Prof. Hu Yang
Prof. Hu Yang
Climate Scientist
Climate Scientist
Asking the right question is more important than getting the right answer
Hu Yang received his diploma and master’s degrees in Physical Oceanography from Ocean University of China, before earning his Ph.D. in Environmental Physics from the University of Bremen, Germany. From 2017 to 2022, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and research scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany. Since 2023, he has been leading the Paleoclimate and Sea Level Change Group at the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai).
My Research
My academic journey began in physical oceanography. In my early research, I aware that global ocean circulation has been exhibiting a poleward shift. However, as my work progressed, I realized that this phenomenon could not be fully understood through oceanography alone, because changes in ocean circulation are closely coupled with the atmospheric system. A deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms required the theories and methodologies of atmospheric science. This realization led me to expand my research into atmospheric dynamics, with the goal of understanding why atmospheric circulation is also undergoing a poleward migration.
Subsequently, I came to recognize that, compared to the relatively modest migration observed in modern ocean–atmosphere circulation, Earth’s history has witnessed far more dramatic large-scale reorganizations of the circulation system. This drew me into paleoclimatology, motivating me to extend my research toward investigating past climate changes and their driving mechanisms. Through paleoclimate records and simulations, I seek to better understand the fundamental laws governing the long-term evolution of the Earth system, especially on orbital timescale.
These interdisciplinary research experiences have strengthened my conviction that while science is institutionally divided into disciplines, truly important scientific questions rarely conform to such boundaries. Addressing complex scientific problems often requires not only the integration of oceanography and atmospheric science, but also the combined insights of physics, chemistry, and biology. Therefore, interdisciplinary research is not only an inevitable direction of modern science, but also a critical pathway toward major scientific breakthroughs. In my view, formulating an meaningful scientific question is often more difficult—and more important—than solving the problem itself.
Drifting ocean gyres
Ocean circulation plays a vital role in regulating the weather and climate and supporting marine life. Using two independent satellite observations and climate model simulations, we report that the world's major ocean gyres are moving towards higher latitudes under climate change. --Yang et al. (2020a)
Why does the tropical belt expand?
Observations and climate simulations reveal that the Earth's tropical belt is expanding. The mechanism underlying such phenomenon has been debated for more than a decade. In Yang et al. (2020b), we proposed that the expanding tropics is driven by poleward advancing of mid-latitude meridional temperature gradients. The temperature gradient displacement is induced by a relatively fast subtropical ocean warming, which constrained by the mean upper ocean flow.
Poleward migration of Earth's climate zones
Both oceanic and atmospheric circulation are displacing towards higher latitudes, causing a poleward migration of the Earth's climate zones. In Yang et al (2022a), we proposed that it is the warming ocean that initially pushes the meridional temperature gradients and the atmospheric circulation towards higher latitudes. The shift in atmospheric circulation, in turn, drives a poleward drift of the oceanic circulation.
Evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet over time
Greenland Ice Sheet play a key role in the future sea level rise. In Yang et al. (2022b), we simulate the evolution of the Greenland ice sheet from the last interglacial into near future. Based on our simulations and geological reconstructions, we highlight that the Greenland's ice volume delays climate change by thousands of years. Due to this delay, catastrophic sea level rise will not happen within our generations no matter how much the Earth's climate warms. However, sea level rise from melting could be irreversible and last for several millennia.
Western Boundary Currents and climate change
The world's subtropical western boundary currents, i.e. Kuroshio Current, Gulf Stream, Brazil Current, East Australian Current, and Agulhas Current are intensifying and shifting towards poles as a long-term effect of global warming. --Yang et al. (2016b)
Ocean's role in strengthening the meridional heat imbalance
Equator to pole heat imbalance drives the atmospheric circulation. We report that due to different response time of oceanic warming, man-made global warming results in a strengthening mid-latitude meridional heat imbalance. --Yang et al. (2019)
Hotspots of oceanic heat flux
Oceanic surface heat flux is the key language for ocean-atmosphere coupling. We identify the most prominent oceanic heat flux trends around the global. This study initially led the finding of systematic drifting of the western boundary currents under warming climate. --Yang et al. (2016a)
Early stage of global warming
Satellite observations show that the ocean warming pattern is amplified in the subtropics, while evidence from paleoclimate reconstructions suggests that the warming pattern is amplified at higher latitudes. Based on climate model simulations, we find that the subtropical amplified warming pattern is an early signature of warming ocean, while high-latitude amplified warming is expected to occur in the long term. --Yang et al. (2023)
Orbital-Scale Climate Change
Changing Earth-Sun distance drifts the global circulation patterns
A shorter Earth-Sun distance drifts the ocean-atmosphere circulation pattern poleward. Drifting circulation occurs in different seasons due to the seasonal shift in perihelion. Hemispheric summer perihelion potentially causes substantial circulation drift by 10°. --Yang et al. (2025)
Precession-driven low-latitude precipitation paced by moving perihelion
For a century, the hemispheric summer insolation is proposed as a key pacemaker of astronomical climate change. However, an increasing number of geologic records reveal that the low-latitude hydrological cycle shows asynchronous precessional evolutions that are very often out of phase with the summer insolation. Here, we propose that the astronomically driven low-latitude hydrological cycle is not paced by summer insolation but by shifting perihelion. ---Yang et al. (2025)
News Reports
Selected news reports for Hu's research
CBC: The world's major climate zones — polar,
temperate and tropical — are transforming
as we watch
The Washington Post: Dangerous new hot zones are spreading around the world
Der Spiegel: Forscher berichten über Verschiebung riesiger
Meeresströmungen
Living on Earth: Major Ocean Currents Drifting Poleward
Independent: Climate crisis could still be affecting size of Greenland ice sheet in thousands of years
Der Standard: Warme Meeresströmungen lassen die Tropen
wachsen
AGU News: The Tropics are expanding, and climate change is the primary culprit
AGU News:
Major wind-driven ocean currents shifting toward the poles
AGU News: Climate change causing oceanic boundary currents to intensify and shift poleward
Polar Journal: Greenland's ice has a delayed response to climate change
Scientific American: The Ocean’s Swirling Currents Are Migrating Poleward
RIA: Ученые объяснили, почему тропические зоны Земли расширяются
Der Spiegel: So stark trägt Grönland zum Anstieg der Meere bei
Satellite observeation revealed a early stage of global warming
Moving Perihelion shape the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Low-Latitude Rainfall
Authors/Creator
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