Xiaolan L. Wang
Current research and/or projects
Climate trend/extremes/variability analysis, and development of methodologies for more realistic assessment and better understanding of climate trend/extremes/variability, to provide international leadership in this area of research, and to provide critical information to support the Department’s mandate within my areas of expertise
- Development of techniques for climate data homogenization, to enable more realistic assessment of climate trend, extremes, and variability;
- Homogenization of climate data (surface winds, surface pressure, precipitation, ocean wave heights…)
- Development of methodologies for analyzing climate trend, extremes, and variability (including methods for projecting possible future climate extremes)
- Analysis of observed climate trend, extremes, and variability, including ocean surface waves
- Projections of future changes in various aspects of the climate system (including climate extremes) by analyzing (and statistical downscaling) climate model projections
- Development of methodologies for blending in-situ gauge precipitation data with satellite precipitation estimates, and production of a blended gridded precipitation database for Canada (North America)
Professional activities / interests
Co-chair of the Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project (COWCLIP) of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and the International Oceanography Commission (IOC)
Member of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Expert Team on Data Development and Stewardship (ET-DDS)
Steering committee member of the International Surface Temperature Initiative (ISTI) of World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Member of the Task Team on Homogenization (TT-HOM) of WMO Commission for Climatology (CCl)
Member of the WMO-WCRP-IOC joint Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI)
Executive committee member of the WCRP’s “Intercomparison of mid latitudinal storm diagnostics (IMILAST)” international project
Editor of “Advances in Climate Change Research”, an Elsevier journal
Member of the GCOS/WCRP AOPC/OOPC working group on surface pressure (AOPC-Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate)
Conference session organization, e.g., EGU 2008-2020 sessions "Climate Data Homogenization, Climate Trends/Variability Assessment", as well as the 14th, 13th, 12th, 11th, 10th and 9th International Meeting on Statistical Climatology session on "Climate Data Homogenization and Observed Trend Assessment".
Education and awards
Awards:
Gold Medal Award of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, 2019
Citation of Excellence in Public Service Award, Meteorological Service of Canada, 2001
Education:
Ph.D., Meteorology/Climatology, University of Lisbon (Portugal), 1995
M. Eng., Hydrometeorology, Hohai University (P. R. China), 1988
Additional links
Key publications
Wang, X. L., Y. Feng, R. Chan, V. Isaac, 2016: Inter-comparison of extratropical cyclone activity in nine reanalysis datasets. Atmos. Res., 181, 133-153. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2016.06.010.
Wang, X. L., Y. Feng, V. R. Swail, and A. Cox, 2015: Historical trends in the Beaufort-Chukchi-Bering Seas surface winds and wave heights, 1970-2013. J. Clim., 28 (No.19), 7457-7569. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0190.1
Wang, X. L., Y. Feng, and V. R. Swail, 2015: Climate change signal and uncertainty in CMIP5-based projections of global ocean surface wave heights. JGR-Oceans, 120, 3859–3871. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015JC010699/abstract.
Wang, X. L. and Achan Lin, 2015: An algorithm for integrating satellite precipitation estimates with in situ precipitation data on a pentad sale. JGR-Atmospheres, 120, 3728–3744. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014JD022788/full.
Wang, X. L., Y. Feng, and V. R. Swail, 2014: Changes in global ocean wave heights as projected using multi-model CMIP5 simulations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 1026-1034. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2013GL058650/abstract. A Research Highlight in Nature, 505, 456 (23 Jan 2014).
Wang, X. L., Y. Feng, L. A. Vincent, 2013: Observed changes in one-in-20 year extremes of Canadian surface air temperatures, Atmosphere-Ocean, 52 (3), 222-231, doi:10.1080/07055900.2013.818526. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07055900.2013.818526#.V31bVK3VyUk.
Wang, X.L., Y. Feng, and V. R. Swail, 2012. North Atlantic wave height trends as reconstructed from the twentieth century reanalysis. Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L18705, doi:10.1029/2012GL053381.
Wang, X.L., Y. Feng, G. P. Compo, V. R. Swail, F. W. Zwiers, R. J. Allan, and P. D. Sardesmukh, 2012. Trends and low frequency variability of extra-tropical cyclone activity in the ensemble of Twentieth Century Reanalysis. Climate Dynamics, in press (published online: 26 July 2012). DOI:10.1007/s00382-012-1450-9
Wang, X. L., H. Wan, V. R. Swail, F. W. Zwiers, G. P. Compo, R. J. Allan and R. S. Vose, 2011. Trends and low-frequency variability of storminess over western Europe, 1878-2007. Climate Dynamics, 37(11), 2355-2371. DOI: 10.1007/s00382-011-1107-0.
Wang, X.L., H. Chen, Y. Wu, Y. Feng, and Q. Pu, 2010. New techniques for detection and adjustment of shifts in daily precipitation data series. J. App. Meteor. Climatol. 49(12):2416-2436. DOI:10.1175/2010JAMC2376.1
Wang, X.L., V. R. Swail, F. W. Zwiers, X. Zhang, and Y. Feng, 2008. Detection of External Influence on Trends of Atmospheric Storminess and Ocean Wave Heights. Climate Dynamics, 32:189–203. DOI: 10.1007/s00382-008-0442-2
Wang, X.L. 2008. Accounting for autocorrelation in detecting mean-shifts in climate data series using the penalized maximal t or F test. J. App. Meteor. Climatol. 47, 2423–2444. DOI: 10.1175/2008JAMC1741.1.
Wang, X.L., H. Wan and V.R. Swail. 2006. Observed Changes in Cyclone Activity in Canada and Their Relationships to Major Circulation Regimes. J. Climate. 19(6):896–915. DOI:10.1175/JCLI3664.1
Wang, X.L. and V.R. Swail. 2006. Climate change signal and uncertainty in projections of ocean wave heights. Climate Dynamics. 26:109-126. DOI 10.1007/s00382-005-0080-x.
Contact
Research facility
Expertise
Affiliations
Senior Research Scientist, Climate Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada