Hi, I'm Qi Hu, an atmospheric scientist with a joint appointment in the School of Natural Resources and the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. In training, I received my bachelor’s degree in meteorology in 1982 from Lanzhou University, China, and my master's degree in 1986 and Ph.D. degree in 1992 both in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Over the years, I have researched problems in a wide range of subjects from the tropics to the polar regions. I developed the theory of low-frequency oscillations in radiative-convective systems and suggested it as a driving mechanism of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in the tropical Indian and western Pacific Ocean. This theory has been tested and remains a cornerstone for the MJO. Recently, I have extended this theory and shown that a coupling of the vacuum effect from the cloud radiative forcing and the intrinsic intraseasonal oscillation in the lower troposphere is essential for the initiation and development of the MJO. In high latitude regions, I disclosed the physical processes connecting the Arctic Oscillation with the circulation and precipitation anomalies in the mid-latitude North America. I have also strived to understand the mechanisms for precipitation variations in the central U.S. from intraseasonal to multidecadal timescales. A series of projects was devoted to understanding those variations by remote forcing such as ENSO and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Local effects, from land-use change and effects on regional circulation, are also being examined. An intriguing result from a recent study is that the massive land-cover change in the Great Plains from the pre-settlement to the 1930s is found playing a key role in enhancing and prolonging the 1930s “Dust Bowl” drought in the Great Plains. In addition to studying these large-scale dynamic problems I have also examined causal processes for the initiation of nocturnal severe convection during the warm season in the Great Plains.
I prefer systems approach to solve problems. With that sentiment, I have expanded my interest and research to hydrology, ecology, and human aspects in sciences. In hydrology, I collaborated with scientists in China and revealed for the first time the forcing processes of the Yangtze River responsible for frequent summer floods in the Poyang Lake basin (the largest freshwater lake in China) before the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) was built. After the TGD, its roles on Yangtze River-Poyang Lake interactions and the hydrology in the lake basin were further examined and quantified. Meanwhile, working with a team of social scientists, we extended the Theory of Planned Behavior in social psychology to measure the roles of belief, social norm, and self-efficacy in farmers’ decision-making process with the goal to improve their capability and social support so that using weather and climate information becomes natural in their farming decision-making.
My research results have been summarized in more than 100 refereed journal publications and presented at over 30 invited presentations at various events.
While plowing in my research, I enjoy my extension work, interacting with agricultural producers in person, working with them in understanding where to find the relevant information on weather and climate for their situation, correctly interpreting the information in the context of their situation, and finding the right ways to use the information in their farming decision–making. It is not easy to change people’s mind or habit, yet it is rewarding to influence their intention by showing them scientific facts.
I am also teaching numerous classes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. They include Dynamic Meteorology, Physical Climatology, Climate Change, and Statistical Analysis of Atmospheric Data. I am trying to stimulate and engage students’ interest in learning by providing additional information and interpretation of a learning subject from various perspectives of different complexity, and to excite students’ curiosity in exploring those or related subjects in greater depth in their own path.
Selected Publications
Hu, Q., Z. Han, and S. Wang, 2022: Cloud radiative effects on MJO development in DYNAMO. J. Climate, 35, 3363-3378, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0882.1
Hu, Q., and Z. Han, 2022: Northward expansion of desert climate in Central Asia in recent decades. Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2022GL098895, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098895 (findings were reported in journal Nature: Climate change is turning more of Central Asia into desert. 16 June 2022
Hu, Q., and G. Limpert, 2021: Lift in the vertical shear of southerly jet embedded in a uniform westerly flow. Quart. J. Royal Meteor. Soc., 147, 1584-1605. https://doi.org/10.1002/QJ.3982.
Hu, Q., J.A. Torres-Alavez, and M. Van Den Broeke, 2018: Land-cover change and the “Dust Bowl” drought in the U.S. Great Plains. J. Climate, 31, 4657-4667, doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0515.1
Hu, Q., and Veres, M.C., 2016: Atmospheric responses to North Atlantic SST anomalies in idealized experiments. Part II: North American precipitation. J. Climate, 29, 659-671. https://doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00751.1.
Hu, Q., and S. Feng, 2012: AMO- and ENSO-driven summertime circulation and precipitation variations in North America. J. Climate, 25, 6477-6495.
Hu, Q., S. Feng, and R.J. Oglesby, 2011: Variations in North American summer precipitation driven by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. J. Climate, 24, 5555-5570.
Hu, Q., S. Feng, H. Guo, and T. Jiang, 2007: Interactions of the Yangtze River flow and the hydrologic processes of the Poyang Lake, China. J. Hydrology, 347, 90-100.
Hu, Q., A. Weiss, S. Feng, and P.S. Baenziger, 2006: Earlier winter wheat heading dates and warmer spring in the Great Plains of the United States. Agri. Forest Meteorol. 135, 284-290.
Hu, Q., L.M. PytlikZillig, G.D. Lynne, K.G. Hubbard, W.J. Waltman, M.J. Hayes, A.J. Tomkins, and D.A. Wilhite, 2006: Improving farmers’ forecast use from understanding their beliefs, social norms, and perceived obstacles. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 45, 1190-1201.
Hu, Q., and D.A. Randall, 1995: Low-frequency oscillations in radiative-convective systems, Part II: An idealized model. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 478-490.
Hu, Q., and D.A. Randall, 1994: Low-frequency oscillations in radiative-convective systems. J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 1089-1099.