Xianda Gong received his Bachelor’s degree from Northwest University in 2013 and Master’s degree from Fudan University in 2016, both in Environmental Science. Xianda received his Ph.D. degree in Meteorology from Leipzig University (Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Germany) in 2020. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Washington University in St. Louis. He joined Westlake University as a principal investigator in August 2023. 

Aerosol-cloud interactions contribute to the largest uncertainties in estimating the Earth’s changing energy budget. The research focus of Dr. Gong’s group is to quantify the effects of atmospheric aerosols on radiation, clouds, and climate in remote marine environments and polar regions. This includes understanding the abundance and sources of cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particles, and the perturbation on cloud properties. Dr. Gong has so far published 20 peer-reviewed papers on these topics in journals such as Nature Geoscience, AGU Advances, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Earth’s Future, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, JGR Atmospheres, and Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Future research directions include: (1) Using explainable deep learning algorithms to understand the controlling factors of cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particles in extreme environments, such as the Arctic, Antarctic, and third poles; (2) Ice nucleating particles, especially the biological ice nuclei, in coastal and remote marine regions; (3) Blowing snow contribution to cloud condensation nuclei, ice-nucleating particles, and climate effect in polar regions.

* Corresponding author

Full publication list in Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.hk/citations?user=pdw-z0sAAAAJ&hl=zh-CN&oi=ao

1. Gong, X., Zhang, J., Croft, B. et al. Arctic warming by abundant fine sea salt aerosols from blowing snow. Nat. Geosci. 16, 768–774 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01254-8

--Selected as Cover article

--News&Views: Jaeglé, L. Blowing hot and cold. Nat. Geosci. 16, 756–757 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01261-9

--News&Blogs: Science Daily, Science Alert, Phys.org

2. Gong, X. , Wang, Y., Xie, H., Zhang, J., Lu, Z., Stratmann, F., Wex, H., Liu, X., Wang, J. *, 2023. Maximum supersaturation in the marine boundary layer clouds over the North Atlantic. AGU Advances. 4(6), e2022AV000855. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022AV000855

--Editor’s Highlights by Bjorn Stevens, Measuring Link Between the Chemistry and Physics of the Atmosphere

3. Gong, X*., Radenz, M., Wex, H., Seifert, P., Ataei, F., Henning, S., Baars, H., Barja, B., Ansmann, A., and Stratmann, F.: Significant continental source of ice-nucleating particles at the tip of Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10505–10525, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp- 22-10505-2022, 2022.

4. Gong, X.*, Wex, H., Müller, T., and Stratmann, F.: Understanding aerosol microphysical properties from 10 years of data collected at Cabo Verde based on an unsupervised machine learning classification, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5175–5194, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5175-2022, 2022.

5. Gong, X.*, Wex, H., van Pinxteren, M., Triesch, N., Fomba, K. W., Lubitz, J., Stolle, C., Robinson, T.-B., Müller, T., Herrmann, H., and Stratmann, F.: Characterization of aerosol particles at Cabo Verde close to sea level and at the cloud level – Part 2: Ice-nucleating particles in air, cloud and seawater, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1451-1468, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1451-2020, 2020.

6. Gong, X.*, Wex, H., Voigtländer, J., Fomba, K. W., Weinhold, K., van Pinxteren, M., Henning, S., Müller, T., Herrmann, H., and Stratmann, F.: Characterization of aerosol particles at Cabo Verde close to sea level and at the cloud level – Part 1: Particle number size distribution, cloud condensation nuclei and their origins, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1431–1449, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1431-2020, 2020.

7. Gong, X.*, Wex, H., Müller, T., Wiedensohler, A., Höhler, K., Kandler, K., Ma, N., Dietel, B., Schiebel, T., Möhler, O., and Stratmann, F.: Characterization of aerosol properties at Cyprus, focusing on cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particles, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 10883–10900, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10883-2019, 2019.

8. Gong, X., Zhang, C., Chen, H., Nizkorodov, S. A., Chen, J., and Yang, X.*: Size distribution and mixing state of black carbon particles during a heavy air pollution episode in Shanghai, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 5399-5411, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5399-2016, 2016.

9. Hartmann, M.*, Gong, X., Kecorius, S., van Pinxteren, M., Vogl, T., Welti, A., Wex, H., Zeppenfeld, S., Herrmann, H., Wiedensohler, A., and Stratmann, F.: Terrestrial or marine – indications towards the origin of ice-nucleating particles during melt season in the European Arctic up to 83.7° N, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11613–11636, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11613-2021, 2021.

10. Welti, A.*, Bigg, E. K., DeMott, P. J., Gong, X., Hartmann, M., Harvey, M., Henning, S., Herenz, P., Hill, T. C. J., Hornblow, B., Leck, C., Löffler, M., McCluskey, C. S., Rauker, A. M., Schmale, J., Tatzelt, C., van Pinxteren, M., and Stratmann, F.: Ship-based measurements of ice nuclei concentrations over the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific and Southern oceans, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 15191–15206, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15191-2020, 2020.

The LACCI group is seeking enthusiastic and talented research assistants, Ph.D. students, and postdoctoral scholars to join our team. We endeavor to provide an innovative, rigorous, and collegial research environment for our trainees and offer continuous support for the career growth of young scientists. I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your interest in joining our team. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have at gongxianda@westlake.edu.cn.