Xu Zhang

Earth System Ice Sheet Modeller

Xu Zhang

Team

General enquiries

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Xu Zhang

Biography

I am currently a Senior Scientist in Ice Dynamics and Palaeoclimate team at the British Antarctic Survey, specializing in Earth system and ice sheet modelling, with a focus on roles of Antarctic changes in the climate system.

Professional appointments 

2024 –                Senior Scientist at the British Antarctic Survey

2022 – 2024      Deputy Director of State Key Lab of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources, CN

2021 – 2024      Full Professor at the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS, CN

2018 – 2021      Full Professor at Lanzhou University, CN

2014 – 2018      Scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute, DE
Honorary and Guest Positions
2025 –               Honorary Professor at Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University

2024 –               Guest Scientist in Cenozoic Environment group, ITP-CAS

2018 –               Guest Scientist in Paleoclimate Dynamics group, AWI

Higher Education

2014                  PhD (summa cum laude) in Physics, University of Bremen, Germany

2010                  MSc in Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, CN

2007                  BSc in Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, CN

Research interests:

I study the mechanisms driving Quaternary climate changes across millennial to orbital timescales — from Dansgaard–Oeschger events to glacial–interglacial cycles — with the aim of improving our process understanding and model representation of abrupt climate changes. My research is highly interdisciplinary, combining proxy records, numerical modelling, and mathematical statistics (AI/ML), and involves extensive collaboration across these fields. This integrative approach helps reveal the governing dynamics, feedbacks, and climate-system impacts underlying past abrupt changes. Below is an overview of my research portfolio:

  • Antarctic forcing and feedback to climate changes
  • Quaternary millennial-to-orbital time scale climate variability (i.e. Dansgaard-Oeschger events, glacial cycles)
  • Atlantic meridional overturning circulation
  • Hydroclimate and water isotopes
  • Marine carbon cycle
  • Paleoclimate Date Assimilation
  • Application of AI and ML on Geosciences

I openly welcome inquiries from prospective students and collaborations interested in relevant topics.

See full publications in Google Scholar & Research Gate

Current advertised PhD projects :

Current students :

  • Ms Lili Csada, MSc student (2025 – ) (GEOMAR, Kiel University, DE)
  • Ms Yu Huang, MPhil student (2025) (Uni. Cambridge, UK)
  • Mr Yu’ao Zhang, PhD candidate (2023 – ) (ITPCAS/UCAS, CN).

Previous PhD candidates:

  • Dr. Xiyu Dong (2021-2025), co-supervised with Prof. Hai Cheng (Xi’an Jiaotong University, CN)
  • Dr. Shuo Hao (2021-2024) (ITPCAS/UCAS, CN)
  • Dr. Øyvind Flataker Lien (2019-2023),  co-supervised with Prof. Berit Oline Hjelstuen (University of Bergen, NO).
  • Dr. Zhenqian Wang (2018-2022) (Uni Lanzhou, CN)
  • Dr. Yuchen Sun (2018-2022) (AWI, DE)

Current major projects: 

  • Co-PI, National Key Research and Development Projects of China, institute and WP lead,  “Mechanism, impacts and feedback of global core tipping elements”  [26m RMB] [Ongoing]

Professional activities

Research interests

Collaborations

Selected Publications:
Abrupt climate change/millennial-scale climate variability:

  • Lin X.*, X. Zhang, B. Wu, Y.G. Liu, and C.J. Zhang, 2025: Toward an integrated framework on AMOC stability: Combining theory, observations, paleoclimate records, model simulations and AI, The Innovation Geoscience, 3(4), 100167, doi: 10.59717/j.xinn-geo.2025.100167
  • DeNezio P.*, T. M. Shanahan, T. Sun, C. Sun, X. Wu, A. Lawman, D. Lea, M. Kageyama, U. Merkel, M. Prange, B. Otto-Bliesner and X. Zhang: Tropical response to ocean circulation slowdown raises future drought risk. Nature, 644, 676-683, doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09319-x
  • Yan X.W., X. Zhang*, B. Liu, H.T. Mithan, J. Hellstrom, S. Nuber, R. Drysdale, J. Wu, F. Lin, N. Zhao, Y. Zhang, W. Kang and J. Liu, 2025: Asynchronicity of deglacial permafrost thawing controlled by millennial-scale climate variability. Nature Comm. 16, doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55184-z
  • Zhang X.*, S, Barker, G. Knorr, G. Lohmann, R. Drysdale, Y. B. Sun, D. Hodell and F. H. Chen, 2021: Direct astronomical influence on abrupt climate variability, Nature Geosci., 14, 819-826, doi: 10.1038/s41561-021-00846-6
  • Knorr G.*, S. Barker, X. Zhang, G. Lohmann, X. Gong, P. Gierz, C. Stepanek and L. Stap, 2021: A salty deep ocean as a prerequisite for glacial termination, Nature Geosci. 14, 930-936, doi:10.1038/s41561-021-00857-3
  • Maier E.*, X. Zhang*, A. Abelmann, R. Gersonde, S. Mulitza, M. Werner, M. Méheust, B. Chapligin, J. Ren, H. Meyer, R. Stein, R. Tiedemann, and G. Lohmann, 2018: North Pacific freshwater events linked to glacial ocean circulation changes, Nature, 559, 241-245, doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0276-y
  • Zhang X.*, Knorr, G. Lohmann, and S. Barker, 2017: Abrupt North Atlantic circulation changes in response to gradual CO2 forcing in a glacial climate state, Nature Geosci., 10, 518-523, doi:10.1038/ngeo2974
  • Zhang X.*, Lohmann, G. Knorr and C. Purcell, 2014: Abrupt glacial climate shifts controlled by ice sheet changes, Nature, 512, 290-294, doi: 10.1038/nature13592.

Glacial cycle and Deglacial climates:

  • An Z.*, W. Zhou, Z. Zhang, X. Zhang*, Z. Liu*, Y. Sun, S. C. Clemens, L. Wu, J. Zhao, Z. Shi, X. Ma, H. Yan, G. Li, Y. Cai, J. Yu, Y. Sun, S. Li, Y. Zhang, C. Stepanek, G. Lohmann, G. Dong, H. Cheng, Y. Liu, Z. Jin, T. Li, Y. Hao, J. Lei and W. Cai, 2024: Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic ice sheet growth, Science, 385, 560-565, doi: 10.1126/science.abn4861
  • Nuber S.*, J. W.B. Rae, X. Zhang, M. B. Andersen, M. D. Dumont, Y.C. Sun, H.T. Mithan, B. de Boer, I. Hall and S. Barker, 2023: Indian Ocean Salinity build-up primes Deglacial Ocean Circulation Recovery, Nature, 617, 306-311, doi:10.1038/s41586-023-05866-3
  • Starr A.*, I. R. Hall, S. Barker, T. Rackow, X. Zhang, S. R. Hemming, H.J.L. van der Lubbe, G. Knorr, M. A. Berke, G. R. Bigg, A. Cartagena, F. J. Jimenez- Espejo, X. Gong, J. Gruetzner, N. Lathika, L. J. LeVay, R. S. Robinson, M. Ziegler and Exp. 361 Science Party, 2021: Melting Antarctic Icebergs Reorganize Ocean Circulation During Pleistocene Glacials, Nature, 589, 236-241, doi:10.1038/s41586-020-03094-7
  • Du J. L., Y. Ye, X. Zhang*, C. Voelker and J. Tian, 2022: Southern Control of Interhemispheric Synergy on Glacial Marine Carbon Sequestration, Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, e2022GL099048
  • Barker, S.*, X. Zhang, L. Jonkers, S. Lordsmith, S. Conn and G. Knorr. 2021: Strengthening Atlantic Inflow across the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 36, e2020PA004200, doi: 10.1029/2020PA004200
  • Dong L.*, X. Zhang, G. D. Jia, Y. Du, L. Li and Q. Y. Li, 2020: CO2-induced decoupling of Tropical Surface and Thermocline Water Temperature at the onset of interglacials, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL088805
  • Zhang, X.*, Lohmann, G. Knorr and X. Xu, 2013: Different ocean states and transient characteristics in Last Glacial Maximum simulations and implications for deglaciation. Clim. Past, 9, 2319-2333, doi:10.5194/cp-9-2319-2013

Holocene climate:

  • Zhang X.* and H. Chen, 2021: Non-trivial role of internal climate feedbacks on interglacial temperature evolution. Nature, 600, E1–E3.doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03930-4
  • Liu Z.*, J. Zhu, Y. Rosenthal, X. Zhang, B.-L. Otto-Bliesner, A. Timmermann, R. S. Smith, G. Lohmann, W. P. Zheng and O. Timm, O., 2014: The Holocene temperature conundrum. PNAS, 111, E350-E3505, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1407229111

Tropical Hydroclimate and water isotope:

  • Dong X.Y., X. Zhang*, H. Zhang, Y. Zhang, S. O. Rasmussen, R. Zhang, Y. Cai, S. Huang, G. Kathayat, C. Pérez-Mejías, B. Zong, D. Liu, P. Duan, A. Svensson, C. Spötl, Y. Li, X. Niu, J. Wang, H. Li, Y. Ning, Y. Xu, X. Wang, N. M. Stríkis, F. W. Cruz, A. Sinha, M. Werner, R. L. Edwards and H. Cheng*, 2025: Interstadial diversity of East Asian summer monsoon linked to changes of the Northern Westerlies. Nature Comm. 16, 7765, doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63057-2
  • Zhang H.W.*, X. Zhang*, Y. Cai, A. Sinha, C. Spötl, J. Baker, G. Kathayat, Z. Liu, Y. Tian, J, Lu, Z. Wang, J. Zhao; X. Jia; W. Du; Y. Ning; Z. An; L. R. Edwards and H. Cheng*, 2021: A data-model comparison pinpoints Holocene spatiotemporal pattern of East Asian summer monsoon, Quat. Sci. Rev., 261, 106911, doi:1 0.1016/j.quascirev.2021.106911
  • Zhang, Y.*, X. Zhang, C. Chiessi, S. Mulitza, X. Zhang, G. Lohmann, M. Prange, H. Behling, M. Zabel, A. Govin, A. Sawakuchi, F. Cruz and G. Wefer, 2016: Equatorial Pacific forcing of western Amazonian precipitation during Heinrich Stadial 1, Scientific Reports, doi:10.1038/srep35866

Miscellaneous:

  • [Palaeodata assimilation] Hao S., X. Zhang*, Y.W., Duan, E. J. Gowan, J. Zhu, A. Cauquoin, J. Chen, M. Werner and F.H. Chen, 2025: Model seasonal and proxy spatial biases revealed by assimilated mid-Holocene seasonal temperatures. Science Bulletin, 70, 2014-2022, doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.03.039
  • [Long-term climate evolution] Lien Ø. F., B. O. Hjelstuen, X. Zhang and H. P. Sejrup, 2022: Late Plio-Pleistocene evolution of the Eurasian Ice Sheets inferred from sediment input along the northeastern Atlantic continental margin, Quat. Sci. Rev., 292, 107433, doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107433
  • [Ice-sheet model development] Hinck S.*, E. Gowan, X. Zhang and G. Lohmann, 2022: PISM-LakeCC: Implementing an adaptive proglacial lake boundary in an ice sheet model, The Cryosphere, 16, 941–965, doi:10.5194/tc-16-941-2022
  • [Sea level reconstruction] Gowan E.*, X. Zhang, S. Khosravi, A. Rovere, P. Stocchi, A. L. C. Hughes, R. Gyllencreutz, J. Mangerud, J. I. Svendsen and G. Lohmann, 2021: A new global ice sheet reconstruction for the past 80000 years, Nature Comm., 1-9, doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21469-w
  • [Isotope GCM development] Werner, M., B. Haese, X Xu, X. Zhang, M. Butzin and G. Lohmann, 2015: Glacial–interglacial changes of H218O, HDO and deuterium excess – results from the fully coupled Earth System Model ECHAM5/MPI-OM, Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 647-670, doi: 10.5194/gmd-9-647-2016

See full publications in Google Scholar & Research Gate

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2025

Wang, Kexin ORCIDORCID record for Kexin Wang, Zhao, Jingyao ORCIDORCID record for Jingyao Zhao, Cai, Yanjun ORCIDORCID record for Yanjun Cai, Zhang, Haiwei ORCIDORCID record for Haiwei Zhang, Li, Hanying ORCIDORCID record for Hanying Li, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Zhang, Xiaojian ORCIDORCID record for Xiaojian Zhang, Wang, Jian, Gorbarenko, Sergey A. ORCIDORCID record for Sergey A. Gorbarenko, Bersenev, Yuriy I., Vasilenko, Yuriy P. ORCIDORCID record for Yuriy P. Vasilenko, Cheng, Hai ORCIDORCID record for Hai Cheng. (2025) Contrasting Responses of Monsoon Rainfall and Speleothem Oxygen Isotope Between Northeast Asia and North China During the Early‐Mid Holocene. Geophysical Research Letters, 52 (). 13 pp. doi:10.1029/2025GL114717

Huang, Huang, Fietzke, Jan, Gutjahr, Marcus, Frank, Martin, Kuhn, Gerhard, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Hillenbrand, Claus-Dieter ORCIDORCID record for Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Li, Dengfeng, Hu, Jingyan, Yu, Jimin. (2025) Enhanced deep Southern Ocean stratification during the lukewarm interglacials. Nature Communications, 16 (). pp. 10.1038/s41467-025-63938-6

Slattery, John ORCIDORCID record for John Slattery, Sime, Louise C. ORCIDORCID record for Louise C. Sime, Rehfeld, Kira, Weitzel, Nils, Malmierca-Vallet, Irene ORCIDORCID record for Irene Malmierca-Vallet, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Valdes, Paul J., Muschitiello, Francesco. (2025) A Global Speleothem-Based Assessment of Spontaneous Dansgaard–Oeschger Type Oscillations in Two Isotope-Enabled General Circulation Models. Geophysical Research Letters, 52 (). 10 pp. 10.1029/2025GL114906

Lawman, A.E. ORCIDORCID record for A.E. Lawman, Sun, C. ORCIDORCID record for C. Sun, Wu, X. ORCIDORCID record for X. Wu, Sun, T., Piatrunia, N., Gomez, K. ORCIDORCID record for K. Gomez, Kageyama, M. ORCIDORCID record for M. Kageyama, Merkel, U. ORCIDORCID record for U. Merkel, Prange, M. ORCIDORCID record for M. Prange, Otto-Bliesner, B. ORCIDORCID record for B. Otto-Bliesner, Zhang, X. ORCIDORCID record for X. Zhang, DiNezio, P. ORCIDORCID record for P. DiNezio, Shanahan, T. ORCIDORCID record for T. Shanahan. (2025) Mechanisms driving the global tropical response to a weakened AMOC during Heinrich Stadial 1. Quaternary Science Reviews, 369 (). 18 pp. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109567

Dong, Xiyu ORCIDORCID record for Xiyu Dong, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Zhang, Haiwei ORCIDORCID record for Haiwei Zhang, Zhang, Yuao, Rasmussen, Sune O. ORCIDORCID record for Sune O. Rasmussen, Zhang, Rui ORCIDORCID record for Rui Zhang, Cai, Yanjun ORCIDORCID record for Yanjun Cai, Huang, Shouyi, Kathayat, Gayatri, Pérez-Mejías, Carlos ORCIDORCID record for Carlos Pérez-Mejías, Zong, Baoyun, Liu, Dianbing, Duan, Pengzhen, Svensson, Anders ORCIDORCID record for Anders Svensson, Spötl, Christoph ORCIDORCID record for Christoph Spötl, Li, Youwei, Niu, Xiaowen ORCIDORCID record for Xiaowen Niu, Wang, Jian ORCIDORCID record for Jian Wang, Li, Hanying, Ning, Youfeng, Xu, Yao, Wang, Xianfeng ORCIDORCID record for Xianfeng Wang, Stríkis, Nicolás M. ORCIDORCID record for Nicolás M. Stríkis, Cruz, Francisco W. ORCIDORCID record for Francisco W. Cruz, Sinha, Ashish ORCIDORCID record for Ashish Sinha, Werner, Martin ORCIDORCID record for Martin Werner, Lawrence Edwards, R., Cheng, Hai ORCIDORCID record for Hai Cheng. (2025) Interstadial diversity of East Asian summer monsoon linked to changes of the Northern Westerlies. Nature Communications, 16 (). 14 pp. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-63057-2

Dutta, Deepashree ORCIDORCID record for Deepashree Dutta, Hopcroft, Peter O. ORCIDORCID record for Peter O. Hopcroft, Andreasen, Laurits S. ORCIDORCID record for Laurits S. Andreasen, Aubry, Thomas J. ORCIDORCID record for Thomas J. Aubry, Timmreck, Claudia ORCIDORCID record for Claudia Timmreck, Zanchettin, Davide ORCIDORCID record for Davide Zanchettin, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Muschitiello, Francesco. (2025) State‐Dependent North Atlantic Response to Volcanic Eruption Clusters. Geophysical Research Letters, 52 (). 11 pp. doi:10.1029/2025GL117582

DiNezio, Pedro N. ORCIDORCID record for Pedro N. DiNezio, Shanahan, Timothy M. ORCIDORCID record for Timothy M. Shanahan, Sun, Tianyi, Sun, Chijun ORCIDORCID record for Chijun Sun, Wu, Xian ORCIDORCID record for Xian Wu, Lawman, Allison ORCIDORCID record for Allison Lawman, Lea, David, Kageyama, Masa, Merkel, Ute ORCIDORCID record for Ute Merkel, Prange, Matthias ORCIDORCID record for Matthias Prange, Otto-Bliesner, Bette ORCIDORCID record for Bette Otto-Bliesner, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang. (2025) Tropical response to ocean circulation slowdown raises future drought risk. Nature, 644 (). pp. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09319-x

Zhong, Yi ORCIDORCID record for Yi Zhong, Liu, Yanguang ORCIDORCID record for Yanguang Liu, Yu, Jimin ORCIDORCID record for Jimin Yu, Sun, Chijun ORCIDORCID record for Chijun Sun, Wen, Qin, Kender, Sev ORCIDORCID record for Sev Kender, Horikawa, Keiji ORCIDORCID record for Keiji Horikawa, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Weber, Michael E. ORCIDORCID record for Michael E. Weber, Li, Siqi, Yang, Hu ORCIDORCID record for Hu Yang, Kaboth‐Bahr, Stefanie, Bahr, André ORCIDORCID record for André Bahr, Song, Zhaoyang, Swann, George E. A. ORCIDORCID record for George E. A. Swann, Cao, Wei, Yang, Sheng, Liu, Yuxing, Zhang, Jingyu ORCIDORCID record for Jingyu Zhang, Li, Hai ORCIDORCID record for Hai Li, Xia, Wenyue ORCIDORCID record for Wenyue Xia, Liu, Qingsong ORCIDORCID record for Qingsong Liu. (2025) Bipolar Seesaw of Atmospheric CO2 Between North Pacific and Southern Ocean at Millennial Timescales. Geophysical Research Letters, 52 (). 12 pp. doi:10.1029/2025GL115758

Hao, Shuo, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Duan, Yanwu, Gowan, Evan J., Zhu, Jiang, Cauquoin, Alexandre, Chen, Jie, Werner, Martin, Chen, Fahu. (2025) Model seasonal and proxy spatial biases revealed by assimilated mid-Holocene seasonal temperatures. Science Bulletin, 70 (). pp. 10.1016/j.scib.2025.03.039

Gowan, Evan James ORCIDORCID record for Evan James Gowan, Tomita, Tomohiko, Nishioka, Daiki, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Sun, Yong, Shi, Xiaoxu, Knorr, Gregor, Krebs-Kanzow, Uta, Gierz, Paul, Lohmann, Gerrit, Obase, Takashi, Kuniyoshi, Yuta, Abe-Ouchi, Ayako. (2025) Impact of topographic change on the East Asian monsoon in Japan and Eastern Asia during the Last Glacial Maximum. Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, 12 (). 19 pp. 10.1186/s40645-024-00681-4

Gao, Qinggang ORCIDORCID record for Qinggang Gao, Capron, Emilie, Sime, Louise C. ORCIDORCID record for Louise C. Sime, Rhodes, Rachael H., Sivankutty, Rahul, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Otto-Bliesner, Bette L., Werner, Martin. (2025) Assessment of the southern polar and subpolar warming in the PMIP4 last interglacial simulations using paleoclimate data syntheses. Climate of the Past, 21 (). pp. 10.5194/cp-21-419-2025

Yan, Xinwei ORCIDORCID record for Xinwei Yan, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Liu, Bo, Mithan, Huw T. ORCIDORCID record for Huw T. Mithan, Hellstrom, John ORCIDORCID record for John Hellstrom, Nuber, Sophie ORCIDORCID record for Sophie Nuber, Drysdale, Russell ORCIDORCID record for Russell Drysdale, Wu, Junjie ORCIDORCID record for Junjie Wu, Lin, Fangyuan ORCIDORCID record for Fangyuan Lin, Zhao, Ning ORCIDORCID record for Ning Zhao, Zhang, Yuao, Kang, Wengang, Liu, Jianbao ORCIDORCID record for Jianbao Liu. (2025) Asynchronicity of deglacial permafrost thawing controlled by millennial-scale climate variability. Nature Communications, 16 (). 12 pp. 10.1038/s41467-024-55184-z

2024

Xiong, Zhifang, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Qi, Di, Zhao, Jun, Algeo, Thomas J.. (2024) Editorial: Role of the Southern Ocean in atmospheric pCO2 change: observations, simulations and paleorecords. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11 (). 4 pp. doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1531887

Li, Siqi, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Lu, Zhengyao, Ni, Jian, Lu, Jianhua. (2024) Progress of vegetation modelling and future research prospects. Science China Earth Sciences, 67 (). 21 pp. 10.1007/s11430-023-1367-1

An, Zhisheng, Zhou, Weijian, Zhang, Zeke, Zhang, Xu ORCIDORCID record for Xu Zhang, Liu, Zhonghui, Sun, Youbin, Clemens, Steven C., Wu, Lixin, Zhao, Jiaju, Shi, Zhengguo, Ma, Xiaolin, Yan, Hong, Li, Gaojun, Cai, Yanjun, Yu, Jimin, Sun, Yuchen, Li, Siqi, Zhang, Yu’ao, Stepanek, Christian, Lohmann, Gerrit, Dong, Guocheng, Cheng, Hai, Liu, Yu, Jin, Zhangdong, Li, Tao, Hao, Yifei, Lei, Jing, Cai, Wenju. (2024) Mid-Pleistocene climate transition triggered by Antarctic Ice Sheet growth. Science, 385 (). 6 pp. 10.1126/science.abn4861