Hello, welcome to my webpage. My name is Yang Chen, and I am currently a researcher at the University of California, Irvine.

My research focuses on multiple aspects of the Earth and climate system, including processes in the atmosphere, ocean, and land. In particular, I study wildfires: their characterization using remote sensing and other datasets, their relationships with climate, and their impacts on air quality and terrestrial ecosystems.

Wildfires occur in diverse regions of the Earth, from tropical forests to boreal tundra, and can originate from both natural and human causes. Their frequency, severity, and extent are strongly influenced by weather conditions and climate variability. A key objective of my work is to characterize burned areas, fire emissions, and fire spread using satellite observations. I have contributed to the development of the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED), a widely used global fire emissions dataset, and the Fire Events Data Suite (FEDS), a satellite-based fire tracking algorithm and dataset.

Another area of my research investigates how large-scale and regional climate conditions influence wildfire occurrence, and whether climate information can be used to forecast the severity of fire seasons. Together with colleagues and collaborators, I have helped establish the South American Fire Season Forecast website.

Wildfires can also influence the climate system through multiple pathways. Fire emissions, including trace gases and aerosols, alter the radiative balance of the atmosphere. Additionally, fires impact terrestrial ecosystems by changing surface albedo and modulating latent and sensible heat fluxes. My research also seeks to improve quantification of fire emissions and assess their effects on climate, air quality, and nutrient transport.

Thank you for visiting! Feedback on my research and this webpage is always welcome.

Best wishes,