• Personal Information
• Research Team
• Currently Participated Programs/Projects
• Research Interests
• Awards
• Publications
• Cloud &Radiation (8)
• Radiation Budget (8)
• Validation of GCMs (3)
• Remote Sensing of Clouds (3)
• Aerosol Detection and Radiative Forcing (6) 
• Monitoring & Mapping Fire Spot & Scar (11)
• UV Remote Sensing (3)
• Land Monitoring (10)
• BRDF Correction (5)
• Spectral Conversion (2)
• Scene Identification (2) 
• Sensor Calibration (6)
• Publications in China (9)
• Fire Project Home Page

    Citizenship: Canada

    Education 

     Ph.D., 1991, Dept. of Atmos. & Ocean.    Sci., McGill University, Canada

      M.Sc., 1986, Dept. of Meteorology, Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, China 

      B.Sc., 1983, Dept. of Meteorology, Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, China
 

    Employment

      Professor, 2001-present, Dept. of Meteorology, University of Maryland

      Research Scientist IV,1999-2000, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
      Research Scientist III,1996-1999, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
      Research Scientist II,1993-1996, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing

      Postdoctoral Fellow,1991-1992, Meteorological Service of Canada.

      Meteorologist, 1986-1987, China Meteorological Adminstration .

    Current Team Members

     Dr. Fu-Lung Chang, Assistant Research Scientist
     Dr. Pubu Ciren, Assistant Research Scientist
     Mr. Ji-Zhong Jin, Research Associate
     Ms. Maureen Cribb, Research Associate
     Ms. Heather Kilcoyne, Graduate student
     Mr. Brian Vant-Hull, Graduate Student
     Mr. Tianlai Yuan, Graduate Student
     Mr. Myeong-Jae Jeong, Graduate Student (start in Jan. 2002).

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM), US/DOE 

Global Aerosol Climatology Project (GACP), NASA/WCRP 

Land Cover and Land Use Change Project, NASA 

CloudSat, NASA, Science Team Member. 
 

Awards:
Alouette Award, the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, 2000.
Department Merit Award, Natural Resources Canada, 2000. 
Technology in Government Medal, Treasure Board of Canada, 1999. 
The Agatha Bystram Information Award, Council of Federal Libraries, 1999. 
The Head of Public Service Award, Government of Canada, 1998. 
The Earth Sciences Merit Award, Natural Resources Canada, 1997. 
 

Atmospheric Studies 

       Cloud-radiation interaction
       Remote sensing of radiation budget
       Validation of GCMs

Remote sensing of aerosol and its radiative effects 

Remote sensing of cloud and its radiative effects

Remote sensing of active fire, burned area and smoke
Remote sensing of UVB
Remote Sensing of Terrestrial
Environment

Angular dependence of satellite measurements (BRDF)
Narrow-to-broadband
conversion

Satellite scene identification
Satellite sensor calibration

Cloud-Radiation Interaction

Li, Z., H. Barker, and L. Moreau, The variable effect of clouds on atmospheric absorption of solar radiation, Nature (article), 376, 486-490.1995: 

Li, Z., and L. Moreau, 1996: Alteration of atmospheric solar absorption by clouds: Simulation and observation, J. Appl. Meteor., 35, 653-670. 

Barker, H.W., and Z. Li, 1997, Interpreting shortwave albedo-transmittance plots: True or apparent anomalous absorption, Geophy. Res. Let. 24, 2023-2026. 

Li, Z., 1998, Influence of absorbing aerosols on the inference of solar surface radiation budget and cloud absorption, J. Climate, 11, 5-17. 

Nemesure, S., R.D. Cess, E.G. Dutton, J.J. DeLuisi, Z. Li and H.G. Leighton, 1994: Impact of clouds on the shortave radiation budget of the surface-atmosphere system for snow-covered surfaces, J. Climate, 7, 579-585. 

Li, Z., A. Trishchenko, H.W. Barker, G.L. Stephens, P.T. Partain, 1999: Analysis of Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) programs’s Enhanced Shortwave Experiment (ARESE) multiple data sets for studying cloud absorption, J. Geophy. Res. 104, 19127-19134. 

Chang, F.-L., Z. Li, S.A. Ackerman, 2000, Examining the relationship between cloud and radiation quantities derived from satellite observations and model calculations, J. Climate, 13, 3842-3859. 

Li, Z., A. Trishchenko, 2001, Quantifying the uncertainties in determining SW cloud radiative forcing and cloud absorption due to variability in atmospheric conditions, J. Atmos. Sci., 58, 376-389. 

Li, Z., H.G. Leighton, 1993: Global climatologies of solar radiation budgets at the surface and in the atmosphere from 5 years of ERBE data, J. Geophy. Res., 98, 4919-4930. 

Li, Z., and L. Garand, 1994: Estimation of surface albedo from space: A parameterization for global application, J. Geophy. Res., 99, 8335-8350. 

Li, Z., 1995: Intercomparison between two satellite-based products of net surface shortwave radiation, J. Geophy. Res., 100, 3221-3232. 

Li, Z., H.G. Leighton, K. Masuda, and T. Takashima, 1993: Estimation of SW flux absorbed at the surface from TOA reflected flux, J. Climate, 6, 317-330. 

Li, Z., H.G. Leighton and R.D. Cess, 1993: Surface net solar radiation estimated from satellite measurements: Comparison with tower observations, J. Climate, 6, 1764-1772. 

Li, Z, T. Charlock, and C. Whitlock, 1995: Assessment of the global monthly mean surface insolation estimated from satellite measurements using global energy balance archive data, J. Climate, 8, 315-328. 

Masuda, K., H.G. Leighton, and Z. Li, 1995: A new parameterization for the determination of solar flux absorbed at the surface from satellite measurements, J. Climate., 8, 1615-1629. 

Pinker, R., R. Frouin, and Z. Li, 1995: A review of satellite methods to derive surface shortwave irradiance, Rem. Sensing Environ. 51, 108-124. 
 

Li, Z., L. Moreau, A. Arking, 1997: On solar energy disposition, A perspective from observation and modeling, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 78, 53-70 

Barker, H., Z. Li, and J.-P. Blanchet, 1994: Radiative characteristics of the Canadian Climate Centre second-generation general circulation model, J. Climate. 7, 1070-1091. 

Barker, H.W., and Z. Li, 1995: Improved simulation of clear-sky shortwave radiative transfer in the CCC GCM, J. Climate., 8, 2213-2223. 
 

Trishchenko, A.P., Z. Li, F.-L. Chang, 2001, Cloud optical depths and TOA fluxes: Comparison between satellite and surface retrievals from multiple platforms, Geophy. Res. Let., Geophy. Res. Letr., 28, 979-982.

Chang, F.-L., Z. Li, 2001, Estimating the vertical variation of cloud droplet effective radius using multispectral near-infrared satellite measurements, J. Geophy. Res., revised.

Barker, H., J.-P. Blanchet, W. Szymer, A. Trishchenko, and Z. Li, 2001, Remote sensing of cloud properties from aircraft-based measurements, Part I: Optical depth, J. Atmos. Sci., submitted.

Remote Sensing of Aerosols and Determing its Radiative Effects

Li, Z., 1998, Influence of absorbing aerosols on the inference of solar surface radiation budget and cloud absorption, J. Climate, 11, 5-17.

Li, Z., and L. Kou, 1998, Atmospheric direct radiative forcing by smoke aerosols determined from satellite and surfase measurements, Tellus (B), 50, 543-554 

Li, Z., A. Khananian, R. Fraser, J. Cihlar, 2001, Detecting smoke from boreal forest fires using neural network and threshold approaches applied to AVHRR imagery, IEEE Tran. Geosci. & Rem. Sen., 39, 1859-1870.

Fromm, M., J. Alfred, K. Hoppel, J. Hornstein, R. Bevilacqua, E. Shettle, R. Servranckx, Z. 
Li, B. Stocks, Observations of boreal forest fire smoke in the stratosphere by POAM III, SAGE II and lidar in 1998, , Geophys. Res. Let., 27, No. 9, 1407-1410, 2000.

O’Neill, N.T.,  T.F. Eck, B.N. Holben, A. Smirnov,  A. Royer, Z. Li, 2001, Optical properties of Canadian forest fire smoke derived from sunphotometry, J. Geophy. Res., submitted.

Wong, J., and Z. Li, 2002, Retrieval of optical depth for heavy smoke aerosol plumes: uncertainties and sensitivities to the optical properties, J. Atmos. Sci., 59, 250-261.
 

Li, Z., J. Cihlar, L. Moreau, F. Huang, B. Lee, 1997, Monitoring fire activities in the boreal ecosystem,  J. Geophy. Res.,102, 29,611-29,624. 

Li, Z. Remote Sensing of Forest Fires by NOAA/AVHRR, 1998, in CGMS Directory of Meteorological Satellite Applications (ed. J. Morgan). 

Li, Z., S. Nadon, J. Cihlar, 2000, Satellite detection of Canadian boreal forest fires: Development and application of an algorithm, Int. J. Rem. Sens., 21, 3057-3069. 

Li, Z., S. Nadon, J. Cihlar, B.J. Stocks, 2000, Satellite mapping of Canadian boreal forest fires: Evaluation and comparison and comparisons, Int. J. Rem. Sens., 21, 3071-3082. 

Fraser, R., Li, Z., and J. Cihlar, 2000, Hotspot and NDVI differencing synergy: A new method for mapping fire scars, Rem. Sens. Environ., 74, 362-375, 2000 

Fraser, R., Li, Z., and R. Landry, 2000, SPOT VEGETATION for characterizing boreal forest fires, Int. J. Rem. Sens., in press. 

Li, Z., Y. J. Kaufman, C. Ithoku, R. Fraser, A. Trishchenko, L. Giglio, J. Jin, X. Yu, 2001, A review of AVHRR-based active fire detection algorithms: Principles, limitations, and recommendations, in Global and Regional Vegetation Fire Monitoring from Space, Planning and Coordinated International Effort (Eds. F. Ahern, J.G. Goldammer, C. Justice), pp 199-225.

Grégoire J-M., D. R. Cahoon, D. Stroppiana, Z. Li, S. Pinnock, H. Eva, O. Arino, J.M. Rosaz, and I. Csiszar, 2001, Forest fire monitoring and mapping for GOFC: current products and information networks based on NOAA-AVHRR, ERS-ATSR, and SPOT-VGT, in Global and Regional Vegetation Fire Monitoring from Space, Planning and Coordinated International Effort (Eds. F. Ahern, J.G. Goldammer, C. Justice), p105-124.

Arino, O., I. Piccolini, E. Kasischke, F. Siegert, E. Chuvieco, P. Martin, Z. Li, Fraser, H. Eva,D. Stropplana, J. Pereira, J.M.N. Silva, D. Roy, P. Barbosa, 2001, Mapping of burned surfaces in vegetation fires, in Global and Regional Vegetation Fire Monitoring from Space, Planning and Coordinated International Effort (Eds. F. Ahern, J.G. Goldammer, C. Justice), p227-255.

Ichoku, C., Y. Kaufman, L. Giglio, Z. Li, R.H. Fraser, J. Jin, and B. Park, 2001, Comparative analysis of daytime fire detection algorithms using AVHRR data for the 1995 fire season in Canada: Perspective for MODIS, Int. J. Rem. Sens., under revision.

Fraser, R., and Z. Li, 2001, SPOT VEGETATION for Estimating Parameters Related to Boreal Forest Fire: Burned Area, Regeration Age, and Biomass; Rem. Sens. Environ., in press. 
 

Li, Z., P. Wang, J. Cihlar, A simple and accurate algorithm for retrieving surface UV-B irradiance from satellite, J. Geophy. Res., 105, 5027-5036. 

Wang, P., Li, Z., D. Wardle, Validation of UVB inversion algorithm using satellite and surface measurements, J. Geophy. Res., 105, 5037-5048. 

Ciren, P., and Z. Li, 2000, The TOA Anisotropic Reflection of UV Radiation, Characteristics and Models Obtained from Meteor-3/TOMS, J. Geophy. Res., 106, 4741-4755. 
 

Cihlar, J., R. Latifovic, J. M. Chen, J. Beaubien, Z. Li, 2000, Selecting representative high resolution sample images for land cover studies. Part 1: methodology. Remote Sensing of Environment, 71:26-42.

Cihlar, J., R. Latifovic, J. M. Chen, J. Beaubien, Z. Li, 2000, Selecting  representative high resolution sample images for land cover studies. Part 2: application to estimating land cover composition, Remote Sensing of Environment (in press).

Cihlar, J., J. Chen, Z. Li, F. Huang and H. Pokrant, 1998, Can interannual land surface signal be discerned in composite AVHRR data?, J. Geophy. Res. 103, 23,163-23,172. 

Li, Z., L. Moreau, J. Cihlar, 1997, Estimation of the photosynthetically active radiation absorbed at the surface over the BOREAS region, J. Geophy. Res., 102, 29,717-29,727.

Cihlar, J., J. Chen, Z. Li, 1997, Seasonal AVHRR multichannel data sets and products for studies of surface-atmosphere interactions, J. Geophy. Res. 102, 29,625-29,640. 

Cihlar, J. H. Ly, Z. Li, J. Chen, H. Pokrant, F. Huang, 1997, Multi-temporal, multi-channel AVHRR data sets for land biosphere studies: Artifacts and corrections, Rem. Sen. Environ., 60, 35-57. 

Cihlar, J., J. Chen, Z. Li, 1997,  On the validation of satellite-derived products for land applications, Can. J. Rem. Sens, 23, 381-389. 

Cihlar, J., J. Beaubien, Q. Xiao, J. Chen, Z. Li, 1997, Land cover of the BOREAS region from AVHRR and LANDSAT data, Can. J. Rem. Sens. 23, 163-175. 

Li, Z., and L. Moreau, 1996: A new approach for remote sensing of canopy absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, I: Total Surface Absorption, Rem. Sens. Environ., 55, 175-191. 

Moreau, L., Z. Li, 1996: A new approach for remote sensing of canopy absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, II: Proportion of canopy absorption, Rem. Sens. Environ., 55, 192-204. 

Wu, A., Z. Li and J. Cihlar, 1995: Effects of land cover type and greenness on AVHRR bidirectional reflectances: Analysis and removal, J. Geophy. Res., 100:9179-9192 

Li, Z., J. Cihlar, X. Zhang, L. Moreau, L. Hung, 1996:The bidirectional effect in AVHRR measurements over boreal regions, IEEE Tran. Geosci. & Rem. Sen., 34, 1308-1322. 

Li, Z., 1996: On the angular correction of satellite-based radiation data: An evaluation of the performance of ERBE ADM in the Arctic, J. Theor. Appl. Climat. 54, 235-248. 

Li, Z., L. Moreau, J. Cihlar, D.W. Deering, 1997, An evaluation of kernel-driven bidirectional models using PARABOLA measurements, Can. J. Rem. Sens. 23, 120-130. 

Chang, F.-L., Z. Li, A. Trishchenko, 2000, The dependence of TOA anisotropic reflection on cloud properties inferred from ScaRaB satellite data, J. Appl. Meteor., 39, 2480-2493. 
 

Li, Z., and H.G. Leighton, 1992: Narrowband to broadband conversion with spatially autocorrelated reflectance measurements, J. Appl. Meteor., 31, 421-432. 

Li, Z., and A. Trishchenko, 1999, A study towards an improved understanding of the relationship between visible and SW albedo measurements, J. Atmos. & Ocean. Tech. 16, 347-360. 
 

Li, Z., and Leighton, 1991: Scene identification and its effect on cloud radiative forcing in the Arctic, J. Geophy. Res., 96, 9175-9188. 

Sakellariou, N., H.G. Leighton and Z. Li, 1993: Identification of clear and cloudy pixels at high latitudes from AVHRR radiances, Int. J. Remote Sensing, 14, 2005-2024. 

Trishchenko A., Li. Z, 1998, Use of ScaRaB measurements for validating a GOES-based TOA radiation product, J. Appl. Meteor., 37, 591-605. 

Trishchenko A., Li. Z, 2001 A method for the correction of AVHRR onboard IR calibration in the event of short-term radiative contamination, Int. J. Rem. Sens., 22, 3619-3624.

Trishchenko, A.P., J. Cihlar, Z. Li, 2001, Spectral response function effects on surface reflectance and NDVI measured with moderate resolution satellite sensors, Rem. Sens. Environ., accepted.

Cihlar, J., R. Latifovic, J. Chen and Z. Li, 1998, Near-real time detection of contaminated pixels in AVHRR composites, Int. J. Rem. Sens. 

Cihlar, J., J. Chen, Z. Li, R. Latifovic, G. Fedosejevs, M. Adair, W. Park, R. Fraser, A. Trishchenko, B. Guindon, D. Stanley, 2001, GeoComp – N, An advanced system for the processing of coarse and medium resolution satellite data. Part 2: biophysical products for northern ecosystems, in press.

Cihlar, J., L. Tcherednichenko, R. Latifovic, Z. Li, and J. M. Chen, 2000, Impact of variable atmospheric water vapour content on AVHRR data corrections over land, IEEE Transactions for Geoscience and Remote Sensing, in press.

Li, Z., X. Yu, Y. Kaufman, 2000, On the new generation of earth observation system, Science (China), 52, No. 4, 9-12. 

Li, Z., and D. Weng, 1990, Numerical simulations of surface radiation field in a hilly country, Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 4, 81-91.

Li, Z., and D. Weng, 1989, Distribution and calculation of the solar diffuse radiation incident on slopes, Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 3, 490-497.

Li, Z., and D. Weng, 1989, A numerical model for hilly-land global radiation, Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 3, 661-668.

Li, Z., and D. Weng, 1988, A computer model for calculating the duration of sunshine in mountainous areas, Chinese Science Bulletin, 33, 1624-1627.

Li, Z. and D. Weng, 1987, A model to determine topographic parameters, Acta Geographica Sinica, 42, 269-278.

Li, Z., and D. Weng, 1987, A parameterization model for calculating diffuse radiation over rugged terrain, Journal of Meteorology, 10, 139-151.

Li, Z., and D. Weng, 1987, Simulations of the reflected radiation from the surrounding terrains, Geographic Research, 6, 42-49.

Weng, D., X. Fang and Z. Li, 1985, A preliminary study on the vertical decreasing of water vapour, Journal of Meteorology, 8, 152-160.