited to engage in discussions on atmospheric science, climate change, energy, and sustainability.

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Interests

Earth System Modeling
Ocean-atmosphere-land interactions
Model Data Integration
Uncertainty Quantification, Bayesian Inference
Agricultural Ecosystem Modeling
Miscanthus, Bioenergy
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Air Quality
Climate Change

Education

Ph.D. in Atmospheric Physics and Atmospheric Environment

Peking University
B.S. in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics

Beijing Normal University

📚 My Research

My research focuses on addressing the complex challenges posed by climate change, with an emphasis on Earth System Modeling, ocean-atmosphere-land interactions, and Uncertainty Quantification (UQ). Drawing on my academic background in applied mathematics and atmospheric science, I am dedicated to advancing our understanding of the intricate relationships within the Earth’s climate system as well as finding sustainable solutions to the world.

Prior to joining UIUC, I was a postdoctoral researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where I worked across the Environmental Science and Technologies Department and the Computing and Data Sciences. This experience strengthened my interdisciplinary perspective at the interface of climate science, applied mathematics, and computational methodologies.

I envision my research contributing to both scientific understanding and practical solutions to pressing climate and environmental challenges. My focus lies particularly in air quality, climate variability, terrestrial ecosystems, and improving climate model predictability. By leveraging my interdisciplinary expertise, I aim to unravel the complexities of Earth system and climate modeling, offering insights that enhance scientific knowledge and inform nature-based solutions for mitigating global climate challenges.

Publications

Link to my Google Scholar page

Preprint:

Zhu, F., Torbunov, D., Ren, Y., Jiang, Z., Zhao, T., Yogarathnam, A., and Yue, M.: Mitigating Parameter Degeneracy using Joint Conditional Diffusion Model for WECC Composite Load Model in Power Systems, 2024.

Peer-reviewed publications:

Jiang, Z., Isenberg, N. M., Subba, T., Woo, H.-M., Serbin, S. P., Urban, N. M., and Kuang, C.: A Framework for Parametric and Predictive Uncertainty Quantification in the E3SM Land Model: Assessing Site and Observable Generalizability, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 18, e2025MS005562, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1029/2025MS005562, 2026.
Jiang, Z., Li, J., Liu, G., and Zhang, C.: Impact of the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode on Planetary Boundary Layer Ozone in China, Geophys Res Lett, 51, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110108, 2024.
Ye, X., Zhang, L., Wang, X., Lu, X., Jiang, Z., Lu, N., Li, D., and Xu, J.: Spatial and temporal variations of surface background ozone in China analyzed with the grid-stretching capability of GEOS-Chem High Performance, Science of the Total Environment, 914, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169909, 2024.
Ying, T., Li, J., Jiang, Z., Liu, G., Zhang, Z., Zhang, L., Dong, Y., and Zhao, C.: Increased aerosol scattering contributes to the recent monsoon rainfall decrease over the Gangetic Plain, Sci. Bull., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2023.08.052, 2023.
Dong, Y., Li, J., Yan, X., Li, C., Jiang, Z., Xiong, C., Chang, L., Zhang, L., Ying, T., and Zhang, Z.: Retrieval of aerosol single scattering albedo using joint satellite and surface visibility measurements, Remote Sens. Environ., 294, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2023.113654, 2023.
Zhang, C., Jiang, Z., Liu, M., Dong, Y., and Li, J.: Relationship between summer time near-surface ozone concentration and planetary boundary layer height in Beijing, Atmos. Res., 293, 106892, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.106892, 2023.
Liu, G., Li, J., Jiang, Z., and Li, X.: Impact of Sea Surface Temperature Variability at Different Ocean Basins on Dust Activities in the Gobi Desert and North China, Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099821, 2022.
Zhang, L., Li, J., Jiang, Z., Dong, Y., Ying, T. and Zhang, Z.: Clear-Sky Direct Aerosol Radiative Forcing Uncertainty Associated with Aerosol Optical Properties Based on CMIP6 models, J. Clim., 35(10), 3007–3019, https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-21-0479.1, 2022a.
Zhang, L., Li, J., Jiang, Z., Dong, Y., Ying, T. and Zhang, Z.: Clear-Sky Direct Aerosol Radiative Forcing Uncertainty Associated with Aerosol Vertical Distribution Based on CMIP6 models, J. Clim., 35(10), 3021–3035, https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-21-0480.1, 2022b.
Jiang, Z. and Li, J.: Impact of eastern and central Pacific El Niño on lower tropospheric ozone in China, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 7273–7285, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7273-2022, 2022.
Jiang, Z., Li, J., Lu, X., Gong, C., Zhang, L., and Liao, H.: Impact of western Pacific subtropical high on ozone pollution over eastern China, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2601–2613, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2601-2021, 2021.
Jiang, Z., Jolleys, M. D., Fu, T.-M., Palmer, P. I., Ma, Y., Tian, H., Li, J., and Yang, X.: Spatiotemporal and probability variations of surface PM2.5 over China between 2013 and 2019 and the associated changes in health risks: An integrative observation and model analysis, Sci. Total Environ., 723, 137896, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137896, 2020.
Dong, Y., Li, J., Guo, J., Jiang, Z., Chu, Y., Chang, L., Yang, Y., and Liao, H.: The impact of synoptic patterns on summertime ozone pollution in the North China Plain, Sci. Total Environ., 735, 139559, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139559, 2020.
Xu, X., Jiang, Z., Li, J., Chu, Y., Tan, W., and Li, C.: Impacts of meteorology and emission control on the abnormally low particulate matter concentration observed during the winter of 2017, Atmos. Environ., 225, 117377, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117377, 2020.