Name

Hans Chen

Phone

+46 31-772 23 44

Address

Chalmers University of Technology

Department of Space, Earth and Environment

412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden


Education

2018

Ph.D. in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Dissertation: Toward improved regional estimates of carbon dioxide sources and sinks through coupled carbon–atmospheric data assimilation

Advisor: Fuqing Zhang | Co-advisors: Richard B. Alley and Thomas Lauvaux

2012

M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanography and Climate, Department of Meteorology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Thesis: The Barents Oscillation and its impact on the Arctic climate

Advisor: Heiner Körnich | Co-advisor: Qiong Zhang

2010

B.S. in Meteorology, Department of Meteorology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Thesis: Local impact of soot on surface temperature in India and Sweden

Advisor: Annica Ekman | Co-advisor: Henning Rodhe


Employment

2023–present

Assistant Professor, Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

2020–2022

Researcher, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

2018–2020

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden


Honors and awards

2023

Young Researchers 2023, Hasselblad Foundation

Including research funding

2020

NASA Group Achievement Award, NASA Langley Research Center

For exceptional scientific achievements of the ACT-America Earth Venture Suborbital mission

2020

Stiftelsen Landshövding Per Westlings Minnesfond, Lund University

2018

Outstanding Student Paper Award, American Meteorological Society, 20th Conference on Atmospheric Chemistry

2016

Öfverdirektör Elis Sidenbladhs fond, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

2016

Top 5 most highly cited papers 2014–2016 in Environmental Development, Environmental Development, Elsevier

2014

Hans Neuberger Award, The Pennsylvania State University

For excellent teaching of meteorology


Grants

2025–2028

Participating Researcher, National Natural Science Foundation of China, research grant

Variations and mechanisms of dry–wet patterns in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau over the last millennium and future projections: Insights from paleoclimate data and climate simulations

2024–2027

Participating Researcher, Formas, Research projects for early-career researchers, career grant

Drivers for rapid climate change in the Arctic: The role of warm and moist air intrusions and clouds

2023–2026

Participating Researcher, Shanghai Action Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation, International Science and Technology Cooperation Program, mobility grant

Understanding the differences in the processes driving permafrost soil carbon emissions between the Arctic and Tibetan Plateau

2022–2023

Co-Investigator, National Strategic Research Program BECC (Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate), research grant

The impact of warming-induced summer vegetation drought on the vegetation greening, tree growth and carbon fluxes in Sweden

2022–2025

Principal Investigator, Swedish National Space Agency, Call 2021-C, career grant

Monitoring anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from space

2022–2025

Principal Investigator, Formas, Research projects for early-career researchers, career grant (declined)

Improved monitoring of carbon dioxide emissions in Scandinavia using satellite and ground-based observations

2021–2024

Principal Investigator, The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education, Joint China–Sweden Mobility, mobility grant

High-resolution carbon cycle data assimilation with multiple satellite observations


Peer-reviewed publications

2024

Li, T., B. He, D. Chen, H. W. Chen, L. Guo, W, Yuan, K, Fang, F, Shi, L, Liu, H, Zheng, L, Huang, X, Wu, X, Hao, X, Zhao, and W, Jiang, 2024: Increasing sensitivity of tree radial growth to precipitation. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL110003, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110003.

2024

Xu, H., H. W. Chen, D. Chen, Y. Wang, X. Yue, B. He, L. Guo, W. Yuan, Z. Zhong, L. Huang, F. Zheng, T. Li, and X. He, 2024: Global patterns and drivers of post-fire vegetation productivity recovery. Nature Geoscience, 17, 874–881, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01520-3.

2024

Yan, X., C. Zuo, Z. Li, H. W. Chen, Y. Jiang, Q. Wang, G. Wang, K. Jia, Y. A, Z. Chen, and J. Chen, 2024: Substantial underestimation of fine-mode aerosol loading from wildfires and its radiative effects in current satellite-based retrievals over the United States. Environmental Science & Technology, 58, 15661–15671, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c02498.

2024

Yan, X., Z. Zang, Z. Li, H. W. Chen, J. Chen, Y. Jiang, Y. Chen, B. He, C. Zuo, T. Nakajima, and J. Kim, 2024: Deep learning with pretrained framework unleashes the power of satellite-based global fine-mode aerosol retrieval. Environmental Science & Technology, 58, 14260–14270, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c02701.

2024

He, M., J. Cui, Y. Yi, H. W. Chen, Q. Zhang, L. Li, L. Huang, and S. Hong, 2024: Vegetation increases global climate vulnerability risk by shifting climate zones in response to rising atmospheric CO2. Science of The Total Environment, 949, 174810, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174810.

2024

Liu, Y., Q. Tang, C. Zhang, D. Chen, J. A. Francis, L. R. Leung, and H. W. Chen, 2024: The disproportionate impact of enhanced evaporation from melting arctic sea ice on cold-season land precipitation trends. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 7, 126, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-024-00680-8.

2024

Cai, Z., Q. You, H. W. Chen, R. Zhang, Z. Zuo, D. Chen, J. Cohen, and J. A. Screen, 2024: Assessing Arctic wetting: Performances of CMIP6 models and projections of precipitation changes. Atmospheric Research, 297, 107124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.107124.

2024

Lai, H.-W., D. Chen, and H. W. Chen, 2024: Precipitation variability related to atmospheric circulation patterns over the Tibetan Plateau. International Journal of Climatology, 44, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8317.

2023

Zhong, Z., B. He, H. W. Chen, D. Chen, T. Zhou, W. Dong, C. Xiao, L. Guo, R. Ding, L. Zhang, X. Song, L. Huang, W. Yuan, X. Hao, and X. Zhao, 2023: Reversed asymmetric warming of sub-diurnal temperature over land during recent decades. Nature Communications, 14, 7189, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43007-6.

2023

Wang, S., B. He, H. W. Chen, D. Chen, Y. Chen, W. Yuan, F. Shi, J. Duan, W. Wu, T. Chen, L. Guo, Z. Zhong, W. Duan, Z. Li, W. Jiang, L. Huang, X. Hao, R. Tang, H. Liu, Y. Zhang, and X. Xie, 2023: Fire carbon emissions over Equatorial Asia reduced by shortened dry seasons. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 6, 129, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00455-7.

2023

Zhong, Z., B. He, Y.-P. Wang, H. W. Chen, D. Chen, Y. H. Fu, Y. Chen, L. Guo, Y. Deng, L. Huang, W. Yuan, X. Hao, R. Tang, H. Liu, L. Sun, X. Xie, and Y. Zhang, 2023: Disentangling the effects of vapor pressure deficit on northern terrestrial vegetation productivity. Science Advances, 9, eadf3166, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adf3166.

2023

Yan, X., C. Zuo, Z. Li, H. W. Chen, Y. Jiang, B. He, H. Liu, J. Chen, and W. Shi, 2023: Cooperative simultaneous inversion of satellite-based real-time PM2.5 and ozone levels using an improved deep learning model with attention mechanism. Environmental Pollution, 327, 121509, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121509.

2023

Cai, Z., Q. You, H. W. Chen, R. Zhang, Z. Zuo, G. Dai, D. Chen, J. Cohen, O. Zolina, and S. K. Gulev, 2023: Interdecadal variability of the warm Arctic-cold Eurasia pattern linked to the Barents oscillation. Atmospheric Research, 287, 106712, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.106712.

2023

Chen, H. W., F. Zhang, T. Lauvaux, M. Scholze, K. J. Davis, and R. B. Alley, 2023: Regional CO2 inversion through ensemble-based simultaneous state and parameter estimation: TRACE framework and controlled experiments. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 15, e2022MS003208, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003208.

2022

Wang X., Y. Ran, Y. Pang, D. Chen, B. Su, R. Chen, X. Li, H. W. Chen, M. Yang, X. Gou, M. T. Jorgenson, J. Aalto, R. Li, X. Peng, T. Wu, G. D. Clow, G. Wan, X. Wu, and D. Luo, 2022: Contrasting characteristics, changes, and linkages of permafrost between the Arctic and the Third Pole. Earth-Science Reviewers, 230, 104042, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104042.

2022

Kaminski, T., M. Scholze, P. Rayner, S. Houweling, M. Voßbeck, J. Silver, S. Lama, M. Buchwitz, M. Reuter, W. Knorr, H. W. Chen, G. Kuhlmann, D. Brunner, S. Dellaert, H. A. C. Denier van der Gon, I. Super, A. Löscher, and Y. Meijer, 2022: Assessing the constraint of atmospheric CO2 and NO2 measurements from space on city-scale fossil fuel CO2 emissions in a data assimilation system. Frontiers in Remote Sensing, 3, 887456, https://doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2022.887456.

2022

Cai, Z., Q. You, H. W. Chen, R. Zhang, D. Chen, J. Chen, S. Kang, and J. Cohen, 2022: Amplified wintertime Barents Sea warming linked to intensified Barents oscillation. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 044068, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5bb3.

2022

Fang, M., X. Li, H. W. Chen, and D. Chen, 2022: Arctic amplification modulated by Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and greenhouse forcing on multidecadal to century scales. Nature Communications, 13, 1865, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29523-x.

2022

Tang, R., B. He, H. W. Chen, D. Chen, Y. Chen, Y. H. Fu, W. Yuan, B. Li, Z. Li, L. Guo, X. Hao, L. Sun, H. Liu, C. Sun, and Y. Yang, 2022: Increasing terrestrial ecosystem carbon release in response to autumn cooling and warming. Nature Climate Change, 12, 380–385, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01304-w.

2022

He, B., C. Chen, S. Lin, W. Yuan, H. W. Chen, D. Chen, Y. Zhang, L. Guo, X. Zhao, X. Liu, Z. Zhong, R. Wang, and R. Tang, 2022: Worldwide impacts of atmospheric vapor pressure deficit on the interannual variability of terrestrial carbon sinks. National Science Review, 9, nwab150, https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwab150.

2022

Kaminski, T., M. Scholze, P. Rayner, M. Voßbeck, M. Buchwitz, M. Reuter, W. Knorr, H. Chen, A. Agusti-Panareda, A. Löscher, and Y. Meijer, 2022: Assimilation of atmospheric CO2 observations from space can support national CO2 emission inventories. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 014015, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3cea.

2021

Cai, Z., Q. You, F. Wu, H. W. Chen, D. Chen, and J. Cohen, 2021: Arctic warming revealed by multiple CMIP6 models: evaluation of historical simulations and quantification of future projection uncertainties. Journal of Climate, 34, 4871–4892, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0791.1.

2021

Lai, H.-W., H. W. Chen, J. Kukulies, T. Ou, and D. Chen, 2021: Regionalization of seasonal precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau and associated large-scale atmospheric systems. Journal of Climate, 34, 2635–2651, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0521.1.

2020

Cohen, J., X. Zhang, J. Francis, T. Jung, R. Kwok, J. Overland, T. J. Ballinger, U. S. Bhatt, H. W. Chen, D. Coumou, S. Feldstein, H. Gu, D. Handorf, G. Henderson, M. Ionita, M. Kretschmer, F. Laliberte, S. Lee, H. W. Linderholm, W. Maslowski, Y. Peings, K. Pfeiffer, I. Rigor, T. Semmler, J. Stroeve, P. C. Taylor, S. Vavrus, T. Vihma, S. Wang, M. Wendisch, Y. Wu, and J. Yoon, 2020: Divergent consensuses on Arctic amplification influence on midlatitude severe winter weather. Nature Climate Change, 10, 20–29, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0662-y.

2019

Chen, H. W., L. N. Zhang, F. Zhang, T. Lauvaux, K. J. Davis, S. Pal, B. Gaudet, and J. P. DiGangi, 2019: Evaluation of Regional CO2 mole fractions in the ECMWF CAMS real-time atmospheric analysis and NOAA CarbonTracker Near-Real-Time reanalysis with airborne observations from ACT-America field campaigns. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124, 8119–8133, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029992.

2019

Chen, H. W., F. Zhang, T. Lauvaux, K. J. Davis, S. Feng, M. P. Butler, and R. B. Alley, 2019: Characterization of regional-scale CO2 transport uncertainties in an ensemble with flow-dependent transport errors. Geophysical Research Letters, 46, 4049–4058, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081341.

2016

Chen, H. W., R. B. Alley, and F. Zhang, 2016: Interannual Arctic sea ice variability and associated winter weather patterns: A regional perspective for 1979–2014. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 121, 14433–14455, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD024769.

2016

Chen, H. W., F. Zhang, and R. B. Alley, 2016: The robustness of midlatitude weather pattern changes due to Arctic sea ice loss. Journal of Climate, 26, 7831–7849, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0167.1.

2013

Chen, H. W., Q. Zhang, H. Körnich, and D. Chen, 2013: A robust mode of climate variability in the Arctic: The Barents Oscillation. Geophysical Research Letters, 40, 2856–2861, https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50551.

2013

Chen, D. and H. W. Chen, 2013: Using the Köppen classification to quantify climate variation and change: An example for 1901–2010. Environmental Development, 6, 69–79, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2013.03.007.


Other publications

2020

Scholze, M., H. Chen, T. Kaminski, and M. Voßbeck, 2020: Inversion strategy based on joint QND assessments. CHE Consortium.

2018

Chen, H. and M. Scholze, 2018: Progress in characterizing uncertainty for fossil fuel emissions. CHE Consortium.

2018

Ying, Y., X. Chen, Y. Zhang, M. Minamide, R. Nystrom, H. Chen, J. Poterjoy, C. Melhauser, Y. Weng, Z. Meng, A. Aksoy, F. Zhang, 2018: PSU WRF EnKF/4DVar hybrid regional data assimilation system: Technical notes. Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, and Center for Advanced Data Assimilation and Predictability Techniques, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.

2018

Cohen, J., X. Zhang, J. Francis, T. Jung, R. Kwok, J. Overland, P. C. Taylor, S. Lee, F. Laliberte, S. Feldstein, W. Maslowski, G. Henderson, J. Stroeve, D. Coumou, D. Handorf, T. Semmler, T. Ballinger, M. Hell, M. Kretschmer, S. Vavrus, M. Wang, S. Wang, Y. Wu, T. Vihma, U. Bhatt, M. Ionita, H. Linderholm, I. Rigor, C. Routson, D. Singh, M. Wendisch, D. Smith, J. Screen, J. Yoon, Y. Peings, H. Chen, and R. Blackport, 2018: Arctic change and possible influence on mid-latitude climate and weather: A US CLIVAR white paper. US CLIVAR, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6TH8KGW.


Commission of trust

2024–present

Board Member, Swedish Strategic Research Area MERGE (ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system)

2024–present

Associate Editor, Frontiers in Remote Sensing

2022–present

Young Editorial Member, Advances in Climate Change Research

2022–2023

Guest Editor, Remote Sensing

2021–2023

Deputy, Copernicus CO2 General Assembly


Invited talks

2024

Space activities to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, Kick-off for Chalmers’ new thematic areas: Towards a healthy planet – tackling the pollution of our Land, Oceans and Space

2023

Atmospheric modeling and data assimilation to support greenhouse gas emissions monitoring, National Central University, Department of Atmospheric Sciences Seminar

2022

Ensemble-based simultaneous state and parameter estimation for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and removals, 2nd International Association of Meteorological Education and Sciences Annual Conference and the 9th COAA International Conference on Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Change

2021

Monitoring anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from space, Swedish Space Researchers 2022

2021

Assessing the uncertainty in top-down greenhouse gas emissions estimates, Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Virtual 18th Annual Meeting

2020

Coupled carbon–atmospheric data assimilation through ensemble-based simultaneous state and parameter estimation, Fuqing Zhang Symposium (canceled due to Covid-19)

2018

Monitoring Earth’s carbon cycle and human fossil fuel emissions with the help of advanced data assimilation methods, Second ADAPT Symposium on Advanced Understanding, Monitoring and Prediction of Weather, Climate and Environmental systems

2018

Constraining surface carbon dioxide fluxes using advanced data assimilation techniques, 98th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting

2016

Nonlinear atmospheric response to Arctic sea-ice loss under different sea ice scenarios, ADAPT Symposium on Advanced Assimilation and Uncertainty Quantification in BigData Research for Weather, Climate and Earth System Monitoring and Prediction


Teaching experience

2023–present

Chalmers University of Technology

  • Advisor for PhD student (2023–present)
  • Co-advisor for PhD student (2023–present)
  • Advisor for Master’s thesis (spring 2023)
  • Lead instructor
    • The Earth System (Spring 2024–present)
  • Instructor
    • The Climate: The Science, Measures and Policy (Spring 2023–present)
    • The Earth System (Spring 2023)
    • Science of Environmental Change (Fall 2024–present)

2019–2022

Lund University

  • Advisor for Bachelor’s thesis (Spring 2022)
  • Instructor
    • The Climate System (Spring 2022)
    • Theory and Methods of Physical Geography (Fall 2019–2022)

2013–2017

The Pennsylvania State University

  • Lead instructor
    • Introduction to Programming Techniques for Meteorology (Spring 2015)
  • Co-instructor
    • Applications of Computers to Meteorology (Fall 2013)
  • Co-advisor for research project (summer 2017)
  • Teaching assistant
    • Synoptic Meteorology Laboratory (Fall 2015)
    • Applications of Computers to Meteorology (Fall 2014; Spring 2014)
    • Introduction to Programming Techniques for Meteorology (Spring 2013)

Outreach

2024

Interview, ATL Lantbrukets Affärstidning

About recent flooding events in Italy and the connection to climate change

2023

Panel discussion, Gothenburg International Science Festival

2022

Radio interview, Radio Sweden, Vetenskapsradion Klotet

About how satellites can reveal greenhouse gas emissions

2021

Interview, Extrakt online magazine

About using satellite observations to track anthropogenic CO2 emissions

2021

Interview, European Environment Agency, COINS

About monitoring CO2 emissions on city scales using top-down and inverse approaches

Research websites, https://climatedynamics.group and https://hanschen.org

Over 288,000 views and 122,000 unique visitors since 2013


Service to profession

2024

Recruitment Committee Member, Division of Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology

2023

Workshop Organizer, Carbon Cycle in the Climate-Vulnerable Regions: Modeling and Observations, Nanjing, China

2020–2021

Organizer of Department Seminars, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University

Reviewer

Nature Climate Change, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Geophysical Research Letters, Journal
of Geophysical Research–Atmospheres, Climate Dynamics, Geoscientific Model Development


Non-academic work

2008

Computer Programmer, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Gothenburg, Sweden


Other relevant experiences

2024

Leadership Training, Chalmers University of Technology

2021

Research Supervision Course, Lund University

“Research Supervision” and “Beyond Doctoral Supervision – Scholarship and Academic Values”

2022–present

NCAR Advanced Study Program Summer Colloquium, Advances in Air Quality Analysis and Prediction: The Interaction of Science and Policy, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Colorado


Computer skills

OS

Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS

Programming

Python, Fortran, C++, C

Computing

MATLAB, Mathematica

Shell scripting

Bash, Z shell

Graphics

Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape

Typesetting

LaTeX

Office

Microsoft Office, Libreoffice

Miscellaneous

Git, regular expressions, HTML, CSS


Languages

Native

Swedish

Fluent

English

Mother tongue

Mandarin, fluent speaking, basic reading and writing

Basic

German