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Publications

  1. Urbanization contributed to increased temperatures in urban areas, exacerbating the effects of climate change and affecting the dispersion of pollutants. Using computational models, I researched the climate and air quality impacts of urbanization as well as the impacts of modifying urban land cover. One notable focus was the adoption of highly reflective “cool” coatings on buildings, which presents an opportunity for cities to mitigate heat and adapt to climate change. I led the first study that systematically compared the climate and air quality impacts of adopting solar reflective “cool roofs” and “cool walls.” I also developed a statistical approach to analyze output from an earth system model and resolved the discrepancies among past studies on the global climate impact of “cool roofs.” Additionally, I participated in campaigns aimed at measuring the change in albedo of solar reflective “cool” materials over time and assessing the de-pollution efficacies of photocatalytic materials.
    1. Li Y, Zhang J, Sailor DJ, Ban-Weiss GA. Effects of Urbanization on Regional Meteorology and Air Quality in Southern California. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2019 Apr 5;19(7):4439-57.
    2. Fu X, Liu J, Ban-Weiss GA, Zhang J, Huang X, Ouyang B, Popoola O, Tao S. Effects of Canyon Geometry on the Distribution of Traffic-related Air Pollution in a Large Urban Area: Implications of a Multi-canyon Air Pollution Dispersion Model. Atmospheric Environment. 2017 Sep 1;165:111-21.
    3. Tao W, Liu J, Ban-Weiss GA, Zhang L, Zhang J, Yi K, Tao S. Potential Impacts of Urban Land Expansion on Asian Airborne Pollutant Outflows. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2017 Jul;122(14):7646-63.
    4. Tang X, Rosseler O, Chen S, de l’Aulnoit SH, Lussier MJ, Zhang J, Ban-Weiss G, Gilbert H, Levinson R, Destaillats H. Self-cleaning and De-pollution Efficacies of Photocatalytic Architectural Membranes. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental. 2021 Feb;281:119260.
    5. Tang X, Ughetta L, Shannon SK, de l’Aulnoit SH, Chen S, Gould RA, Russell ML, Zhang J, Ban-Weiss G, Everman RL, Klink FW. De-pollution Efficacy of Photocatalytic Roofing Granules. Building and Environment. 2019 Aug 1;160:106058
    6. Zhang J, Li Y, Tao W, Liu J, Levinson R, Mohegh A, Ban-Weiss G. Investigating the Urban Air Quality Effects of Cool Walls and Cool Roofs in Southern California. Environmental science & technology. 2019 May 24;53(13):7532-42.
    7. Zhang J, Mohegh A, Li Y, Levinson R, Ban-Weiss G. Systematic Comparison of the Influence of Cool Wall versus Cool Roof Adoption on Urban Climate in the Los Angeles Basin. Environmental Science & Technology. 2018 Aug 29;52(19):11188-97.
    8. Mohegh A, Levinson R, Taha H, Gilbert H, Zhang J, Li Y, Tang T, Ban-Weiss G. Observational Evidence of Neighborhood Scale Reductions in Air Temperature Associated with Increases in Roof Albedo. Climate. 2018 Dec;6(4):98.
    9. Zhang J, Zhang K, Liu J, Ban-Weiss GA. Revisiting the Climate Impacts of Cool Roofs Around the Globe Using an Earth System Model. Environmental Research Letters. 2016 Aug 16;11(8):084014.

2. Through my research during my postdoc and leading a research group at CARB, I conducted in-depth investigations into the effects of promoting electrification and implementing renewable energy solutions. Particularly, I led a team of scientists and researchers at CARB to investigate the emissions of various pollutants from the transportation sector, develop a widely used emissions inventory model for on-road vehicles (EMFAC), and assess the effectiveness of energy and transportation policies in achieving air quality and climate goals. My research findings informed multiple groundbreaking policies (e.g., the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation and the Mobile Source Strategy) in California.

    1. California Air Resources Board, 2021, EMFAC2021 Technical Document
    2. Heath G, Ban-Weiss G, Ravi V, Li Y, and Zhang J. 2021. “Chapter 9: Air Quality and Public Health.” in the Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study, edited by Jaquelin Cochran and Paul Denholm. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. NREL/TP-6A20-79444-9.
    3. Liao S, Zhang J, Yu F, Zhu M, Liu J, Ou J, Dong H, Sha Q, Zhong Z, Xie Y, Luo H. High Gaseous Nitrous Acid (HONO) Emissions from Light-Duty Diesel Vehicles. Environmental Science & Technology. 2020 Dec 8. 8;55(1):200-8.
    4. California Air Resources Board, 2019, SB 1014 Clean Mile Standard 2018 Base-Year Emission Inventory Report
    5. Zhang J, Park J, Bui N, Forestieri S, Mazmanian E, He Y, Parmer C, Quiros DC. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions from the San Pedro Bay Ports and future policy implications. Environmental Research Letters. 2024 Oct 7;19(11):114023.

3. I improved atmospheric models to accurately simulate the fate of black carbon aerosols the atmosphere, including their emissions, aging, transport, and deposition. I also collaborated with other researchers to investigate the sources and transport of ozone precursors and processes that affect ozone production. My research findings not only contributed to the improvement of atmospheric models but also yielded valuable insights into effective control strategies aimed at reducing the levels of ozone and black carbon aerosols to reduce environmental health risks.

      1. Xu J, Zhang J, Liu J, Yi K, Xiang S, Hu X, Wang Y, Tao S, Ban-Weiss G. Influence of Cloud Microphysical Processes on Black Carbon Wet Removal, Global Distributions, and Radiative Forcing. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2019 Feb 7;19(3):1587-603. (Co-First Author)
      2. Kan Y, Liu J, Ban-Weiss G, Zhang J, Tao W, Cheng Y, Tao S. Response of the Global Surface Ozone Distribution to Northern Hemisphere Sea Surface Temperature Changes: Implications for Long-range Transport. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2017 Jul 15;17(14):8771.
      3. Lu X, Zhang L, Yue X, Zhang J, Jaffe DA, Stohl A, Zhao Y, Shao J. Wildfire Influences on the Variability and Trend of Summer Surface Ozone in the Mountainous Western United States. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2016 Nov 24;16(22):14687-702.
      4. Zhang J, Liu J, Tao S, Ban-Weiss GA. Long-range Transport of Black Carbon to the Pacific Ocean and its Dependence on Aging Timescale. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2015 Oct 20;15(20):11521-35.
      5. He C, Li QB, Liou KN, Zhang J, Qi L, Mao Y, Gao M, Lu Z, Streets DG, Zhang Q, Sarin MM. A global 3-D CTM Evaluation of Black Carbon in the Tibetan Plateau. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2014 Jul 11;14(13):7091-112
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University of Southern California