B.S., 1988, Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Ph.D., 1994, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The University of Iowa

TEACHING AND RESEARCH AREAS

My area of expertise lies in atmospheric chemistry/air quality. My research interests include air pollution modeling and forecasting, atmospheric chemistry and transport, chemistry and dynamics of aerosols and clouds, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, and the interactions among atmospheric chemistry, meteorology, climate change and health effects. I have utilized air quality models at various scales to study the long-range transport of mineral dust and its interactions with tropospheric chemistry in East Asia, the formation and fate of tropospheric ozone and particulate matter in the U.S., power plant plume chemistry and its impact on visibility in the U.S., and global aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing. I have published over 125 journal publications, conference papers and technical reports. Our air quality modeling research team currently consists of seven graduate students and two post-D researchers. We are applying 3-D meteorology and air quality models (e.g., MM5, WRF, CMAQ, CMAQ-MADRID, CAMx, WRF-Chem, and MIRAGE) at various scales to conduct high-resolution simulations of urban-regional-global ozone and particulate matter, to evaluate model capabilities for reproducing and forecasting these pollutants, and to examine the chemical and radiative impacts of aerosols on regional and global climate.

I offer the following three courses on air quality:

(1) a graduate course on advanced air quality (MEA/CE 779). This course focuses on the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere and offers an up-to-date examination of important atmospheric chemical processes.

(2) a graduate course on air quality modeling and forecasting (MEA 593J/793J), which focuses on the development, application and evaluation of air quality modeling and forecasting system. Numerical methods of solving equations important in atmospheric processes such as photochemistry, aerosol coagulation, gas-to-particle conversion and radiative transfer are also explored.

(3) a course on introduction to atmospheric chemistry for both graduates and upper-level undergraduates (MEA 493/593). This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of atmospheric chemistry/air quality and serves as a step-stone to more advanced courses on air quality such as MEA 593J/793J: Air Quality Modeling and Forecasting and MEA 779: Advanced Air Quality.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Queen, A., Y. Zhang, R. Gilliam, and J. Pleim, 2008, Examining the sensitivity of MM5/CMAQ predictions to explicit microphysics schemes and horizontal grid resolution, Part I—Database description, evaluation protocol, and precipitation predictions, Atmos. Environ., in press.

Queen, A. and Y. Zhang, 2008, Examining the sensitivity of MM5/CMAQ predictions to explicit microphysics schemes and horizontal grid resolution, Part II—wet deposition predictions, Atmos. Environ., in press.

Queen, A. and Y. Zhang, 2008, Examining the sensitivity of MM5/CMAQ predictions to explicit microphysics schemes and horizontal grid resolution, Part III— sensitivity to horizontal grid resolution, Atmos. Environ., in press.

Hu, X.-M., Y. Zhang, M.Z. Jacobson, and C.K. Chan, 2008, Evaluation and Improvement of Gas/Particle Mass Transfer Treatments for Aerosol Simulation and Forecast, J. Geophys. Res., in press.

Goetz S., V. Aneja, and Y. Zhang, 2008, Measurement, Analysis, and Modeling of Fine Particulate Matter in Eastern North Carolina, J. Air & Waste Management, in press.

Liu P. and Y. Zhang, 2008, A Computationally-Efficient Secondary Organic Aerosol Module for Three-Dimensional Air Quality Models, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, 8, 1833–1912.

Zhang, Y., 2008, Online Coupled Meteorology and Chemistry models: History, Current Status, and Outlook, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, 8, 1833–1912, 2008 (in review for final publication on Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics)

Wu, S.-Y., S. Krishnan, and Y. Zhang, and V. Aneja, 2008, Modeling Atmospheric Transport and Fate of Ammonia in North Carolina, Part I.  Evaluation of Meteorological and Chemical Predictions, Atmos. Environ., 42, 3419–3436.

Wu, S.-Y., J.-L., Hu, Y. Zhang, and V. P. Aneja, 2008, Modeling Atmospheric Transport and Fate of Ammonia in North Carolina, Part II. Effect of Ammonia Emissions on Fine Particulate Matter Formation, Atmos. Environ., 42, 3437–3451.

Zhang, Y., S.-Y. Wu, S. Krishnan, K. Wang, A. Queen, V. P. Aneja, and P. Arya, 2008, Modeling Agricultural Air Quality: Current Status, Major Challenges, and Outlook, Atmos. Environ., 42, 3218–3237.

Zhang, Y., J.-P. Huang, D. K. Henze, and J. H. Seinfeld, 2007, The Role of Isoprene in Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation on a Regional Scale, J. Geophys. Res., in press.

Zhang, Y., P. Liu, B. Pun, and C. Seigneur, 2006, A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of MM5-CMAQ for the Summer 1999 Southern Oxidants Study Episode, Part-I.  Evaluation Protocols, Databases and Meteorological Predictions, Atmos. Environ., 40, 4825-4838.

Zhang, Y., P. Liu, A. Queen, C. Misenis, B. Pun, C. Seigneur, and S.-Y. Wu, 2006, A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of MM5-CMAQ for the Summer 1999 Southern Oxidants Study Episode, Part-II.  Gas and Aerosol Predictions, Atmos. Environ., 40, 4839-4855.

Zhang, Y., P. Liu, B. Pun, and C. Seigneur, 2006, A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of MM5-CMAQ for the Summer 1999 Southern Oxidants Study Episode, Part III.  Diagnostic and Mechanistic Evaluations, Atmos. Environ., 40, 4856-4873.

Dabberdt, W. F., M. A.Carroll, W. Appleby, D. Baumgardner, G.R. Carmichael, P. Davidson, J.C. Doran, T.G. Dye, S. Grimmond, P. Middleton, W. Neff, and Y. Zhang, 2006, USWRP Workshop on Air Quality Forecasting, Bulletin of The American Meteorological Society, February Issue, 215-221.

Zhang, Y., K. Vijayaraghavan, and C. Seigneur, 2005, Evaluation of Three Probing Techniques in a Three-Dimensional Air Quality Model, J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 110, D02305, doi:10.1029/2004JD005248.

Zhang, Y., C.H. Bischof, R.C. Easter, and P.-T. Wu, 2005, Sensitivity Analysis of a Multi-Phase Chemical Mechanism using Automatic Differentiation, Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, Vol. 51, 1-41.

Zhang, Y., Pun, B., S.-Y. Wu, K. Vijayaraghavan, G.K. Yelluru and C. Seigneur, 2004, CMAQ and PM-CAMx: Model Application and Evaluation, J. Air & Waste Management,   Vol. 54, 1478-1493.

Easter, R.C., S.J. Ghan, Y. Zhang, R.D. Saylor, E.G. Chapman, N.S. Laulainen, H. Abdul-Razzak, L.R. Leung, X. Bian, and R.A. Zaveri, 2004, MIRAGE: Model Description and Evaluation of Aerosols and Trace Gases, J. Geophys. Res., Vol 109, D20210, doi:10.1029/2004JD004571.

Zhang, Y., B. Pun, K. Vijayaraghavan, S.-Y. Wu, C. Seigneur, S. Pandis, M. Jacobson, A. Nenes and J.H. Seinfeld, 2004: Development and Application of the Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization and Dissolution (MADRID), J. Geophys. Res., 109, D01202, doi:10.1029/2003JD003501.

Zhang, Y., R.C. Easter, S.J. Ghan, and H. Abdul-Razzak, 2002: Impact of aerosol size representations on modeling aerosol-cloud interactions, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 4558, doi:1029/2001JD001549.

Ghan, S. J., R. C. Easter, E. Chapman, H. Abdul-Razzak, Y. Zhang, R. Leung, N. Laulainen, R. Saylor and R. Zaveri, 2001: A physically-based estimate of radiative forcing by anthropogenic sulfate aerosol, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 5279-5294.

Zhang, Y., C. Seigneur, J. H. Seinfeld, M. Jacobson, S. L. Clegg and F. S. Binkowski, 2000: A comparative review of inorganic aerosol thermodynamic equilibrium modules: Similarities, differences, and their likely causes, Atmos. Environ., 34, 117-137.

Karamchandani, P., L. Santos, I. Sykes, Y. Zhang, C. Tonne and C. Seigneur, 2000: Development and evaluation of a state-of-the-science reactive plume model, Environ. Sci. Technol., 34, 870-880.

Zhang, Y., C. Seigneur, J. H. Seinfeld, M. Z. Jacobson and F. Binkowski, 1999: Simulation of aerosol dynamics: A comparative review of algorithms used in air quality models, Aerosol Sci. Technol., 31, 487-514.

Zhang, Y. and G.R. Carmichael, 1999: The role of mineral aerosol in tropospheric chemistry in east Asia - a model study, Jrn. Appl. Meteorology, 38, 353-366.

Zhang, Y., C.H. Bischof, R.C. Easter, and P.-T. Wu, 1998: Sensitivity analysis of a multi-phase chemical mechanism using automatic differentiation, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 18593-18979.

Carmichael, G.R., I. Uno, M.J. Phadnis, Y. Zhang, and Y. Sunwoo, 1998: Tropospheric ozone production and transport in the springtime in east Asia, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 10649-10671.

Dentener, F.J., G.R. Carmichael, Y. Zhang, J. Lelieveld, and P.J. Crutzen, 1996: Role of mineral aerosol as a reactive surface in the global troposphere, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 22869-22889.

Zhang, Y., Y. Sunwoo, G.R. Carmichael, and V. Kotamarthi, 1994, Photochemical Oxidant Processes in the Presence of Dust: An Evaluation of the Impact of Dust on Particulate Nitrate and Ozone Formation, Jrn. Appl. Meteorology, Vol. 33, No. 7, 813-824.