Professor   

Department of Meteorology and Climate Science                        

 

Phone: (408) 924-7371
Fax: (408) 924-5191

minghui.diao at sjsu.edu

Address:
One Washington Square 
San Jose, CA 95192-0104

Group website: www.cloud-research.org

 

Education

Ph.D. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, 2013

B.S. Environmental Sciences, Peking University, China, 2008

 

Bio

CV and group members: https://www.cloud-research.org/people

 

Fellowships and Awards

2023 San Jose State University College of Science Dean’s Scholar Award

2021 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Mini-Faculty Sabbatical Fellowship

2019 San Jose State University Research Foundation Early Career Investigator Award

2018 NCAR Advanced Study Program Faculty fellowship

2016 NCAR Advanced Study Program Faculty fellowship

2013 - 2015 NCAR Advanced Study Program (ASP) postdoctoral fellowship

2012 Walbridge Fund Graduate Award, Princeton University

2012 Princeton Environment and Climate Scholars (PECS) Award

2010 American Geophysical Union 2010 Fall Meeting, Outstanding Student Paper Award, San Francisco, USA

2009 American Geophysical Union 2009 Spring Assembly, Outstanding Student Paper Award, Toronto, Canada

2009 NSF Graduate Student Travel Award to Water Vapor and Climate System (WAVACS) workshop, France

2009 - 2012 NASA Earth and Space Science (NESSF) Fellowship

2008 - 2012 Francis Robbins Upton Graduate Fellowship at Princeton University

2008 Honored Bachelor Thesis and Honored Bachelor at Peking University

2007 Jun-Tsung Fellowship awarded by Nobel Laureate Tsung-Dao Lee to undergraduate students in China

 

Research interests

Aircraft-based and remote sensing observations of water vapor, clouds and aerosols

Remote sensing of clouds and aerosols

Earth System Model simulations of cloud-aerosol interactions

Wildfire smoke, heat, and air pollution impacts on communities in California 

 

Teaching

METR 12   Global Warming

METR 112 Global Climate Change

METR 125 Physical Meteorology

METR 215 Advanced Physical Meteorology

Publications

2025

C.A. Yang*, M. Diao, Y. Shi, X. Liu. Hemispheric Asymmetry of Phase Partition in Mixed-Phase Clouds Based on Near Global-Scale Airborne Observations, Geophysical Research Letters, 52, e2025GL115946, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115946, 2025.

Singh, J.*, M. Diao, Y. Shi, X. Liu. Investigation of Arctic Cloud Properties and Surface Radiation based on MOSAiC Shipborne Observations, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2025JD044239, in review.

Wang, D.*, M. Diao, C.A. Yang*. Examination of Cloud Phase Partition and Controlling Factors Based on In-Situ and Satellite Observations and Machine Learning Approaches. Artificial Intelligence for the Earth Systems, AIES-D-25-0034, in review.

Ngo, D.*, M. Diao, R. Patnaude, S. Woods, G. Diskin. Aerosol Indirect Effects on Cirrus Clouds Based on Global-Scale Airborne Observations and Machine Learning Models, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2122, 2024, in press.

Desai, N.*, M. Diao, Y. Shi, X. Liu. Desai, N., Diao, M., Shi, Y., & Liu, X. A comparative study of cloud properties between northern and southern high latitudes based on ARM observations and EAMv2 simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 130, e2024JD041588. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD041588​, 2025.

Geerts, B., B. Baeuerle, M. Diao, and Coauthors. Recommendations for the NSF Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE): Access and Capabilities. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0125.1, 2025.

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2024

Maciel, F. V.*, M. Diao, and C. A. Yang*. Partition between supercooled liquid droplets and ice crystals in mixed-phase clouds based on airborne in situ observations, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4843–4861, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4843-2024, 2024.

Barone, T*, M. Diao, Y. Shi, X. Zhao, X. Liu, I. Silber, Impacts of Synoptic-Scale Dynamics on Clouds and Radiation in High Southern Latitudes, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129, e2023JD040329. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD040329, 2024.

Wang, D.*, C.A. Yang, and M. Diao. Validation of Satellite-based Cloud Phase Distributions Using Global-Scale In-Situ Airborne Observations, Earth and Space Science, DOI:10.1029/2023EA003355, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA003355, 2024.

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2023

Desai, N.*, M. Diao, Y. Shi, X. Liu, and I. Silber. Ship-based Observations and Climate Model Simulation of Cloud Phase over the Southern Ocean, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 128, e2023JD038581. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD038581, 2023.

Maciel, F. V.*, M. Diao, and R. Patnaude. Examination of aerosol indirect effects during cirrus cloud evolution, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 1103–1129, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1103-2023, 2023.

D’Alessandro, J. J., McFarquhar, G. M., Stith, J. L., Diao, M., DeMott, P. J., McCluskey, C. S., et al. An evaluation of phase, aerosol-cloud interactions and microphysical properties of single- and multi-layer clouds over the Southern Ocean using in situ observations from SOCRATES. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 128, e2023JD038610. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD038610, 2023.

Zhao, X., Liu, X., Burrows, S., DeMott, P. J., Diao, M., McFarquhar, G. M., et al. Important ice processes are missed by the Community Earth System Model in Southern Ocean mixed-phase clouds: Bridging SOCRATES observations to model developments. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 128, e2022JD037513. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037513, 2023.

Yorks, J.E., J. Wang, M.J. McGill, M. Follette-Cook, E.P. Nowottnick, J.S. Reid, P.R. Colarco, J. Zhang, O. Kalashnikova, H. Yu, F. Marenco, J.A. Santanello, T.M. Weckwerth, Z. Li, J.R. Campbell, P. Yang, M. Diao, V. Noel, K.G. Meyer, J.L. Carr, M. Garay, K. Christian, A. Bennedetti, A.M. Ring, A. Crawford, M.J. Pavolonis, V. Aquila, J. Kim, and S. Kondragunta, A SmallSat Concept to Resolve Diurnal and Vertical Variations of Aerosols, Clouds, and Boundary Layer Height, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 104, E815–E836, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-21-0179.1, 2023.

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2022

Järvinen, E., C. S. McCluskey, F. Waitz, M. Schnaiter, A. Bansemer, C. G. Bardeen, A. Gettelman, A. Heymsfield, J. L. Stith, W. Wu, J. J. D’Alessandro, G. M. McFarquhar, M. Diao, J. A. Finlon, T. C. J. Hill, E. J. T. Levin, K. A. Moore, P. J. DeMott. Evidence for secondary ice production in Southern Ocean maritime boundary layer clouds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127, e2021JD036411. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036411, 2022. 

 

2021

Yang, C.A.*, M. Diao, A. Gettelman, K. Zhang, J. Sun, W. Wu, G. McFarquhar, Ice and Supercooled Liquid Water Distributions over the Southern Ocean based on In Situ Observations and Climate Model Simulations, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmosphere, 126, e2021JD036045. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036045, 2021.

​Yip, J.*, M. Diao, I. Silber, A. Gettelman. Evaluation of the CAM6 climate model using cloud observations at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 126, e2021JD034653. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD034653, 2021.

Patnaude, R.*, M. Diao, X. Liu, S. Chu. Effects of Thermodynamics, Dynamics and Aerosols on Cirrus Clouds Based on In Situ Observations and NCAR CAM6 Model. Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry, 21, 1835–1859, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-1835-2021, 2021.

Atlas, R., Mohrmann, J., Finlon, J., Lu, J., Hsiao, I., Wood, R., and Diao, M. The University of Washington Ice-Liquid Discriminator (UWILD) improves single particle phase classifications of hydrometeors within Southern Ocean clouds using machine learning, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 14, 7079–7101, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7079-2021, 2021.

O’Neill, S., M. Diao, S. Raffuse, M. Al-Hamdan, M. Barik, Y. Jia, S. Reid, Y. Zou, D. Tong, J. West, J. Wilkins, A Marsha, F. Freedman, J. Vargo, N. Larkin, E. Alvarado, P. Loesche. A Multi-Analysis Approach for Estimating Regional Health Impacts from the 2017 Northern California Wildfires. Journal of Air & Water Waste Management (JA&WMA), https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2021.1891994, 2021.

Holloway, T., D. Miller, Susan Anenberg, M. Diao, B. Duncan, A.M. Fiore, D. Henze, J. Hess, P. Kinney, Y. Liu, J.L. Neu, S. O’Neill, M.T. Odman, R.B. Pierce, A. Russell, D. Tong, J.J. West, M.A. Zondlo. Satellite Monitoring for Air Quality and Health, Annu. Rev. Biomed. Data Sci. 4, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-110920-093120, 2021.

 

2020

Patnaude R.* and M. Diao, Aerosol indirect effects on cirrus clouds based on global aircraft observations, Geophysical Research Letter, 47, e2019GL086550. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086550, 2020.

Sanchez, K. J., G. C. Roberts, M. Diao, and L. M. Russell. Measured Constraints on Cloud Top Entrainment to Reduce Uncertainty of Nonprecipitating Stratocumulus Shortwave Radiative Forcing in the Southern Ocean. Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2020GL090513, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090513, 2020.

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2019

Diao M., T. Holloway, S. Choi, S.M. O’Neill, M.Z. Al-Hamdan, A. van Donkelaar, R.V. Martin, X. Jin, A.M. Fiore, D.K. Henze, F. Lacey, P.L. Kinney, F. Freedman, N.K. Larkin, Y. Zou, J.T. Kelly, and A. Vaidyanathan. "Methods, availability, and applications of PM2.5 exposure estimates derived from ground measurements, satellite, and atmospheric models", Journal of Air & Water Waste Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2019.1668498, 2019. (review article)

D’Alessandro, J.*, M. Diao, C. Wu, X. Liu, B. Stephens, and J.B. Jensen, Cloud phase and relative humidity distributions over the Southern Ocean in austral summer based on in-situ observations and CAM5 simulations, J. Climate, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0232.1, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0232.1, 2019.

Zhang, M., Liu, X., Diao, M., D'Alessandro, J. J., Wang, Y., Wu, C., et al (2019). Impacts of representing heterogeneous distribution of cloud liquid and Ice on phase partitioning of Arctic mixed-phase clouds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124, 13071–13090. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD030502, 2019.

 

2017

Diao, M., G.H. Bryan, H. Morrison, and J.B. Jensen, Ice nucleation parameterization and relative humidity distribution in idealized squall line simulations, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 74, 2761–2787, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-16-0356.1, 2017.

D'Alessandro, J.*, M. Diao, C. Wu, X. Liu, M. Chen, H. Morrison, T. Eidhammer, J.B. Jensen, A. Bansemer, M.A. Zondlo, J.P. DiGangi. Dynamical conditions of ice supersaturation and ice nucleation in convective systems: a comparative analysis between in-situ aircraft observations and WRF simulations, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmosphere, 122, doi:10.1002/2016JD025994, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025994, 2017.

Stephens B.B. et al., The O2/N2 Ratio and CO2 Airborne Southern Ocean (ORCAS) Study, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 0, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0206.1, 2017.

Wu, C., X. Liu, M. Diao, K. Zhang, A. Gettelman, Z. Lu, J.E. Penner, and Z. Lin. Direct comparisons of ice cloud macro- and microphysical properties simulated by the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 with HIPPO aircraft observations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., doi:10.5194/acp-17-4731-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4731-2017, 2017.

 

2016

Tan, X., Y. Huang, M. Diao, A. Bansemer, M. A. Zondlo, J. P. DiGangi, R. Volkamer, and Y. Hu. An assessment of the radiative effects of ice supersaturation based on in situ observations, Geophysical Research Letter, 43, 11,039–11,047, doi:10.1002/2016GL071144, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071144, 2016.

 

2015

Diao, M., J.B. Jensen, L.L. Pan, C.R. Homeyer, S. Honomichl, J.F. Bresch and A. Bansemer. Distributions of ice supersaturation and ice crystals from airborne observations in relation to upper tropospheric dynamical boundaries, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmosphere, 120, 5101–5121. doi: 10.1002/2015JD023139, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD023139, 2015.

 

2014

Diao, M., M.A. Zondlo, A.J. Heymsfield and S.P. Beaton. Hemispheric comparison of cirrus cloud evolution using in situ measurements in HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations, Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1002/2014GL059873, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL059873, 2014.

Diao, M., M.A. Zondlo, A.J. Heymsfield, L.M. Avallone, M.E. Paige, S.P. Beaton, T. Campos and D.C. Rogers. Cloud-scale ice supersaturated regions spatially correlate with high water vapor heterogeneities, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 14, 2639-2656, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-2639-2014, 2014.

 

2013

Diao, M., M.A. Zondlo, A.J. Heymsfield, D.C. Rogers and S.P. Beaton. Evolution of ice crystal regions on the microscale based on in situ observations, Geophysical Research Letters, 40 (13), 3473-3478, doi: 10.1002/grl.50665, https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50665, 2013.

Diao, M., L. Jumbam, J. Sheffield, E. Wood and M.A. Zondlo. Validation of AIRS/AMSU-A water vapor and temperature data with in situ aircraft observations from surface to UT/LS at 87°N–67°S, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 118 (12), 6816–6836, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50483, 2013.

Cziczo, D.J., K.D. Froyd,  C. Hoose, E.J. Jensen, M. Diao,  M.A. Zondlo, J.B. Smith, C. Twohy and D.M. Murphy. Clarifying the Dominant Sources and Mechanisms of Cirrus Cloud Formation, Science, 340 (6138), 1320–1324, DOI: 10.1126/science.1234145, https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1234145, 2013.

Froyd, K.D., D.J. Cziczo, C. Hoose, E.J. Jensen, M. Diao, M.A. Zondlo, J.B. Smith, C.H. Twohy, D.M. Murphy, “Cirrus cloud formation and the role of heterogeneous ice nuclei” (Conference Paper), AIP Conference Proceedings, 1527 (2013), 976-978, 19th International Conference on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols (ICNAA), 2013.

 

2012

Kort, E.A., S.C. Wofsy, B.C. Daube, M. Diao, J.W. Elkins, R.S. Gao, E.J. Hintsa, D.F. Hurst, R. Jimenez, F.L. Moore, J.R. Spackman and M.A. Zondlo. “Atmospheric observations of high latitude Arctic Ocean methane emissions”, Nature Geoscience, 5, 318-321, https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1452, 2012.

 

2011

Wofsy, S.C., B.C. Daube, R. Jimenez, E. Kort, J.V. Pittman, S. Park, R. Commane, B. Xiang, G.Santoni, D. Jacob, J. Fisher, C. Pickett-Heaps, H. Wang, K. Wecht, Q.-Q. Wang, B.B. Stephens, B. B.,S. Schertz, P. Romashkin, T. Campos, J. Haggerty, W.A. Cooper, D. Rogers, S. Beaton, J.W. Elkins, D. Fahey, R. Gao, F. Moore,S.A. Montzka, J.P. Schwartz, D. Hurst, B. Miller, C. Sweeney, S. Oltmans, D. Nance, E.F. Hintsa, G. Dutton, L.A. Watts, R. Spackman, K. Rosenlof, E. Ray, M.A. Zondlo, M. Diao, M.J. Mahoney, M. Chahine, E. Olsen, R. Keeling, J. Bent, E.A. Atlas, R. Lueb, P. Patra, K. Ishijima, R. Engelen, R. Nassar, D.B. Jones, and S. Mikaloff-Fletcher. HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO): Fine grained, global scale measurements of climatically important atmospheric gases and aerosols, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London A, 369 (1943), 2073-2086, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0313, 2011.

 

2010

Wunch, D., G. C. Toon, P. O. Wennberg, S. C. Wofsy, B. B. Stephens, M. L. Fischer, O. Uchino, J. B. Abshire, P. Bernath, S. C. Biraud, J.-F. L. Blavier, C. Boone, K. P. Bowman, E. V. Browell, T. Campos, B. J. Connor, B. C. Daube, N. M. Deutscher, M. Diao, J. W. Elkins, C. Gerbig, E. Gottlieb, D. W. T. Griffith, D. F. Hurst, R. Jiménez, G. Keppel-Aleks, E. A. Kort, R. Macatangay, T. Machida, H. Matsueda, F. Moore, I. Morino, S. Park, J. Robinson, C. M. Roehl, Y. Sawa, V. Sherlock, C. Sweeney, T. Tanaka, and M. A. Zondlo. Calibration of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network using aircraft profile data. Atmos. Meas. Tech., 3, 1351-1362, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-3-1351-2010, 2010.

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2009

Diao, M. and M. Yao. “Use of Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles in Inactivating Microbes”, Water Research, 43:5243-5251, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2009.08.051, 2009.

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Field campaigns

May 2024: NASA Airborne asSessment of Hyperspectral Aerosol optical depth and water-leaving Reflectance Product Performance for PACE (AirSHARP3) campaign; Monterey, CA, USA

Jan – Feb 2018: NSF Southern Ocean Clouds Radiation Aerosol Transport Experimental Study (SOCRATES) campaign, Hobart, Australia

Jan – Mar 2017: NSF Airborne Research Instrumentation Testing Opportunity (ARISTO) campaign, Broomfield, CO

Jan – Feb 2016: NSF O2/N2 Ratio and CO2 Airborne Southern Ocean (ORCAS) campaign, Punta Arenas, Chile

2008 - 2011: NSF HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) global campaign deployment #1-5, USA, New Zealand and Australia

April 2013: AQUAVIT-2 campaign at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany; 

May 2012: NSF Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry Experiment (DC3) campaign, Kansas, US 

Jan/Feb 2012: NSF Tropical Ocean Troposphere Exchange of reactive halogen species and oxygenated VOC (TORERO) campaign, Costa Rica and Chile 

September 2010: NSF Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) campaign, US Virgin Islands

April-June 2008: NSF Stratosphere-Troposphere Analyses of Regional Transport (START08) campaign, Colorado, US; QA/QC of VCSEL data; data analyses of GFS model meteorological background

Links

Group website: www.cloud-research.org