Zhe-Min Tan

Career Overview

Dr. Zhe-Min Tan received his B.S. degree, M.S. degree, and Ph.D. degree in Meteorology from Nanjing University. Since 1991, Dr. Tan has been a faculty member in the Department of Meteorology, Nanjing University, and he has been a full professor since 1999. He was awarded the Distinguished Young Scholar from the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2003 and the Cheung-Kong Scholar Chair Professor by the Ministry of Education of China in 2006, and was elected as Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2021. Dr. Tan was the Head of the Department of Meteorology, Nanjing University from 1998 to 2006, and the Director of Key Laboratory of Mesoscale Severe Weather, Ministry of Education of China and Nanjing University from 2000 to 2010. Dr. Tan has been the vice president of Nanjing University since 2009, and has been appointed as the executive vice president since 2019.

Dr. Tan has been served on numerous advisory boards. He had been the vice-president of Chinese Meteorological Society, member of International Committee for Dynamic Meteorology (ICDM), vice-president of China National Committee for THORPEX, co-chair of the Discipline Evaluation Group for Atmospheric Science of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Earth Science Division of National Natural Science Foundation of China. Dr. Tan is currently served as chair of China National Committee for World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), vice-president of China National Committee of International Association of Meteorological and Atmospheric Science (IAMAS), member of National Expert Committee on Climate Change, director of Atmospheric Sciences Teaching Advisory Committee of Ministry of Education of China, and member of Discipline Development and Teaching Advisory Committee in Higher Education of Ministry of Education of China. Dr. Tan has been on editorial boards of Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, Adv. Atmos. Science, Journal of Meteorological Research, and Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences.

Dr. Tan has concentrated on atmospheric dynamics, tropical cyclone dynamics and atmospheric predictability. Work on planetary boundary layer has improved the theoretical understanding and numerical simulation. Work on tropical cyclone dynamics has focused on the mechanism and prediction of the development of tropical cyclones. Work on atmospheric predictability has interpreted the mechanism for essential error growth. Dr. Tan sought new methods for model parameterization and data assimilation that are objective yet dynamics-based. In much of his work, Dr. Tan has consistently bridged theoretical and applied research through a combination of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation.

Research Interests

Atmospheric dynamics, Tropical cyclone dynamics, Mesoscale dynamics and numerical simulation, Atmospheric predictability

Selected Publications

Tan, Z. M.*, and R. S. Wu, 1994: The Ekman momentum approximation and its application. Boundary Layer Meteo., 68, 193-199.

Tan, Z. M.*, and R. S. Wu, 1994: Helicity dynamics of atmospheric flow. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 11, 175-188.

Tan, Z. M.* and M. Farahai, 1998: An analytical theory of diurnal variation of wind in a semi-geostrophic Ekman boundary layer model. Boundary Layer Meteo., 86, 313-332.

Tan, Z.-M.*, 2001: An approximate analytical solution for baroclinic and variable eddy diffusivity semi-geostrophic Ekman boundary layer. Boundary Layer Meteo., 98, 361-385.

Tan, Z.-M., F. Zhang, R. Rotunon, and C. Snyder, 2004: Mesoscale predictability of moist baroclinic waves: Experiments with parameterized convection. J. Atmos. Sci., 61, 1794-1804.

Ma, L.-M.#, and Z.-M. Tan, 2009: Improving the behavior of the cumulus parameterization for tropical cyclone prediction：Convection trigger. Atmos. Res., 92,190-211.

Qiu, X. #, Z.-M. Tan*, and Q. Xiao, 2010: The roles of vortex Rossby waves in hurricane secondary eyewall formation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 138, 2092–2109.

Gu, J.-F.#, Z.-M. Tan*, and X. Qiu, 2015: Effects of vertical wind shear on inner-core thermodynamics of an idealized simulated tropical cyclone. J. Atmos. Sci., 72, 511-530.

Guo, X. #, and Z.-M. Tan*, 2017: Tropical cyclone fullness: A new concept for interpreting storm intensity. Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 4324-4331, doi:10.1002/2017GL073680.

Guo, Y.-P., and Z.-M. Tan*@, 2018: Westward migration of tropical cyclone rapid-intensification over the Northwestern Pacific during short duration El Niño. Nature Communications, 9, 1507. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03945-y

(* corresponding author, # students/postdocs, @ co-first author)

Recent Research Grants

PI, Dynamics and Prediction of Typhoon Intensity and Structure. National Key Research and Development Program, Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST), ￥16,830,000, 2018.01-2022.12

Books

Lv, K.-L., Y.-Z. Xu, and Z.-M. Tan: Dynamic Meteorology (second edition), Nanjing University Press, Nanjing, 370pp, 2014.

Tan, Z.-M., and S. X. Zhao, Structure and Mechanism of Beta Mesoscale Severe Convective System over Southern China, Meteorological Press, Beijing, pp266, 2013.

Hong, Y.-X., and Z.-M. Tan: Research-oriented Teaching in Research University, Nanjing University Press, Nanjing, pp506, 2009.

Wu, R.-S., Gao S.-T. and Z.-M. Tan: Frontal Processes and Mesoscale Perturbation Development, Meteorological Press, Beijing, 168pp, 2004.

Wu, R.-S., Y. Wang, X. Wang, L. Zhou, Q. He, Z.-M. Tan, D. Zhang, and Y. Pan: Principles of Modern Synoptic Meteorology, China Higher Education Press, Beijing, 319pp, 1999.

Awards and Honors

2019    First Prize for Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology), Ministry of Education of China (MOE)

2014    Grand Prize for National Higher Education and Teaching Achievement Award, the State Council of China (SCC)

2013    Special Prize for Outstanding Teaching Achievement, Jiangsu Province Government

2011    Special Prize for Outstanding Teaching Achievement, Jiangsu Province Government

2009    Second Prize for National Higher Education and Teaching Achievement Award, Ministry of Education

2006    First Prize for Science and Technology Progress Award, Ministry of Education of China (MOE)

2006    National Scholarship for New Century Baiqianwan Project, Ministry of Personnel of China (MOP) and Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST)

2006    Cheung-Kong Scholar Chair Professor, Ministry of Education of China (MOE)

2003    National Award for Excellent Ph.D. Thesis, Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council (ADCSC) and Ministry of Education of China (MOE)

1997    Second Prize for Science and Technology Progress Award, Jiangsu Province Government

1996    Zhao J.-W. Science and Technology Award for Young Scientists, Committee on Zhao J.-W. Science and Technology Award of China

1995    Second Prize for Science and Technology Progress Award, State Education Commission of China

1994    Chinese Science and Technology Award for Young Scientists, Ministry of Personnel of China (MOP) and China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)