Originally from south-west of China, my favourite activities were swimming in the Aha Lake and wandering miles and miles in the mountainous countryside. Trained as a mathematician, but I was seduced early by Mother Nature’s beauty and turned my focus onto environment research.
Moved to Australia in 1993, I studied my PhD in applied mathematics at the University of New South Wales during 1996-2000. After I completed my PhD, I worked for the Land and Water Division, Commonwealth Science and Industry Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra, as a postDoc and subsequently as a research scientist. In 2003, I relocated to Cambridge with my family to escape bushfire flames and to enjoy the smell and scent of green at the Backs. I was a visiting fellow at the Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge in 2003 and 2004. I then joined British Antarctic Survey (BAS) as a research scientist in 2005.
I have mostly worked on environmental issues including wind erosion and dust transport, sediment transport within river basins, solar influences on Earth’s climate variability, and most recently on stratosphere-troposphere coupling. Climate is at the core of all the research issues I have encountered so far. It is the most exciting environmental science because the system is apparently simple but rather complex, so natural but deeply mysterious. It changes constantly and one can hardly have a thorough grasp of its shape.
My recent research interest is on investigating how perturbations imposed in the middle and upper stratosphere can be transmitted downwards to the lower stratosphere and the troposphere dynamically through wave mean flow interaction. One example of this kind is the identification of multiple solar influences and pathways in the climate records, studying non-linear amplification of solar signals and understanding dynamic interactions between external forcing and atmospheric internal variability from a perspective of whole atmospheric vertical coupling.
I am a firm believer that an interdisciplinary approach and collaboration are the most effective ways to carry out research.
In my spare time, I enjoy practicing TaiChi, playing badminton and gardening.
Atmospheric Processes and Variability
Mathematical Modelling
Operations Research
JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Lu H., A. Scaife, G. Marshall, J. Turner, and T. Phillips (2015), Downward wave reflection as a mechanism for the stratosphere- troposphere response to the 11-year solar cycle, J. Climate (under preparation).
White, I. P., H. Lu, N. J. Mitchell and T. Phillips (2015). Dynamical response to the QBO in the Northern winter stratosphere: Signatures in wave forcing and eddy fluxes of potential vorticity, J. Atmos. Sci., doi: 10.1175/JAS-D-14-0358 (to appear).
Lu H., T. J. Bracegirdle, T. Phillips and J. Turner (2015), A comparative study of wave forcing derived from the ERA-40 and ERA-interim reanalysis data sets, J. Climate, 28, 2291–2311. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00356.1.
Lu, H., T. J. Bracegirdle, T. Phillips, A. Bushell, and L. Gray (2014), Mechanisms for the Holton-Tan relationship and its decadal variation, J. Geophys. Res., doi: 10.1002/2013JD021352.
Lu, H., C. Franzke, O. Martius, M. J. Jarvis and T. Phillips (2013), Solar wind dynamic pressure effect on planetary wave propagation and synoptic-scale Rossby wave breaking, J. Geophys. Res., doi: 10.1002/jgrd.50374.
Seppälä, A., H. Lu, M. A. Clilverd, and C. J. Rodger (2013), Geomagnetic activity signatures in wintertime stratosphere-troposphere temperature, wind, and wave response, J. Geophys. Res. doi: 10.1002/jgrd.50236.
Lu, H., Li, Y., M. Clilverd, M. Jarvis (2012), Long-term trend and abrupt changes in geomagnetic indices, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2011JA017422.
Lu, H., D. Pancheva, P. Mukhtarov, and I. Cnossen (2012). QBO modulation of travelling planetary waves during Northern winter, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2011JD016901.
Lu, H., L. J. Gray, M. J Jarvis, M. P. Baldwin (2011), High and low frequency 11-year solar cycle signature in the Southern Hemispheric winter and spring. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 137: 1641–1656.
Li, Y., H. Lu, M. Jarvis, M. Clilverd, and B. Bates (2011), Non-linear and non-stationary influences of geomagnetic activity on the winter North Atlantic Oscillation, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D16109, doi:10.1029/2011JD015822.
Cnossen, I. and H. Lu (2011), The vertical connection of the QBO-modulated 11-year solar cycle signature and planetary waves during Northern Hemispheric early winter. J. Geophys. Res. 116, 116, D13101, doi:10.1029/2010JD015427.
Lu, H. and M. J Jarvis (2011), Is the stratospheric QBO affected by solar wind dynamic pressure via an annual cycle modulation? J. Geophys. Res., 116, D06117, doi:10.1029/2010JD014781.
Cnossen, I., H. Lu, C. J. Bell, L. J. Gray, and M. M. Joshi (2011), Solar signal propagation: the role of gravity waves and stratospheric sudden warmings, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D02118, doi:10.1029/2010JD014535.
Lu, H., L. J. Gray, M. P. Baldwin, M. J Jarvis (2009) Life cycle of the QBO-modulated 11-year solar cycle signals in the Northern Hemispheric winter. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 135, 1030-1043.
Lu, H., M. J. Jarvis, R. E. Hibbins (2008) Possible solar wind effect on the Northern Annular Mode and northern hemispheric circulation during winter and spring, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D23104, doi:10.1029/12008JD010848.
Lu, H., M. A. Clilverd, A. Seppälä, and L. L. Hood (2008) Geomagnetic perturbations on stratospheric circulation in late winter and spring, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D16106, doi:10.1029/2007JD008915.
Lu, H., M. P. Baldwin, L. J. Gray, and M. J Jarvis (2008) Decadal-scale changes in the effect of the QBO on the northern stratospheric polar vortex, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D10114, doi:10.1029/2007JD009647.
Lu, H., M. J. Jarvis, H.-F. Graf, P. C. Young, and R. B. Horne (2007) Atmospheric temperature responses to solar irradiance and geomagnetic activity, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D11109, doi:10.1029/2006JD007864.
Lu, H., Raupach, M.R. and Richards, K. (2005) Entrainment of sedimentary particles by wind and water: similarities, differences and a general approach, J. Geophys. Res.,110, D24114, doi:10.1029/2005JD006418.
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., and Sivapalan, M. (2005) A theoretical exploration of catchment-scale sediment delivery, Water Resources Research, 41, W09415, doi:10.1029/2005WR004018, 2005 (correction Water Resources Research, 42, W01701, doi:10.1029/2005WR004667) .
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., Prosser, I.P. (2005) Modelling sediment delivery ratio over the Murray Darling Basin. Environmental Modelling and Software, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2005.04.021.
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., Prosser, I.P. and DeRose, R. (2004) Investment prioritization analysis based on a broadscale spatial budgeting to meet downstream targets for suspended sediment loads, Water Resources Research, 40(9), W09501 10.1029/2003WR002966.
Raupach, M.R. and Lu, H. (2004) Representation of land-surface processes in Aeolian transport models, Environmental Modelling and Software, 19, 93-112.
Lu, H., Prosser, I.P., Moran, C.J., Gallant, J. Priestley, G. and Stevenson, J.G. (2003) Predicting sheetwash and rill erosion over the Australian continent, Australian Journal of Soil Research, 41, 1037-1062.
Lu, H., Raupach, M.R., McVicar T.R. and Barrett, D.J. (2003) Decomposition of vegetation cover into woody and herbaceous components using AVHRR NDVI time series. Remote Sensing of Environment, 86, 1-18.
Lu, H. and Yu, B. (2002) Spatial and seasonal distribution of rainfall erosivity in Australia, Australian Journal of Soil Research, 40(6), 887-901.
Lu, H. and Shao, Y. (2001) Toward quantitative prediction of dust storms: an integrated wind erosion modelling system and its applications, Environmental Modelling and Software, 16, 233-249.
Shao, Y. and Lu, H. (2000) A simple expression for wind erosion threshold friction velocity, J. Geophys. Res., 105(D17), 22437-22443.
Lu, H. and Shao, Y. (1999) A new model for dust emission by saltation bombardment, J. Geophys. Res., 104 (D14), 16827-16841.
BOOK CHAPTERS
Lu, H. and K. Richard, Sediment delivery: New approaches to modelling an old problem. In “River Confluences, Tributaries and the Fluvial Network“, eds. S. Rice, A. Roy and B. Rhoads, JOHN WILEY & SONS, 352pp.
THESES
Lu, H. (2000) An integrated wind erosion modelling system with emphasis on dust emission and transport. PhD Thesis, School of Mathematics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney.
Lu, H. (1989) Locally Lipschitz functions and quasidifferentiable functions in Banach-space. MSc. Thesis, Dept. of Applied Mathematics, Dalian University of Technology, China.
TECHNICAL/CONSULTANCY REPORTS
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., DeRose, R. and Cannon, G. (2003) Spatially distributed investment prioritization for sediment control in Murray-Darling Basin. Technical Report 31/03, CSIRO Land and Water.
Moran, C.J., Lu, H., DeRose, R., Prosser, I.P., Croke, B., Hughes, A. and Cannon, G. (2003) Sediment and Nutrients in the Rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin: Targeting the future. Spatial Publication, Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.
Prosser, I.P., Moran, C.J., Lu, H., Olley, J., DeRose, R., Cannon, G., Croke, B., Hughes, A., Jakeman, T., Newham, L., Scott, A. and Weisse, M. (2003) Basin-wide mapping of sediment and nutrient exports in Dryland Regions. Final report to MDBC project No. D10012, Murray Darling Basin Commission.
Bartley, R., Henderson, A., Prosser, I.P., Hughes, A.O., McKergow, L., Lu, H., Brodie, J., Bainbridge, Z. and Roth, C.H. (2003) Patterns of erosion and sediment and nutrient transport in the Herbert River Catchment, Queensland. Technical Report (In press)/03, CSIRO Land and Water.
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., Prosser, I.P., Raupach, M.R., Olley, J. and Petheram, C. (2003c) Hillslope erosion and sediment delivery: A basin wide estimation at medium catchment scale, Technical Report 15/03, CSIRO Land and Water.
Bui, E.N., Lu, H. Bormans, M, Mckenzie, N. and Simon, D.A.P. (2003) Framework and methods for strategic land and water capability assessment. Final report to Sydney Catchment Authority.
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., Cannon, G. and Bui, E. (2002) Future best management practices scenario methodology. Report to Basin Wide Sediment Mapping Project, Murray Darling Basin Commission.
Lu, H., Bui, E., Borman, M. and Moran, C.J. (2002) Framework and methods for strategic land and water capability assessment, Consultancy Report Prepared for Sydney Catchment Authority.
Prosser, I.P., Moran, C.J., Lu, H., Scott, A., Rustomji, P., Stevenson, J., Priestly, G., Roth, C.H. and Post, D. (2002) Regional patterns of erosion and sediment transport in the Burdekin river catchment. Technical Report 5/02, CSIRO Land and Water.
Raupach, M.R., Kirby, J.M., Barrett, D.J., Briggs, P.R., Lu, H. and Zhang, L. (2001) Balances of water, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in Australian landscape: (2) Model formulation and testing. Technical Report 40/01, CSIRO Land and Water. http://www.clw.csiro.au/publications/technical2001/tr40-01.pdf
Lu, H., Raupach, M.R. and McVicar, T.R. (2001) Decomposition of vegetation cover into woody and herbaceous components Using AVHRR NDVI time series. Technical Report 35/01, CSIRO Land and Water.
Hughes, A.O., Prosser, I.P., Stevenson, J., Scott, A., Lu, H., Gallant. J.C. and Moran, C.J. (2001) Gully erosion mapping for the National Land and Water Resources Audit. Technical Report 26/01, CSIRO Land and Water.
Prosser, I.P., Hughes, A., Lu, H. and Stevenson, J. (2001) Waterborne erosion – an Australian story. Content for the Australian Natural Resources Atlas storyboards. Compiled by Frances Marston, Technical Report 17/01, CSIRO Land and Water.
Lu, H., Gallant, J.C., Prosser, I.P., Moran, C. and Priestley, G. (2001) Prediction of sheet and rill erosion over the Australian continent: Incorporating monthly soil loss distribution. Technical Report 13/01, CSIRO Land and Water.
CONFERENCE/WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS
Peer Reviewed
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., Prosser, I.P. and DeRose, R. (2004). Spatially distributed investment prioritization for sediment control over the Murray Darling Basin, Australia. In: Pahl-Wostl, C., Schmidt, S., Rizzoli, A.E. and Jakeman, A.J. (eds), Complexity and Integrated Resources Management, Transactions of the 2nd Biennial Meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society, Manno, Switzerland, iEMSs, Volume 2, 1014-1019.
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., Prosser, I.P. and Sivapalan, M. (2004) Modelling sediment delivery ratio based on physical principles. In: Pahl-Wostl, C., Schmidt, S., Rizzoli, A.E. and Jakeman, A.J. (eds), Complexity and Integrated Resources Management, Transactions of the 2nd Biennial Meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society, Manno, Switzerland, iEMSs, Volume 3, 1117-1122.
Lu, H., Moran, C.J., Prosser, I.P. (2003) Modelling sediment delivery ratio over Murray Darling Basin: Hydrologic control and spatial-temporal interaction. In: Proceedings of MODSIM 2003, 485-491.
Lu, H., Gallant, J.C., Prosser, I.P., Moran, C.J. and Priestley, G. (2001) Continental scale sheet and rill erosion modelling: Incorporating monthly soil loss distribution, In: Proceedings of MODSIM 2001. 917-232.
Hughes, A.O., Prosser, I.P., Stevenson, J., Scott, A.S., Lu, H., Gallant, J. C. and Moran, C.J. (2001) Gully density mapping for Australian river basins. In: Proceedings of third Australian Stream management Conference, Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology, Melbourne, 323-328.
Non-peer reviewed
Prosser, I.P., Lu, H. and Chris, M.J. (2003) Assessing soil erosion and its off-site effects at regional to continental scales. Invited paper of OECD Expert Meeting on Soil Erosion and Soil Biodiversity, Rome, 25-28 June 2003.
Lu. H., Prosser, I.P., Moran, C., Gallant, J.C., Priestley, G. and Hughes, A. (2002) Predicting Soil Erosion over the Australian Continent. Abstract included in: Proceedings 17th World Congress of Soil Science, Thailand, 10 pages paper included in the CD.
Lu, H., Shao, Y. and Leslie, L.M. (1997) Wind erosion assessment and predication using an integrated system. In: Proceedings of the Geo-Informatica Conference of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences and the Fourth International Workshop on Geographical Information System, Vol. 2, 936-950.
Lu, H., Shao, Y. and Leslie, L. M. (1997) Three-dimensional simulations of dust transport in atmosphere using a meso-scale model, In: Proceedings of Australian Physical Oceanography Conference and the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society’s 4th National Conference, February 10-12, Sydney, abstract only, page 44.
Lu, H., Shao, Y. and Leslie, L. M. (1997) Modelling of aeolian dust in the atmosphere: sources and transport, In: Proceedings of Joint Assemblies of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences & International Association for Physical Sciences of the Oceans, July 1-9, Melbourne, abstract only, page JMP15.
Publications in NORA (NERC Open Research Archive)
Lu, Hua; Li, Yun; Clilverd, Mark A.; Jarvis, Martin J.. 2012 Trend and abrupt changes in long-term geomagnetic indices. Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics), 117, A05318. 14, pp. 10.1029/2011JA017422
Lu, Hua; Pancheva, Dora; Mukhtarov, Plamen; Cnossen, Ingrid. 2012 QBO modulation of traveling planetary waves during northern winter. Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, D09104. 15, pp. 10.1029/2011JD016901
Lu, Hua; Jarvis, Martin; Gray, Lesley J,; Baldwin, Mark P.. 2011 High- and low-frequency 11-year solar cycle signatures in the Southern Hemispheric winter and spring. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 137 (659). 1641-1656. 10.1002/qj.85.
Lu, Hua;Jarvis, Martin J.;. 2011 Is the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation affected by solar wind dynamic pressure via an annual cycle modulation? Journal of Geophysical Research.
Li, Yun;Lu, Hua;Jarvis, Martin J.;Clilverd, Mark A.;Bates, Bryson;. 2011 Nonlinear and nonstationary influences of geomagnetic activity on the winter North Atlantic Oscillation. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Cnossen, Ingrid;Lu, Hua;Bell, C.J.;Gray, L.J.;Joshi, M.M.;. 2011 Solar signal propagation: the role of gravity waves and stratospheric sudden warmings. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Cnossen, Ingrid;Lu, Hua;. 2011 The vertical connection of the quasi-biennial oscillation- modulated 11 year solar cycle signature in geopotential height and planetary waves during Northern Hemisphere early winter. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Lu, Hua; Gray, Lesley J.; Baldwin, Mark P.; Jarvis, Martin J.. 2009 Life cycle of the QBO modulated 11-year solar cycle signals in the northern hemispheric winter. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 135 (641). 1030-1043. 10.1002/qj.419
Lu, Hua; Richards, Keith. 2008 Sediment delivery: new approaches to modelling an old problem. In: Rice, Stephen; Roy, Andre; Rhoads, Bruce, (eds.) River confluences, tributaries and the fluvial network. Chichester, Wiley, 337-366, 474pp.
Lu, Hua;Baldwin, Mark P.;Gray, Lesley J.;Jarvis, Martin J.;. 2008 Decadal-scale changes in the effect of the QBO on the northern stratospheric polar vortex. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Lu, Hua;Clilverd, Mark A.;Seppälä, Annika;Hood, Lon L.;. 2008 Geomagnetic perturbations on stratospheric circulation in late winter and spring. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Lu, Hua;Jarvis, Martin J.;Hibbins, Robert E.;. 2008 Possible solar wind effect on the Northern Annular Mode and northern hemispheric circulation during winter and spring. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Lu, Hua;Richards, Keith;. 2008 Sediment delivery: new approaches to modelling an old problem. Rice, Stephen.
Lu, Hua;Jarvis, Martin J.;Graf, Hans-F.;Young, Peter C.;Horne, Richard B.;. 2007 Atmospheric temperature responses to solar irradiance and geomagnetic activity. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Lu, Hua;Raupach, Michael R.;Richards, Keith S.;. 2005 Modeling entrainment of sedimentary particles by wind and water: A generalized approach. Journal of Geophysical Research.
Caton Harrison, T., Lock, A., Bracegirdle, T., King, J., & Lu, H. (2025). Surface fields and vertical cross-sections from Met Office Unified Model sensitivity experiments run over a sector of East Antarctica, 2011 – 2017 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/8f5f8ce3-9bd9-40b4-9f09-14a0d680a838
Colwell, S., & Lu, H. (2023). Continuous Subdaily Meteorological Records at Signy Station, the South Orkney Islands 1947 – 1994 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/d74b142c-7981-4a6a-9321-cf904a5668e6
CANARI aims to advance understanding of the impacts on the UK arising from climate variability and change in the Arctic-North Atlantic region, with a focus on extreme weather and the potential for rapid, disruptive change.
SURFEIT unites UK and international scientists to study Antarctic ice and atmosphere interactions, improve sea-level projections, and support climate action.
This project aimed to improve observational knowledge of winds along the Antarctic coast and use this to both evaluate the current state-of-the art climate models and help make improvements for the next model generation.
ACSIS focussed on understanding changes occurring across the North Atlantic climate system in the ocean, the atmosphere, the cryosphere and the interactions between these constituent components.
Scientists at British Antarctic Survey have found that the number of warm weather events in the South Orkney Islands have significantly increased in frequency over the last 75 years.
