I joined BAS in 2014 after spending 12 years at the University of Cambridge. I am an atmospheric modeller who primarily uses 3D numerical chemistry models, including the UK Earth System Model (-UKCA) and the chemistry transport model (p-TOMCAT), alongside field data analysis, to investigate polar and global-scale atmospheric chemistry and climate processes. My research centres on atmospheric oxidising capacity (ozone, halogens, NOx) and aerosols and their climate impacts. I am also interested in the exchanges of gas-phase and particulate-phase species at the air-snow-ice interface in polar regions.

I have two major scientific contributions: (i) the first to implement a fully detailed tropospheric bromine chemistry scheme in a global model; (ii) pioneering the concept of sea salt aerosol production from sublimating windblown saline snow particles over sea ice and successfully parameterising it. This novel sea-ice-sourced source is an addition to the open-ocean-sourced emission, thus opening a new window to interpolate some polar phenomena in atmospheric, snow chemistry, ice cores and even Arctic warming, for example.

Research interests

Blowing snow events and their climate impacts via aerosol production. My current focus is on sea salt aerosol production, but I am moving towards new tasks of modelling the recycling of snow impurities deposited onto snow surfaces during winter and using climate model to estimate their climate and environmental impacts.

Polar halogen (bromine) chemistry, mainly polar boundary layer Bromine Explosion Events (BEEs) and Ozone Depletion Events (ODEs).

Snow chemistry, mainly snow-air exchange of reactive bromine and nitrogen

Polar winter climate, affected by newly identified aerosols and aerosol-cloud interaction.

Modelling volcano-sourced sulfate and halogen impacts on stratospheric ozone

Effects of very short-lived bromocarbons on atmospheric ozone

Elemental mercury oxidation modelling

Collaborations

I welcome cross-disciplinary collaborations and have worked with many outstanding world-leading scientists across various fields, including modelling, data collection, and laboratory work. I have learned much from these collaborations, and they consistently yield novel and fruitful results.

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

Before 2015

1. Yang, X., N. L. Abraham, A. T. Archibald, P. Braesicke, J. Keeble, P. J. Telford, N. J. Warwick, and J. A. Pyle, How sensitive is the recovery of stratospheric ozone to changes in concentrations of very short lived bromocarbons? Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10431-10438, doi:10.5194/acp-14-10431-2014, 2014.
2. Banerjee, A., Archibald, A. T., Maycock, A., Telford, P., Abraham, N. L., Yang, X., Braesicke, P., and Pyle, J.: Lightning NOx, a key chemistry–climate interaction: impacts of future climate change and consequences for tropospheric oxidising capacity, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 14, 8753-8778, doi:10.5194/acpd-14-8753-2014, 2014.
3. Levine, J., Yang, X., Jones, A., Wolff, E. W.: Sea salt as an ice core proxy for past sea ice extent: a process-based model study, J. Geophys. Res., doi: 10.1002/2013JD020925, 2014.
4. Braesicke, P., Keeble, J., Yang, X., Stiller, G., Kellmann, S., Abraham, N. L., Archibald, A., Telford, P., and Pyle, J. A.: Circulation anomalies in the Southern Hemisphere and ozone changes, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 10677– 10688, doi:10.5194/acp-13-10677-2013, 2013.
5. Hossaini, R., M. Chipperfield, S. Dhomse, C. Ordonez, A. Saiz-Lopez, N. L. Abraham, A. T. Archibald, P. Braesicke, P. J. Telford, N. J. Warwick, X. Yang, J. A. Pyle, Modelling future changes to the stratospheric source gas injection of biogenic bromocarbons, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, doi:10.1029/2012GL053401, 2012.
6. Zatko, M. C., Grenfell, T. C., Alexander, B., Doherty, S. J., Thomas, J. L., and Yang, X.: The influence of snow grain size and impurities on the vertical profiles of actinic flux and associated NO_x emissions on the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 3547-3567, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-3547-2013, 2013.
7. Parrella, J. P., D. J. Jacob, Q. Liang, Y. Zhang, L. J. Mickley, B. Miller, M. J. Evans, X. Yang, J. A. Pyle, N. Theys, and M. Van Roozendael, Tropospheric bromine chemistry: implications for present and pre-industrial ozone and mercury, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 6723-6740, doi:10.5194/acp-12-6723-2012, 2012.
8. Abbatt, J. P. D., J. L. Thomas, K. Abrahamsson, C. Boxe, A. Granfors, A. E. Jones, M. D. King, A. Saiz-Lopez, P. B. Shepson, J. Sodeau, D. W. Toohey, C. Toubin, R. von Glasow, S. N. Wren, and X. Yang, Halogen activation via interactions with environmental ice and snow, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 6237-6271, doi:10.5194/acp-12-6237-2012, 2012.
9. Tegtmeier, S., K. Krüger, B. Quack, I. Pisso, A. Stohl, and X. Yang, Emission and transport of bromocarbons: from the West Pacific ocean into the stratosphere, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 10633-10648, doi:10.5194/acp-12-10633-2012, 2012.
10. Hezel, P. J., B. Alexander, C. M. Bitz, E. J. Steig, C. D. Holmes, X. Yang, and J. Sciare, Modeled methanesulfonic acid (MSA) deposition in Antarctica and its relationship to sea ice, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D23214, doi:10.1029/2011JD016383, 2011.
11. Theys, N., M. Van Roozendael, F. Hendrick, X. Yang, I. De Smedt, A. Richter, M. Begoin, Q. Errera, P. V. Johnston, K. Kreher, and M. De Mazière, Global observations of tropospheric BrO columns using GOME-2 satellite data, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 1791-1811, doi:10.5194/acp-11-1791-2011, 2011.
12. Ruti, P. M., J. E. Williams, F. Hourdin, F. Guichard, A. Boone, P. Van Velthoven, F. Favot, I. Musat, M. Rumukkainen, M. Domínguez, M. Á. Gaertner, J.P. Lafore, T. Losada, M.B. Rodriguez de Fonseca, J. Polcher, F. Giorgi, Y. Xue, I. Bouarar, K. Law, B. Josse, B. Barret, X. Yang, C. Mari, A.K. Traore, The West African climate system: a review of the AMMA model inter-comparison initiatives, Atmos. Sci. Lett., 12, 116-122, doi:10.1002/asl.305, 2011.
13. Russo, M. R., V. Marecal, C. R. Hoyle, J. Arteta, C. Chemel, O. Dessens, W. Feng, J. S. Hosking, P. Telford, O. Wild, X. Yang, J. A. Pyle, Tropical deep Convection and its impact on Composition in Global and Mesoscale models – Part 1: Meteorology, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 2765-2786, doi:10.5194/acp-11-2765-2011, 2011.
14. Hoyle, C. R., V. Marécal, M. R. Russo, J. Arteta, C. Chemel, M. P. Chipperfield, F. D’Amato, O. Dessens, W. Feng, N. R. P. Harris, J. S. Hosking, O. Morgenstern, T. Peter, J. A. Pyle, T. Reddmann, N. A. D. Richards, P. J. Telford, W. Tian, S. Viciani, O. Wild, X. Yang, and G. Zeng, Tropical deep convection and its impact on composition in global and mesoscale models – Part 2: Tracer transport, Atmos. Chem. Phys., doi:10.5194/acp-11-8103-2011, 11, 8103-8131 2011.
15. Feng, W., M. P., Chipperfield, S. Dhomse, B. M. Monge-Sanz, X. Yang, K. Zhang, and M. Ramonet, Evaluation of cloud convection and tracer transport in a three-dimensional chemical transport model, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11 (5783-5803) , doi:10.5194/acp-11-5783-2011, 2011.
16. Holmes, C. D., D. J. Jacob, E. S. Corbitt, J. Mao, X. Yang, R. Talbot, F. Slemr, and Y.-J. Han, Global atmospheric model for mercury including oxidation by bromine atoms, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 12037-12057, doi:10.5194/acp-10-12037-2010, 2010.
17. Williams, J. E., M. P. Scheele, P. F. J. van Velthoven, I. Bouarar, K. Law, B. Josse, V. H. Peuch, X. Yang, J. Pyle, V. Thouret, B. Barret, C. Liousse, F. Hourdin, S. Szopa and A. Cozic, Global Chemistry simulations in the AMMA-Model Intercomparison project, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 91, 611-624, doi:10.1175/2009bams2818.1, 2010.
18. Barret, B., J. E. Williams, I. Bouarar, X. Yang, B. Josse, K. Law, E. Le Flochmon, C. Liousse, V. H. Peuch, G. Carver, J. Pyle, B. Sauvage, P. van Velthoven, C. Mari, and J.-P. Cammas, Impact of West African Monsoon convective transport and lightning NOx production upon tropical the upper tropospheric composition: a multi-model study, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5719-5738, doi:10.5194/acp-10-5719-2010, 2010.
19. Pike, R. C., J. D. Lee, P. J. Young, S. Moller, G. D. Carver, X. Yang, P. Misztal, B. Langford, D. Stewart, C. Reeves, C.N. Hewitt and J. A. Pyle, Can a global model chemical mechanism reproduce NO, NO2, and O3 measurements above a tropical rainforest? Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 10607-10620, doi:10.5194/acp-10-10607-2010, 2010.
20. Yang, X., J. A., Pyle, R. A. Cox, N. Theys, M. Van Roozendael, Snow-sourced bromine and its implications for polar tropospheric ozone, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 7763-7773, doi:10.5194/acp-10-7763-2010, 2010.
21. Hewitt, C. N., et. al. (55 co-authors): Overview: oxidant and particle photochemical processes above a south-east Asian tropical rainforest (the OP3 project): introduction, rationale, location characteristics and tools, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 169-199, doi:10.5194/acp-10-169-2010, 2010.
22. Hewitt, C. N., et al.(55 co-authors): Corrigendum to “Overview: oxidant and particle photochemical processes above a south-east Asian tropical rainforest (the OP3 project): introduction, rationale, location characteristics and tools” published in Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 169–199, 2010, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 563-563, doi:10.5194/acp-10-563-2010, 2010.
23. Voulgarakis, A., X. Yang and J. A. Pyle, How different would tropospheric oxidation be over an ice-free Arctic? Geophys. Res. Lett., doi:10.1029/2009GL040541, 2009.
24. O’Brien, L. M., Harris, N. R. P., Robinson, A. D., Gostlow, B., Warwick, N., Yang, X., and Pyle, J. A.: Bromocarbons in the tropical marine boundary layer at the Cape Verde Observatory – measurements and modelling, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 9083-9099, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-9083-2009, 2009.
25. Yang, X, J. A. Pyle, and R. A. Cox, Sea salt aerosol production and bromine release: Role of snow on sea ice. Geophys. Res. Let., 35, L16815, doi:10.1029/2008GL034536, 2008.
26. Hendrick, F., Van Roozendael, M., Chipperfield, M. P., Dorf, M., Goutail, F., Yang, X., Fayt, C., Hermans, C., Pfeilsticker, K., Pommereau, J.-P., Pyle, J. A., Theys, N., and De Mazière, M.: Retrieval of stratospheric and tropospheric BrO profiles and columns using ground-based zenith-sky DOAS observations at Harestua, 60° N, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 4869-4885, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-4869-2007, 2007.
27. Pyle J. A., N. Warwick, X. Yang, P. J. Young, and G. Zeng, Climate/chemistry feedbacks and biogenic emissions, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A, 365, 1727-1740, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2007.2041, 2007.
28. Warwick, N. J., J. A. Pyle, G. D. Carver, X. Yang, N. H. Savage, F. M. O’Connor, and R. A. Cox, Global modeling of biogenic bromocarbons, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D24305, doi:10.1029/2006JD007264, 2006.
29. Holmes, C. D., D. J. Jacob, and X. Yang, Global lifetime of elemental mercury against oxidation by atomic bromine in the free troposphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L20808, doi:10.1029/2006GL027176, 2006.
30. Yang, X., R. A. Cox, N. J. Warwick, J. A. Pyle, G. D. Carver, F. M. O’Connor and N. H. Savage, Tropospheric bromine chemistry and its impacts on ozone: A model study. J. Geophys. Res., 110, D23311, doi:10.1029/2005JD006244, 2005. (this paper was reviewed by a Nature article: Salawitch,, Nature, 2006)
31. Wang, M.X., Q. Liu Q, X. Yang, A review of research on human activity induced climate change I. Greenhouse gases and aerosols, Adv. Atmos. Sci., 21 (3): 314-321, 2004.
32. Yang, X., M.X. Wang, Y. Huang, Y. S. Wang, A one-compartment model to study soil carbon decomposition rate at equilibrium situation, Ecological Modelling, 151 (1): 63-73, 2002.
33. Yang, X., M. X. Wang and Y. Huang, The climatic-induced net carbon sink by terrestrial biosphere over 1901-1995, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 18(6), 1192-1205, 2001.
34. Yang, X., and M. X. Wang, Monsoon ecosystems control on atmospheric CO2 interannual variability: inferred from a significant positive correlation between year-to-year changes in land precipitation and atmospheric CO2 growth rate, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 11, 1671-1674, 2000. (highlighted)
35. Yang, X., M. X. Wang and X. S. Li, Numerical study of surface ozone in China during summer time, J. Geophys. Res., 104, D23, 30341-30349, 1999.

• Yang, X., & Strong, K. (2024). Snow chemical compositions, salinity, surface ozone, BrO and meteorology data at Eureka, Canada in spring of 2018/19 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/5b75a1dc-6f24-43bc-b93a-c1dcf633f12a

• Yang, X. (2019). Modelling and observed sea salt aerosol in the Weddell Sea (June-August 2013) (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/8838b0b7-20b7-46bb-8cf1-b853290b2035

• Frey, M., Norris, S., Brooks, I., Anderson, P., Nishimura, K., Yang, X., Jones, A., Nerentorp Mastromonaco, M., Jones, D., & Wolff, E. (2019). Concentration, size distribution and chemical composition of snow particles, sea salt aerosol and snow on sea ice in the Weddell Sea (Antarctica) during austral winter/spring 2013 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/853dd176-bc7a-48d4-a6be-33bcc0f17eeb

1. How sea ice and snow regulate climate

   CRiceS investigates the rapid decline of sea ice and its links to physical and chemical changes in polar oceans and the atmosphere.

   Read more of: How sea ice and snow regulate climate

   

2. Antarctic surface mass and energy exchanges

   SURFEIT unites UK and international scientists to study Antarctic ice and atmosphere interactions, improve sea-level projections, and support climate action.

   Read more of: Antarctic surface mass and energy exchanges

   

3. Sea salt aerosols and Arctic climate

   SSAASI-CLIM attempts to determine the salt sea aerosol source, fate and potential impact on Arctic climate associated with blowing snow above sea ice and other sea ice sources.

   Read more of: Sea salt aerosols and Arctic climate

   

4. ISOL-ICE

   This project collected a shallow ice core from East Antarctic Plateau to reconstruct past ultraviolet radiation and therefore the ozone layer for the past 1,000 yr by measuring the isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen in the nitrate ion.

   Read more of: ISOL-ICE

   

Past research projects:

• NERC standard grant (May 2017-Sep 2020): “Retreat of Southern Hemisphere Sea Ice, 130 000 to 116 000 years BP” (as Co-I)
• UK-Canada Arctic bursaries programme (2019-2020): “A second investigation of the role of tundra snowpack chemistry in the boundary layer ‘bromine explosion’ at Eureka, Canada” (PI, with Canadian collaborator Professor Kimberly Strong (University of Toronto))
• UK-Canada Arctic bursaries programme (2018-2019): “The role of tundra snowpack chemistry in the boundary layer bromine budget at Eureka, Canada” (as PI, with Canadian collaborator Professor Kimberly Strong (University of Toronto))
• NERC standard grant BLOWSEA (Dec 2012-Dec 2015): “Blowing snow and sea ice surfaces as a source of polar sea salt aerosol”  (as researcher Co-I)

Studentship projects:

• 2024: Cambridge CREATES DLA project: CE547: Constraining the climate impact of a newly identified polar aerosol source (Lead supervisor: Xin Yang, British Antarctic Survey)
• 2023: C-CLEAR DTP PhD project: Ice nucleating particles from blizzards above sea ice – magnitude and climate impacts of a potential particle source in a warming world (Co-supervisor)
• 2023: C-CLEAR Research Experience Placement (REP) project:  Quantifying polar atmospheric ozone loss due to bromine chemistry (primary supervisor).
• 2022: ARIES Research Experience Placement (REP) project: Exploring the origin of snow water isotopic signals in the Arctic (primary supervisor for two students)
• 2021: ARIES Research Experience Placement (REP): Exploring surface snow ions in the Arctic (primary supervisor).
• 2020: GW4+ DTP PhD project: Investigation into the importance of marine aerosol sources for accurate predictions of Arctic climate change (co-supervisor).

1. Clouds formed with sea salt contribute to Arctic warming

   Scientists studying Arctic warming have shared new evidence that sea salt aerosols from “blowing snow” play a significant role in forming clouds that reflect solar radiation back to the Earth’s surface.

   Read more of: Clouds formed with sea salt contribute to Arctic warming

   

2. New project to understand polar processes in global climate system

   British Antarctic Survey researchers will work on a new Horizon 2020 project to advance their understanding of polar processes in the global climate system. The CRiceS project, or Climate relevant […]

   Read more of: New project to understand polar processes in global climate system

   

• Fellow (since 2014) | FRMetS, Royal Meteorological Society
• Associate Fellow (2009-2013), Royal Meteorological Society
• Committee member, International Commission of Polar Meteorology (ICPM)
• Member (was co-chair) of group "Methane, Ozone and Other Trace Gases", International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere
• Member, NERC Peer Review College