Wanying Kang

PhD - Applied Mathematics School of Engineering - Harvard University, Physics Peking University

Wanying Kang is co-advised by Prof. John Marshall and Prof. Sara Seager as an EAPS Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow. Her research focuses on the atmospheric dynamics on Earth and on other planetary bodies. During her PhD, she has explored the dynamic teleconnection between the tropical Madden-Julian Oscillation and the breaking of the polar vortex, which provides implications for extreme weathers in future warmer climate. Meanwhile, she investigated the climate on high obliquity aquaplanets (a type of planets with their rotation axes pointed toward the host star) and made predictions that these planets would be in general warmer regardless of the existence of ice, which, together with other dynamic reasons, leads to a stratosphere that is orders of magnitude moister. These findings may have important implications for habitability and observation. Kang holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in Physics from Peking University. In a long term, her major goal is to build up fundamental understandings of the atmospheric/oceanic dynamics on Earth and other planetary bodies, taking numerical simulations as a vehicle, and to find potentially observable consequences through the collaborations with other groups in EAPS. In a short term, as she tries to find observables for atmospheric circulation on exoplanets, she will start looking into the atmospheric circulation on the superhot lava worlds and the ocean circulation on icy moons, given the potential to observe them in more details in the near future.

More Frequent Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events due to Enhanced MJO Forcing Expected in a Warmer Climate 

Kang, W. and E. Tziperman (Highlighted by Nature Climate Change) 

Journal of Climate 2017 30:21, 8727-8743 



The role of zonal asymmetry in the enhancement and suppression of sudden stratospheric warming variability by the Madden-Julian Oscillation 

Kang, W. and E. Tziperman 

Journal of Climate 2018, 31, 2399-2415 



The MJO-SSW teleconnection: interaction between MJO-forced waves and the mid-latitude

Kang, W. and E. Tziperman 

Geophysical Research Letter 2018, 45:9, 4400-4409, doi: 10.1029/2018gl077937



Tropical and Extratropical General Circulation with a Meridional Reversed Temperature Gradient as Expected in a High Obliquity Planet 

Kang, W., M. Cai and E. Tziperman 

Icarus (under review) 



Sudden Stratospheric Warming and extreme weathers in the future climate driven by the Madden-Julian Oscillation strengthening 

Kang, W. and E. Tziperman (in prep.) 

•     Harvard University Distinction in Teaching award, Spring semester 2018 •    Outstanding Student Paper Award, American Geophysical Union, 2017 •     First Prize (4th place), 'Jiang Zehan' Cup Numerical Modeling Tournament , China, 2013 •    Twice awarded the merit student prize, Peking University (PKU), 2012 and 2013 •    Twice awarded Weiming Undergrad. Physicist Scholarship (5000 CNY), PKU,2012 and 2013 •    The Tung OOCL Scholarship (6000 CNY, sponsored by Tung Foundation and Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd.), PKU, 2013 •     Awarded the Seagull Scholarship (6000 CNY), PKU, 2012 •    Weiming Elite Undergraduate Scientist funding (100,000CNY), PKU, 2011 •     First Prize, Physics Competition for Undergraduates in China, 2011 •     Bronze Prize, International Young Physicists Tournament, Austria, 2010 •     No.1 in Physics Olympic Competition, Tianjin Province, 2009. (1/>100,000 students) •     Silver Prize, Physics Olympic Competition China Final, 2009.

John Marshall