Liqiang Sun
National Climate Assessment Dynamic Regional Downscaling Phone: +1 828.257.3162 Email: lsun4@ncsu.edu
Biography
Dr. Liqiang Sun joined NCICS in May 2012 and is the deputy science lead for the National Climate Assessment Technical Support Unit.
Dr. Sun’s research activities are focused on regional climate modeling and downscaling, understanding regional climate variability across time scales, improving climate prediction/projection, and climate risk management. He has contributed to the coupling of the Regional Spectral Model, Common Land Model, and Regional Ocean Model System, and developed a tropical version of the NCAR Regional Climate Model. He uses regional models to understand regional climate variability and assess the added values of regional models, and has served on the regional spectral modeling committee for the past 11 years.
Dr. Sun has fifteen years of experience in real-time climate forecasting and verification. He is actively involved in climate forecast consolidation in Brazil and has pioneered and provided international leadership in climate downscaling prediction research. He developed an operational climate dynamical downscaling forecast system in 2001—the world's first—based on global model predictions made at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) and climate downscaling using regional models carried out at Ceara Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (FUNCEME). He has served on the Predictability, Predictions and Applications Interface Panel, the U.S. CLIVAR Program, and the WMO Panel of CCI experts—climate products and prediction services.
Dr. Sun is also involved in interdisciplinary studies of climate risk management. He led the effort to develop a crop yield prediction system and a streamflow prediction system over Northeast Brazil and contributed to the development of climate information and decision-making tools for the agricultural sector and a water allocation system.
Dr. Sun received his PhD in atmospheric sciences from North Carolina State University in 1997. He was a post-doc at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego for two years, an associated research scientist and research scientist at IRI at Columbia University for twelve years, and a visiting scholar at FUNCEME and the Brazilian Met Service for seven months prior to joining NCICS.
Publications
Kunkel, K.E., X. Yin, L. Sun, S.M. Champion, L.E. Stevens, and K.M. Johnson, 2022: Extreme Precipitation Trends and Meteorological Causes Over the Laurentian Great Lakes. Frontiers in Water, 4. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2022.804799
Kunkel, K. E., D. R. Easterling, T. R. Karl, J. C. Biard, S. M. Champion, B. E. Gleason, K. M. Johnson, A. Li, S. Stegall, L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, M. Squires, L. Sun, and X. Yin, 2020: Incorporation of the Effects of Future Anthropogenically Forced Climate Change in Intensity-Duration-Frequency Design Values: Final Report. North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies, North Carolina State University, 104 pp. https://precipitationfrequency.ncics.org/pdfs/RC_2517_Final_Report_version2_Sep_04_2020_clean.pdf
Peng, G., J. L. Matthews, M. Wang, R. Vose, and L. Sun, 2020: What Do Global Climate Models Tell Us about Future Arctic Sea Ice Coverage Changes? Climate, 8 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cli8010015
Kunkel, K. E., S. M. Champion, L. Sun, and J. Rennie, 2017: Climate Model Data Support to the Assistant Secretary of Air Force (ASAF) Climate Projection Engineering Weather Data (EWD) Project. Final Report, Contract N61340-14-C-6103 P00013, 53 pp.,
USGCRP, 2017: Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I. D. J. Wuebbles, D. W. Fahey, K. A. Hibbard, D. J. Dokken, B. C. Stewart, and T. K. Maycock, Eds., 470 pp., U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. http://dx.doi.org/10.7930/J0J964J6
Easterling, D. R., K. E. Kunkel, M. F. Wehner, and L. Sun, 2016: Detection and attribution of climate extremes in the observed record. Weather and Climate Extremes, 11, 17-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2016.01.001
Jacobs, J., S. K. Moore, K. E. Kunkel, and L. Sun, 2015: A framework for examining climate-driven changes to the seasonality and geographical range of coastal pathogens and harmful algae. Climate Risk Management, 8, 16-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2015.03.002
Sun, L., K. E. Kunkel, L. E. Stevens, A. Buddenberg, J. G. Dobson, and D. R. Easterling, 2015: Regional Surface Climate Conditions in CMIP3 and CMIP5 for the United States: Differences, Similarities, and Implications for the U.S. National Climate Assessment. NOAA Technical Report, NESDIS 144, 111 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5RB72KG
De Haan, L. L., M. Kanamitsu, F. De Sales, and L. Sun, 2014: An evaluation of the seasonal added value of downscaling over the United States using new verification measures. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 1-11, doi:10.1007/s00704-014-1278-9. Available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1278-9
Li, H., M. Kanamitsu, S.-Y. Hong, K. Yoshimura, D. Cayan, V. Misra, and L. Sun, 2014: Projected climate change scenario over California by a regional oceanÐatmosphere coupled model system. Climatic Change, 122, 609-619, doi:10.1007/s10584-013-1025-8. Available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-1025-8
Wuebbles, D., G. Meehl, K. Hayhoe, T. R. Karl, K. Kunkel, B. Santer, M. Wehner, B. Colle, E. M. Fischer, R. Fu, A. Goodman, E. Janssen, V. Kharin, H. Lee, W. Li, L. N. Long, S. C. Olsen, Z. Pan, A. Seth, J. Sheffield, and L. Sun, 2014: CMIP5 climate model analyses: climate extremes in the United States. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 95, 571-583, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00172.1. Available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00172.1
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, J. Rennells, A. DeGaetano, and J. G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 1. Climate of the Northeast U.S. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-1. 87 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-1-Climate_of_the_Northeast_U.S.pdf
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, C. E. Konrad, II, C. M. Fuhrman, B. D. Keim, M. C. Kruk, A. Billet, H. Needham, M. Schafer, and J. G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 2. Climate of the Southeast U.S. NOAA Technical Report 142-2. 103 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-2-Climate_of_the_Southeast_U.S.pdf
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, S. D. Hilberg, M. S. Timlin, L. Stoecker, N. E. Westcott, and J. G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 3. Climate of the Midwest U.S. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-3. 103 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-3-Climate_of_the_Midwest_U.S.pdf
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, M. C. Kruk, D. P. Thomas, M. D. Shulski, N. Umphlett, K. G. Hubbard, K. Robbins, L. Romolo, A. Akyuz, T. Pathak, T. R. Bergantino, and J. G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 4. Climate of the U.S. Great Plains. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-4. 91 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-4-Climate_of_the_U.S. Great_Plains.pdf
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, K. T. Redmond, and J. G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 5. Climate of the Southwest U.S. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-5. 87 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-5-Climate_of_the_Southwest_U.S.pdf
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, K. T. Redmond, and J. G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 6. Climate of the Northwest U.S. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-6. 83 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-6-Climate_of_the_Northwest_U.S.pdf
Stewart, B. C., K. E. Kunkel, L. E. Stevens, L. Sun, and J. E. Walsh, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 7. Climate of Alaska. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-7. 60 pp. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-7-Climate_of_Alaska.pdf
Keener, V. W., K. Hamilton, S. K. Izuka, K. E. Kunkel, L. E. Stevens, and L. Sun, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 8. Climate of the Pacific Islands. U.S. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-8. 44 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-8-Climate_of_the_Pacific_Islands.pdf
Kunkel, K. E., L. E. Stevens, S. E. Stevens, L. Sun, E. Janssen, D. Wuebbles, and J. G. Dobson, 2013: Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 9. Climate of the Contiguous United States. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-9. 85 pp., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Washington, D.C. Available online at: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-9-Climate_of_the_Contiguous_United_States.pdf
Hansen, J. W., S. J. Mason, L. Sun, and A. Tall, 2011: Review of seasonal climate forecasting for agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Expimental Agriculture, 47: 1-36. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479710000876
Li, P., H. Kwon, L. Sun, U. Lall, and J. Kao, 2010: A modified support vector machine based prediction model on streamflow at the Shihmen Reservoir, Taiwan. International Journal of Climatology, 30, 1256-1268. http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1954
Block, P., F.A. Souza Filho, L. Sun, and H. Kwon, 2009: A streamflow forecasting framework using multiple climate and hydrological models. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 45: 828-843. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00327.x
Hastenrath, S., L. Sun, and A.D. Moura, 2009: Climate prediction for Brazil's Nordeste by empirical and numerical modeling methods. International Journal of Climatology, 29: 921-926. http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1770
Hellmuth M.E., D.E. Osgood, U. Hess, A. Moorhead and H. Bhojwani (eds,) (L. Sun - coauthor). Index insurance and climate risk: Prospects for development and disaster management. Climate and Society No. 2. International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), Columbia University, New York, USA. ISBN 978-0- 9729252-5-9, 123pp.
Zheng, F., C. Miao, X. Zhang, and L. Sun, 2009: Short-range climate prediction with nested regional spectral model for Wenzhou. Meteorological Science and Technology (Chinese), 37: 9-11.
Zheng, F., X. Zhang, C. Miao, and L. Sun, 2009: Climate characteristics in the nested regional spectral model. Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences (Chinese), 37: 21-30.
Zheng, F., C. Miao, X. Zhang, H. Wan, G. Zhou, M. Wu, and L. Sun, 2008: The NMC nested regional spectral model for Wenzhou mean temperature prediction during the seasons of typhoon. Science and Technology Review (Chinese), 26, 29-33.
Zheng, F., C. Miao, X. Zhang, H. Wan, G. Zhou, M. Wu, and L. Sun, 2008: The NMC nested regional spectral model for Wenzhou rainstorm prediction during the seasons of typhoon. Science and Technology Review (Chinese), 26: 67-75.
Camargo, S. J., H. Li, and L. Sun, 2007: Feasibility study for downscaling seasonal tropical cyclone activity using the NCEP Regional Spectral Model. International Journal of Climatology, 27: 311-325. http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1400
Herceg, D., A. H. Sobel, and L. Sun, 2007: Regional modeling of decadal rainfall variability over the Sahel. Climate Dynamics, 29: 89-99. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-006-0218-5
Sun, L., H. Li, M. N. Ward, and D. Moncunill. Climate variability and corn yields in semi-arid Ceara Brazil. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 46: 226-240. http://doi.org/10.1175/JAM2458.1
Sun, L., and M. N. Ward, 2007: Chapter 2 Climate downscaling: Assessment of the added values using regional climate models. Climate Prediction and Agriculture: Advances and Challenges, Springer, ISBN-10: 3-540-44649-4, 300pp.
Herceg, D., A. H. Sobel, L. Sun, and S. E. Zebiak, 2006: The big brother experiment and seasonal predictability in the NCEP regional spectral model. Climate Dynamics, 27: 69- 82. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-006-0130-z
Sun, L., D. F. Moncunill, H. Li, A. D. Moura, F. A. S. Filho, and S. E. Zebiak, 2006: An operational dynamical downscaling prediction system for Nordeste Brazil and the 2002-04 real-time forecast validation. Journal of Climate, 19,1990-2007. http://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3715.1
Alevs, J. M. B., J. N. B. Campos, F. D. A. D. S. Filho, D. F. Moncunnil, E. M. D. Silva, W. L. Barbosa, A. G. Ferreira, L. Sun, and A. D. Moura, 2005: An evaluation of climate simulations from a regional spectral model nested in a global model (ECHAM4.5) over the north sector of northeast Brazil region (1971-2000). Brazilian Society of Meteorology, 20: 191-206.
Sun, L., D.F. Moncunill, H. Li, A.D. Moura, and F.A.S. Filho. Climate Downscaling over Nordeste Brazil using NCEP RSM97. Journal of Climate, 18: 551-567. http://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3266.1
Mason, S., L. Goddard, N.E. Graham, E. Yulaeva, L. Sun, and P. A. Arkin, 2001: The IRI seasonal climate prediction system and 1997/98 El Nino event. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 80: 1853-1873. http://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1999)080<1853:TISCPS>2.0.CO;2
Nobre, P., A. D. Moura, and L. Sun, 2001: Dynamical Downscaling of Seasonal Climate Prediction over Nordeste Brazil with ECHAM3 and NCEP's Regional Spectral Models at IRI. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 82: 2787-2796. http://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(2001)082<2787:DDOSCP>2.3.CO;2
Sun, L., F. H. M. Semazzi, F. Giorgi, and L. Ogallo, 1999: Application of the NCAR regional climate model to eastern Africa. Part I: Simulation of the Short Rains of 1988. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104: 6529-6548. http://doi.org/10.1029/1998JD200051
Sun, L., F. H. M. Semazzi, F. Giorgi, and L. Ogallo, 1999: Application of the NCAR regional climate model to eastern Africa. Part II: Simulations of interannual variability of precipitation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104: 6549-6562. http://doi.org/10.1029/1998JD200050
Presentations
Kunkel, K. E., J. Biard, and L. Sun, 2018: Impacts of Weather System Changes on Future Extreme Precipitation Design Values. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Washington, DC, December 11, 2018.
Lim, T. K., and L. Sun, 2018: Islandwide Climate Baselines and Scenarios: An Update. Urban Redevelopment Authority Annual Meeting, Singapore, December 4, 2018.
Lim, T. K., and L. Sun, 2018: Islandwide Climate Baselines and Scenarios. QUEST Annual Workshop, Singapore, November 12, 2018.
Sun, L., 2018: Extratropical Cyclones over the Contiguous United States: Current Variability and Future Change. NOAA's 43rd Climate Diagnostics and Prediction Workshop, Santa Barbara, CA, October 23, 2018.
Thompson, T. R., K. Kunkel, L. E. Stevens, D. R. Easterling, J. Biard, and L. Sun, 2017: GC33E-1117: Localized Multi-Model Extremes Metrics for the Fourth National Climate Assessment. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA, December 13, 2017.
Sun, L., 2017: Downscaling climate change information for the United States. International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Columbia University, New York, NY, November 30, 2017.
Sun, L., 2017: Climate downscaling for the National Climate Assessment: practices and challenges. International Workshop on Climate Downscaling Studies, Tsukuba, Japan, October 2, 2017.
E. Kunkel, D. R. Easterling, J. C. Biard, L. Sun, and T. R. Thompson, 2017: Climate Scenarios Development for the Fourth National Climate Assessment. American Meteorological Society 23rd Conference on Applied Climatology, Asheville, NC, June 27, 2017.Thompson, T. R.,K. E. Kunkel, L. E. Stevens, D. R. Easterling, J. C. Biard, and L. Sun, 2017: Localized Trend Analysis of Multi-Model Extremes Metrics for the Fourth National Climate Assessment, American Meteorological Society (AMS) Applied Climatology Conference, Asheville, NC, June 26, 2017.
Champion, S., and L. Sun, 2016: NCA Technical Support Unit, CICS Science Conference, College Park, MD, November 29, 2016.
Sun, L., 2016: Analysis of Climate Extremes over the Contiguous United States, CICS Science Conference, College Park, MD, November 29, 2016.
Sun, L., 2016: Analysis of U.S. Regional Conditions Using LOCA Downscaling Data, invited talk, Risk Analysis and Environmental Disasters, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 27, 2016.
Banzon, V., G. Liu, K. Fornry, E.A. Becker, L. Sun, K. Arzayus, 2016: Use of a Blended Satellite and In situ Sea Surface Temperature Climate Data Record for Evaluating Long-term Impacts on Coral and Marine Mammal Communities, 2016 Ocean Sciences Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 24, 2016.
Sun, L., 2016: Seasonal climate prediction in a changing climate: Northeast Brazil, invited talk via Skype, Climate Prediction Committee Meeting, Brazil, January 18, 2016.
Sun, L., 2014: Climate Downscaling Forecasts over Northeast Brazil: An Update. 13th International Regional Spectral Model Workshop, Yokohama, Japan, November 26, 2014.
Sun, L., K. E. Kunkel, and L. Stevens, 2014: Regional climate extremes in the United States: Observed changes and future outlook, Sun Yat-sen University Seminar, China, November 24, 2014.
Sun, L., 2014: Dynamical downscaling for the National Climate Assessment, Tsinghua University Seminar, China, November 20, 2014.
Sun, L., K. E. Kunkel, and L. Stevens, 2014: Deliver and improve climate science for National Climate Assessment in the United States, SOUSEI Symposium: Challenges toward Regional Climate Change Risk Prediction, Yokohama, Japan, November 26, 2014.