Prof. Liu (right) received the appointment certificate from Mr. Guan Hong (left), Deputy Director of the Meteorological Observation Center, China Meteorological Administration at Beijing on 28 October 2024
We are pleased to share with you that Prof. George Zhizhao Liu, a professor and Associate Head (partnership) at the Department of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics (LSGI), Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been appointed as the Chief Scientist of the Meteorological Observation Center, China Meteorological Administration (CMA).
The CMA is China’s national agency responsible for weather forecasting service and climate research in China and globally. The Meteorological Observation Center, one of the major organizations under CMA, is responsible for constructing China’s real-time meteorological observation platform and providing accurate, timely meteorological observations to support China’s national/global operational weather forecasting services as well as to share with the World Meteorological Organization. In addition, the Meteorological Observation Center also takes a leading role in the development of new meteorological observation techniques and equipment, such as China’s Meteorological GNSS Network.
Prof. Liu is an internationally respected scholar with both industrial and academic experiences in academic research as well as applications of geomatics technologies. Over the years, Professor Liu’s Micro-Laboratory of Atmospheric Research and Geomatics Engineering (Micro-LARGE) has made significant contributions to the community through unique developments and innovations in various areas, including Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) precise positioning algorithms and data quality analysis, ionosphere scintillation monitoring and 3D Total Electron Content (TEC) modeling, impact of space weather on satellite navigation and flight operation, monitoring of atmospheric water vapor and 3D modeling, retrieval and calibration of satellite remote sensing water vapor data, and assimilation of atmospheric water vapor in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. The NWP rainstorm forecasting scores are significantly improved after the assimilation of water vapor data.
As a recognized authority in atmospheric water vapor observation using GPS/GNSS and remote sensing satellite techniques, Prof. Liu serves as the only China’s representative on the GNSS Water Vapor Working Group of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Upper-Air Network. His Micro-LARGE Lab is the first one in the world to calibrate all-weather (including cloudy condition) near-infrared (NIR) band satellite remote sensing water vapor data and also the first one to assimilate all-weather NIR band satellite remote sensing water vapor data into NWP. His Micro-LARGE Lab is the first one internationally to study and evaluate the impact of space weather on flight operation from an economic cost perspective and to propose response strategies, which was highly commended by senior scientist at the NASA JPL and was selected as a research highlight in the Nature Reviews Earth & Environment Journal (IF: 42.1). Multiple algorithms developed by the Micro-LARGE for GNSS data processing have been widely used by research groups in many universities, research institutions and industries worldwide.
Prof. Liu’s appointment with the Meteorological Observation Center, CMA, is expected to strengthen collaboration between scientists at PolyU, Hong Kong, and the broader meteorological community in Mainland China.
