Research
Dr. Yan has been working to untangle questions surrounding climate change dynamics in the ocean throughout his career.
He was first to show how remotely sensed data can be used to study processes occurring beneath the ocean surface and to predict the depth of the ocean’s mixed layer, which plays an important role in climate variability. His cutting-edge study of the deep ocean leveraged emerging technology in deep learning, machine learning and data science, ultimately revolutionizing the satellite models that scientists use to extract information from the ocean’s subsurface. Today, these methods are used by U.S., Chinese and European scientists to understand global climate, and his work has become a classic reference in climate studies.
Yan’s research has been funded by NSF, NASA, NOAA, ONR, National Space Grant, Sea Grant, Land Grant, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He has published 328 scientific articles, holds 4 US patents, serves on the editorial board of the Nature Scientific Report, and serves on numerous US and international scientific working groups, panels and committees. Yan’s researches have been reported by by Science (8 times), Time magazine, New York Times, CNN (twice), ABC (twice), BBC and more than 100 domestic and international newspapers, magazines, textbooks. He was also invited to give Congressional testimony before the US Senate Committee chaired by Al Gore about his research on ocean’s role in climate variability and change.