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Shang-Ping Xie
Distinguished professor of climate science
Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California San Diego
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Research Interest:
My research centers on ocean-atmosphere interactions and their role in climate formation, variability, and change. The ocean's importance for climate is evident from the facts that most of solar radiation absorption occurs at the Earth surface and that the ocean occupies seventy percent of the Earth surface. Examples of ocean-atmosphere interaction effects are abundant, including the spontaneous generation of El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the northward-displaced tropical rain band called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic. My research contributes to answering such fundamental questions as what determines the spatial distributions of climate, why it varies in time, how preferred patterns of climate variability form, and how predictable climate is.
I carry out both diagnostic and modeling studies, using observations and numerical models of the ocean, atmosphere, and their coupled system. Geographically, my work covers all three major oceans of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian, and monsoons of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our research has led to the formulation of wind-evaporation-sea surface temperature (WES) feedback mechanism and the Indian Ocean capacitor effect, the "warmer-get-wetter" idea for rainfall change in global warming, and the discovery of what Science magazine called the longest island wake of the world. The WES feedback is important for the northward displacement of the ITCZ and the tropical meridional mode. For more information, please see a narrative overview.
Research highlights:
Regional patterns of global warming,
Dynamics of Meiyu-Baiu rainband,
Mysterious summer rains in East Asia, and more
Xie, S.-P., 2023: Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics: From El Niño to Climate Change. Elsevier, 424 pages
New Publications
- Brizuela, N.G., M.H. Alford, S.-P. Xie, J. Sprintall, G. Voet, S.J. Warner, K. Hughes, and J.N. Moum, 2023: Prolonged thermocline warming by near-inertial internal waves in the wakes of tropical cyclones. PNAS, 120, e2301664120. [Link to paper]
- Hu, S., S.-P. Xie, and S.M. Kang, 2022: Global warming pattern formation: the role of ocean heat uptake. J. Climate, 35, 1885-1899. [Link to paper]
- Luongo, M.T., S.-P. Xie, and I. Eisenman, 2022: Buoyancy forcing dominates the cross-equatorial ocean heat transport response to northern hemisphere extratropical cooling. J. Climate, 35, 3071-3090. [Link to paper]
- Kang, S.M., S.-P. Xie, C. Deser, and B. Xiang, 2021: Zonal mean and shift modes of historical climate response to evolving aerosol distribution. Sci. Bull., 66, 2405-2411. [Link to paper]
- Shi, J., L.D. Tally, S.-P. Xie, Q. Peng, and W. Liu, 2021: Ocean warming and accelerating Southern Ocean zonal flow. Nature Clim. Change, 11, 1090-1097. [Link to paper], [News & Views], [magazine cover]
- Wang, X., S.-P. Xie, Z. Guan, and M. Wang, 2021: A common base mode of Asian summer monsoon variability across timescales. J. Climate, 34, 7359-7371. [Link to paper]
- Zhou, Z.-Q., S.-P. Xie, and R. Zhang, 2021: Historic Yangtze flooding of 2020 tied to extreme Indian Ocean conditions. PNAS, 118, e2022255118. [Link to paper], [Journal highlight]
- Peng, Q., S.-P. Xie, D. Wang, X.-T. Zheng, and H. Zhang, 2019: Coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics of the 2017 extreme coastal El Nino. Nature Commun., 10, 298, doi:10.1038/s41467-018-08258-8.
Selected Publications
- Xie, S.-P., Y. Kosaka, and Y.M. Okumura, 2016: Distinct energy budgets for anthropogenic and natural changes during global warming hiatus. Nature Geosci., 9, 29-33, doi: 10.1038/NGEO2581. Link to paper
- Kosaka, Y., and S.-P. Xie, 2016: The tropical Pacific as a key pacemaker of the variable rates of global
warming. Nature Geosci., 9, 669-673, doi: 10.1038/NGEO2770. Link to paper
- Mei, W., and S.-P. Xie, 2016: Intensification of landfalling typhoons over the Northwest Pacific since t
he late 1970s. Nature Geosci., 9, 753-757, doi: 10.1038/NGEO2792. Link to paper; magazine cover
- Zhou, Z.-Q., S.-P. Xie, X.-T. Zheng, Q. Liu, and H. Wang, 2014: Global warming-induced changes in El Nino teleconnections over the North Pacific and North America. J. Climate, 27, 9050-9064, doi: 10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00254.1. [pdf]
- Kosaka, Y., and S.-P. Xie, 2013: Recent global-warming hiatus tied to equatorial Pacific surface cooling. Nature, 501, 403-407, published online 28 August 2013, doi:10.1038/nature12534. [abstract]; [editorial] & [commentary] in Nature; [news in Science]
- Li, J., S.-P. Xie, E. Cook, M. Morales, D. Christie, N. Johnson, F. Chen, R. D'Arrigo, A. Fowler, X. Gou, and K. Fang, 2013: El Nino mdulations over the past seven centuries. Nature Clim. Change, 3, 822-826, doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE1936. [abstract]
- Xie, S.-P., C. Deser, G.A. Vecchi, J. Ma, H. Teng, and A.T. Wittenberg, 2010: Global warming pattern formation: Sea surface temperature and rainfall. J. Climate, 23, 966-986. [pdf] or [Read a commentary in Nature Geoscience]
- Xie, S.-P., K. Hu, J. Hafner, H. Tokinaga, Y. Du, G. Huang, and T. Sampe, 2009: Indian Ocean capacitor effect on Indo-western Pacific climate during the summer following El Nino. J. Climate, 22, 730-747. [pdf]
Review Articles
- Meehl, G.A., J.H. Richter, H. Teng, ..., and S.-P. Xie 2021: Initialized Earth System prediction from subseasonal to decadal timescales. Nature Rev. Earth Environ., 2, 340-357. [Link to paper]
- Xie, S.-P., 2020: Ocean warming pattern effect on global and regional climate change. AGU Adv., 1, e2019AV00013. doi: 10.1029/2019AV000130. Editor's choice
- Johnson, N. D.A. Amaya, Q. Ding, Y. Kosaka, H. Tokinaga, and S.-P. Xie, 2020: Multidecadal modulations of key metrics of global climate change. Global Planet. Change, 188, 103149. Link to paper
- Xie, S.-P., and Y. Kosaka, 2017: What caused the global surface warming hiatus of 1998-2013? Current Climate Change Reports, 3, 128-140, doi: 10.1007/s40641-017-0063-0. Link to paper
- Xie, S.-P., Y. Kosaka, Y. Du, K. Hu, J. Chowdary, and G. Huang, 2016: Indo-western Pacific ocean capacitor and coherent climate anomalies in post-ENSO summer: A review. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 33, 411-432, doi:10.1007/s00376-015-5192-6. Link to paper; highlight by Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Xie, S.-P., C. Deser, G.A. Vecchi, M. Collins, T. L. Delworth, A. Hall, E. Hawkins, N. C. Johnson, C. Cassou, A. Giannini, and M. Watanabe, 2015: Towards predictive understanding of regional climate change. Nature Clim. Change, 5, 921-930, doi:10.1038/nclimate2689. Link to paper; magazine cover; Highlights by CLIVAR, and NOAA/CPO
- Chelton, D.B., and S.-P. Xie, 2010: Coupled ocean-atmosphere interaction at oceanic mesoscales. Oceanogr., 23, 52-69. [pdf]
- Deser, C., M. A. Alexander, S.-P. Xie and A. S. Phillips, 2010: Sea surface temperature variability: Patterns and mechanisms. Ann. Rev. Marine Sci., 2, 115-143, doi:10.1146/annurev-marine-120408-151453. [Full article]
- Schott, F.A., S.-P. Xie, and J.P. McCreary, 2009: Indian Ocean circulation and climate variability. Rev. Geophys., 47, RG1002, doi:10.1029/2007RG000245. [pdf]
- Xie, S.-P., 2004: Satellite observations of cool ocean-atmosphere interaction. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 85, 195-208. [Download] >>> BAMS cover
- Xie, S.-P., 2004: The shape of continents, air-sea interaction, and the rising branch of the Hadley circulation. In The Hadley Circulation: Past, Present and Future, H. F. Diaz and R. S. Bradley (eds.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 121-152. [pdf]
- Xie, S.-P. and J.A. Carton, 2004: Tropical Atlantic variability: Patterns, mechanisms, and impacts. In Earth Climate: The Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction, C. Wang, S.-P. Xie and J.A. Carton (eds.), Geophysical Monograph, 147, AGU, Washington D.C., 121-142. [pdf]
Editorials and Commentaries
- Xie, S.-P., 2016: Leading the hiatus research surge. Nature Climate Change, 6, 345-246, doi:10.1038/nclimate2973. Link to paper, commissioned for the NCC's fifth anniversary.
- Xie, S.-P., 2013: Unequal equinoxes. Nature, 500, 33-34, doi:10.1038/nature12456. Link to paper
- Xie, S.-P., A. Kubokawa, F. Kobashi, and H. Mistudera, 2012: New developments in mode-water research: An introduction. J. Oceanogr., 68, 1-3. [pdf]
Professional experience
Professor and leader of Indo-Pacific Climate Theme, Internal Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii, 2002-2012
Associate professor and leader of Indo-Pacific Climate Theme, Internal Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii, 1999-2002
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Japan, 1994-1999
Research Associate, JISAO, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1993-1994
Visiting Scientist, AOS Program, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 1991-1993
Education
D.Sc., Tohoku University, Japan, 1991
M.Sc., Tohoku University, Japan, 1988
Dalian College of Foreign Languages, China, 1984-85
B.Sc., Shandong College of Oceanography, China, 1984
Honors
China Ministry of Education Oversea Scholarship, 1985-1986
Japan Ministry of Education (Monbusho) Scholarship, 1986-1991
The Yamamoto-Shyono Medal for the 1994 Tellus paper on coupled ocean-atmospheric modeling of the Pacific ITCZ, Meteorological Society of Japan, 1996
The Society Medal for contributions to understanding air-sea interaction and its role in climate formation and variability, Meteorological Society of Japan, 2002
Roger Rvelle Chair, 2012-; Distingguished Professor, 2019-, UCSD
National Science Foundation Special Creativity Award, 2013
ESI Highly Cited Researcher based on Web of Science, 2014, 2016-2024
Elected fellow, American Geophysical Union, 2016
Elected fellow, American Meteorological Society, 2017
Sverdrup Gold Medal, American Meteorological Society, 2017
Distinguished Lecture (Atmospheric Sciences), Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, 2017
Distinguished Lecture (Ocean Sciences), Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, 2020
Elected fellow, California Academy of Sciences, 2021
The Society Medal for research on large-scale ocean-atmosphere interaction and its role in climate formation, variability and change, Oceanographic Society of Japan, 2023
The Fujiwara Medal for "advancing mechanistic understanding of climate variability and change, promoting international collaborations and mentoring next-generation climate dynamists", Meteorological Society of Japan, 2023
Professional Service
Lead author, United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC and Al Gore won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize) Fifth Assessment Report (Summary for Policy Makers, Technical Summary & Chapter 14), 2010-2013; invited IPCC plenary participant, Stockholm, September 2013
Member, Overall Planning Committee, AMS 2023 Annual Meeting, 2021-2023
Member, UCAR President's Advisory Committee on University Relations, 2016-2022
Co-chair, NCAR CESM Climate Variability and Change Working Group, 2013-2021
Member, International CLIVAR Climate Dynamics Panel, 2015-2020
Councilor, the Oceanographical Society of Japan, 2007-2014
Member, US CLIVAR - OCB Working Group on "Oceanic Carbon Uptake in the CMIP5 Models", 2012-2014
Member, AGU Roger Revelle Medal Committee, 2010-2012
Member, NOAA Climate Prediction Program for the Americas (CPPA) Science Panel, 2006-2008
Member, US CLIVAR Process Studies and Model Improvement Panel, 2005-07
Member, US CLIVAR Pan American Implementation Panel, 2000-2004
Member, PIRATA Scientific Steering Committee, 2001-
Contributing author, United Nations Intergovenmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Third Assessment Report
Session convener, American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting (2012, 2010, 2005, 2002), AGU Spring Meeting (2004), Ocean Sciences Meeting (2014, 2012, 2006), AGU Western Pacific Geophysical Meeting (2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2000), American Meteorological Society Climate Variability and Change Conference (2015), IAMAS 2013, IUGG 2015, Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Annual Meeting (2014, 2013), Meteorological Society of Japan Spring Meeting (2006, 2004), Oceanographical Society of Japan Spring Meeting (2010)
Proposal review for US NASA, NSF, NOAA, DOE, NOPP; NSF of China, Chiese Academy of Sciences; Indian National Monsoon Mission; UK Natural Environment Research Council; Royal Society of New Zealand Rutherford Discovery Fellowship Program; Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Panelist, NOAA GFDL Five-Year Lab Review, 2014, 2019
Panelist, NOAA National Multi-Model Ensemble Project review, 2014
Long-term visitor (Earth and Planetary Dynamics), Tohoku Forum for Creativity, 2016
Editorial Service
Associate Editor, Science Advances, 2020 -
Editor, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 2016 -
Associate Editor, Science Bulletin, 2018 - 2022
Section Editor, Current Climate Change Reports, 2019
Academic editor, PLOS ONE, 2014 - 2017
Editor, Journal of Climate, 2006 - 2010
Guest editor, Journal of Oceanography (special section on mode water, editorial), 2010 - 2011
Editor, Journal of Meteorological Society of Japan (-->Free access to journal papers), 2000-2006
Volume editor, AGU Geophysical Monograph (Vol. 147, pp. 414) entitled "Earth Climate: The Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction", 2003-2004 ( Table of Contents and Preface + Book cover)
Peer reviewer for journals (Acta Oceanologica Sinica, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, Advances in Meteorology, Annales Geophysicae; Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research;
Atmosphere, Atmosphere-Ocean, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Science Letters, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Chinese J. Oceanology and Limnology,
Climate Dynamics, Climate of the Past, Climatic Change, Continental
Shelf Research, Current Climate Change Reports, Deep Sea Research (Part I and Part II), Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans,
Earth-Science Reviews, Earth's Future,
Environmental Research Letters, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Frontiers in Science, Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics, Geophysical Research Letters, Geoscientific Model Development, Global and Planetary Change,
Insciences Journal, International J. Climatology, International J. Remote Sensing,
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, J. Applied Meteorology,
J. Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, J. Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, J. Atmospheric Sciences,
J. Climate, J. Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, J. Geophysical Research-Oceans, J. Marine Systems, J.
Meteorological Society of Japan, J. Oceanography, J. Ocean Universiy of China, J. Operational Oceanography, J. Physical Oceanography,
J. Water and Climate Change, Marine Geodesy, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, Monthly Weather Review,
National Science Review, Nature, Nature Climate Change, Nature Communications, Nature Geoscience,
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, Oceanologica Acta, Ocean Dynamics, Ocean Engineering, Ocean
Modeling, Ocean Science,
Paleoceanography, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Progress in Oceanography,
Remote Sensing of Environment, Quarterly J. of Royal Meteorological Society, Quaternary Research, Quaternary Science Reviews, Reviews of Geophysics,
Science, Science Advances, Science China Earth Sciences, Scientific Online Letters on the Atmosphere, Tellus A, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Water Resources Research, WIREs Climate Change, Weather and Forecasting);
book chapters (Cambridge University Press, Elsevier Science, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Springer Nature, World Scientific Publishing)
