Dr. Li Dong

Research Associate Professor Department of Earth and Space Sciences

I earned my Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from Cornell University in 2006. My doctoral research is primarily focused on the onset mechanism of atmospheric blocking. During my stay at Cornell University, I had kept wondering what the life of working in industry would feel like. Upon the completion of my Ph.D, I adventured into a wind energy consulting company called NextEra WindLogics, which later on became the leading provider of high-quality wind and solar resource assessment in the North America. I was appointed as Senior Atmospheric Scientist there with my job responsibilities mainly focusing on performing wind resource assessment for several mega wind power plants across the US, such as Texas, Colorado and Minnesota. After working in the company for three years, I started to miss conducting fundamental research in Atmospheric Sciences. I quit my job at the beginning of 2010 with an attempt to pursuing my dream in academia. I did my first postdoc job at University of New Mexico, focusing on paleoclimate dynamics analysis, particularly for the Last Glacial Maximum period. Then I started my second postdoc job at Los Alamos National Laboratory, focusing on developing and testing the brand new global variable-resolution atmospheric model called MPAS. Afterwards, I joined Auburn University as a Research Assistant Professor in the Geoscience Department with my research mainly focused on dynamical linkage between atmospheric blocking and midlatitude extreme weather. Meanwhile, I also served as an instructor in the Department of Physics at Auburn University. In the summer of 2018, I moved back to my home country and joined SUSTech as a Research Associate Professor.

Personal Profile

Research

- Midlatitude block onset mechanism

- Dynamical linkage between block onset and extreme weather

- Rapid intensification of typhoon

- Onshore and offshore wind resource assessment

 


Publications Read More

My primary research areas are focused on large-scale atmospheric dynamics, extreme weather events, and wind resource assessment. Specifically, the theoretic work that I have been done over the past decade is concerning the mechanism of the mid-latitude anticyclone blocking onset, which is closely associated with extreme weather events. In addition, I have proficient experience in wind resource assessment. In particular, by using cluster analysis approach, I was capable of classifying various synoptic weather patterns which are responsible for a variety of wind resources across the nation. The artificial intelligence approach makes it possible for the wind resource assessment to be conducted in a quantitative and automate way.

Publications (* for corresponding author)

Dong, L.*, 2018: Wind resource assessment in the Southern Plains of US: Characterizing large scale atmospheric circulation regimes with cluster analysis, Atmosphere, 9(3), 110.

Dong, L.*, Mitra, C., Greer, S. and Burt, E, 2018: The Dynamical linkage of atmospheric blocking to drought, heatwave and urban heat island in Southeastern US: A multi-scale case study, Atmosphere, 9(1), 33.

X. Li, C. Mitra, L. Dong and Q. Yang, 2017: Understanding land use change impacts on microclimate using WRF model, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 103, 115-126.

Dong, L.* and S. J. Colucci, 2015: The role of nonquasigeostrophic forcing in Southern Hemisphere blocking onsets, Monthly Weather Review, 143, 1455-1471.

Sakaguchi, K., L. R. Leung, C. Zhao, Q. Yang, J. Lu, S. Hagos, S. Rauscher, L. Dong, T. D. Ringler and P. H. Lauritzen, 2015: Exploring a multi-resolution approach using AMIP simulations, J. Climate, 28, 5549-5574.

Dong, L. *, T. J. Vogelsang and S. J. Colucci, 2008: Interdecadal trend and ENSO-related interannual variability in Southern Hemisphere blocking, J. Climate, 21, 3068-3077.

Dong, L. and S. J. Colucci*, 2007: Interpreting the opposition between two block-onset forcing mechanisms, J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 2091-2104.

Dong, L. and S. J. Colucci*, 2005: The role of deformation and potential vorticity in Southern Hemisphere blocking onsets, J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 4043-4056.

Awards:

Associate Editor of Monthly Weather Review, 2008-2012

Panelist of AWEA Annual Workshop of Wind Resource Assessment, 2009

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, Cornell University, 2003

News More

Join us

The Department of Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) at Southern University of Science and Technology was established in December 2016. Prof. Xiaofei Chen, a renowned seismologist and an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is appointed as an initiatory departmental head. 
The studies in ESS concern the physics of the Earth, geo-space and planets in outer space. Through building up a world-leading program of research and education in Earth and Space Sciences, we strive to conduct the research that would advance our understanding on the complex natural system of Earth and Space, in order to provide science-based solutions to many of the societal challenges of our time: natural hazards, natural energy resources, space exploration, etc. In the meantime, our department offers rigorous hands-on training to students and prepares them to be future leaders in academia, government and industry. 
ESS encompasses a wide range of scientific disciplines: Geophysics, Space Physics, Satellite Geodesy and Planetary Science. By the end of October 2019, ESS has thirty-one faculty members, including six professors, four associate professors, eleven assistant professors, and ten research assistant professors, including one Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, three Distinguished Young Scholars of National Nature Science Fund, one Excellent Young Scientists of National Science Fund. elcome more talents to join us and work together to build a world-class research and education center for Earth and Space Sciences. 
Read More

Contact Us

Contact Address

Room 308 Building 9, Chuangyuan, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue  Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong

Office Phone

Email

dongl@sustech.edu.cn

Copyright © 2018 All Rights Reserved.