NASA Logo in the header
Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Zhong Liu

(SCIENTIST)

Zhong Liu's Contact Card & Information.
Email: zhong.liu-1@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.614.5764
Org Code: 619
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 619
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

Brief Bio

Dr. Zhong Liu, a research professor at the Center for Spatial Information Science and Systems (CSISS), George Mason University, is a member of NASA GES DISC, providing science and data support for NASA-JAXA TRMM, GPM, GPCP-3 and other global precipitation data sets and applications (e.g., USDA Crop Explorer) and research on FAIR, open science, data product development strategies, visualization and analysis, data democratization and next-generation data and computing infrastructure. 


Over the past 28 years, Dr. Liu has worked on data services, tools, and research to make Earth remote sensing products (e.g., NASA and NOAA) FAIR, open and actionable. He was the lead developer for the NOAA/NESDIS Interactive Multi-sensor Snow and Ice Mapping System (IMS) project. TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System (TOVAS), the first member of the NASA Goddard Giovanni family, was developed by him. He was the lead developer of the Hurricane Data Analysis Tool (HDAT) at the GES DISC Hurricane Portal. He was the principal investigator for "Integrating IPWG Validation Algorithms into TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System (TOVAS)" and a co-investigator for several NASA projects such as "Integrating NASA Earth Science Enterprise Data into Global Agricultural Decision Support Systems" as the lead developer of the global agriculture information system. He initiated and chaired an inaugural session at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting entitled Data and Information Services for Interdisciplinary Research and Applications in Earth Science, with co-chairs, in order to gain a deeper understanding of interdisciplinary data challenges and identify new opportunities. This session has become one of the most popular sessions at AGU Earth and Space Science Informatics. He chaired the Information Quality Cluster of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) (2022 – 2024). He contributed to AGU Eos magazine and NASA@Work. He published over 50 peer-reviewed papers (e.g., BAMS). He currently serves as editor of Nature Scientific Data.

Research Interests

Satellite remote sensing, precipitation research (uncertainty and data quality) and applications, Earth interdisciplinary data and services, Interdisciplinary research,TRMM/GPM/GPCP service development and user support

Earth Science: Remote Sensing

Current Projects

NASA GES DISC GIOVANNI, TRMM, GPM, GPCP-3, and research on FAIR, data quality, visualization and analysis, open science, and next-generation data and computing infrastructure

Data Centers

Positions/Employment

Research Professor

CSISS, George Mason University - 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA

July 2009 - Present

Contract scientist at NASA GSFC Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Research Associate Professor

CEOSR, George Mason University - 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA

July 2005 - June 2009

Research Assistant Professor

CEOSR, George Mason University - 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA

July 1999 - June 2005

Senior Research Scientist

SMART, Inc. - Lanham, MD

July 1997 - July 1999

Contract scientist at NOAA NESDIS.

Research Associate

Byrd Polar Research Center at the Ohio State University - Columbus, Ohio

September 1995 - July 1997

Antarctic boundary layer meteorology (katabatic wind) and sea ice.

Education

  • The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, PhD, Atmospheric Sciences (David Bromwich, Jeffery Rogers)
  • South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, SD, MS, Meteorology (Paul Smith)
  • Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China, BS, Marine Meteorology

Professional Societies

AMS, AGU and International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG)

1991 - Present

Professional Service

Reviewer for Nature, Harvard Data Science Review, Nature-Climate Change, Scientific Data, J. Climate, JGR, J. Hydrometeorology, Atmospheric Research, Climate, JSTAR, etc. Reviewer for NASA, NSF, and NOAA research programs (PMM, ACCESS, NASA NPP, etc.).

Awards

  • ESIP Collaboration of the Year Award (2025)
  • NASA Group Achievement Awards – Earthdata Forum Team (2021)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award for Innovative Multi-mission Data Services (2009)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award for Earth Science Data Search, Exploration and Access Implement Team (Giovanni and Mirador) (2009)
  • NASA GSFC Robert H. Goddard Honor Award for Engineering (2008)
  • NASA GSFC Robert H. Goddard Honor Award for Outreach (2008)
  • Quarterly Customer Service Excellence Award from NASA GSFC (2001)
  • Customer Service Excellence Award from NASA GSFC (2001)
  • Antarctic Service Medal issued by National Science Foundation
  • Antarctic Service Medal issued by U.S. Navy

Grants

Integrate IPWG Validation Algorithms into TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System (TOVAS)

Integrate IPWG Validation Algorithms into TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System (TOVAS) - George Mason University (NNH10ZDA001N-ESDRERR) - Awarded: 2011-07-01


Dates:  - 

Other Professional Information

  • Chair, Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) information quality cluster (2022 - 2024)
  • Editor, Nature - Scientific Data (2024 - present)

Special Experience

Three field trips to Antarctica to study katabatic winds.

Publications

Refereed

2025. "Accelerating Earth Science to Action.", Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, [https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0226.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "Evaluation of IMERG climate trends over land in the TRMM and GPM eras.", Environmental Research Letters, 20 (1): 014064 [10.1088/1748-9326/ad984e] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "Towards practical artificial intelligence in Earth sciences.", Computational Geosciences, [10.1007/s10596-024-10317-7] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "Harmonizing quality measures of FAIRness assessment towards machine-actionable quality information.", International Journal of Digital Earth, 17 (1): [https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2024.2390431] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "A Practical Guide for Open, Free & FAIR NASA Earth Science Data Products.", Earthdata Wiki, [https://doi.org/10.5067/DOC/ESCO/ESDSWG-0002V1] [Report]

2024. "Strategizing Earth Science Data Development.", Scientific Data, 11 (1): 693 [10.1038/s41597-024-03531-6] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Preface: Embracing interdisciplinary earth science: Advancing through open science, collaboration, and innovation.", Computers & Geosciences, 179 105436 [10.1016/j.cageo.2023.105436] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "AN OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY FAIR PRACTICES – NASA O’FAIR WG INCEPTION REPORT.", Earthdata Wiki, [https://doi.org/10.5067/DOC/ESCO/ESDSWG-0001V1] [Report]

2023. "We Need a Better Way to Share Earth Observations.", Eos, 104 [10.1029/2023eo230190] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Improving NASA’s Earth Satellite and Model Data Discoverability for Interdisciplinary Research, Applications, and Education.", Data Science Journal, 22 (1): p. 9 [https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2023-009] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "NASA Global Near-Real-Time and Research Precipitation Products for Flood Monitoring, Modeling, Assessment, and Research.", Flood Handbook , 519-540 [https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429463938] [Article in Book]

2022. "Earth and Space Science Informatics Perspectives on Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) Science.", Earth and Space Science, [10.1029/2021EA002108] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Developing Metrics for NASA Earth Science Interdisciplinary Data Products and Services.", Data Science Journal, 21 [10.5334/dsj-2022-005] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Geospatial cluster analysis of the state, duration and severity of drought over Paraíba State, northeastern Brazil.", Science of The Total Environment, 149492 [10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149492] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Integrating Data to Find Links Between Environment and Health.", Eos, 102 [10.1029/2021eo158802] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Global Satellite‐Based Precipitation Products.", Handbook of Water Harvesting and Conservation, 153-175 [10.1002/9781119478911.ch11] [Book]

2020. "NASA Global Satellite and Model Data Products and Services for Tropical Meteorology and Climatology.", Remote Sensing, 12 (17): 2821 [10.3390/rs12172821] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Creating Data Tool Kits That Everyone Can Use.", Eos, 101 [10.1029/2020eo143953] [Magazine]

2020. "Improving Reproducibility in Earth Science Research.", Eos, 101 (2): 16-17 [10.1029/2019eo136216] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "NASA Global Satellite and Model Data Products and Services for Tropical Cyclone Research.", Current Topics in Tropical Cyclone Research [Working Title], [10.5772/intechopen.89720] [Article in Book]

2019. "Comprehensive Data Quality Recommendations for Data Producers and Distributors, Technical Note ESDS-RFC-033.", NASA ESDIS Standard Office (ESO), pp. 1-81 [Full Text] [Report]

2019. "High-Priority Data Quality Recommendations for Data Producers and Distributors, Technical Note ESDS-RFC-034.", NASA ESDIS Standard Office (ESO), pp. 1-17 [Full Text] [Report]

2019. "Data Management Plan Template for DAACs, Technical Note ESDS-RFC-031.", NASA ESDIS Standard Office (ESO), pp. 1-11 [Full Text] [Report]

2019. "Data Quality Working Group Recommendations for the Data Management Plan Template for Data Producers, Technical Note ESDS-RFC-032.", NASA ESDIS Standard Office (ESO), pp. 1-7 [Full Text] [Report]

2019. "Global Satellite Observations for Smart Cities.", , [Book]

2018. "A preliminary assessment of GPM-based multi-satellite precipitation estimates over a monsoon dominated region.", Journal of Hydrology, 556 865-876 [10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.01.029] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Giovanni: The Bridge Between Data and Science.", Eos, 98 [10.1029/2017eo079299] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "NASA global satellite-based precipitation products and services for drought monitoring activities in Handbook of Drought and Water Scarcity.", CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, 1 (Chapter 22): [10.1201/9781315404219] [Book]

2017. "Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Products and Services at the NASA GES DISC.", Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 98 (3): 437-444 [10.1175/bams-d-16-0023.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Developing Online Visualization and Analysis Services for NASA Satellite-Derived Global Precipitation Products during the Big Geospatial Data Era.", CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group, 312 [Article in Book]

2016. "Comparison of Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) and TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) Monthly Precipitation Products: Initial Results.", Journal of Hydrometeorology, 17 (3): 777-790 [10.1175/jhm-d-15-0068.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Evaluation of Precipitation Climatology Derived from TRMM Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) Monthly Product over Land with Two Gauge-Based Products.", Climate, 3 (4): 964-982 [10.3390/cli3040964] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Validation of TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis (TMPA) products in the Peruvian Andes.", Atmospheric Research, 163 132-145 [10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.11.012] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Comparison of versions 6 and 7 3-hourly TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis (TMPA) research products.", Atmospheric Research, 163 91-101 [10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.12.015] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "A web service and android application for the distribution of rainfall estimates and Earth observation data.", Computers & Geosciences, 77 66-76 [10.1016/j.cageo.2015.01.011] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Comparison of precipitation estimates between Version 7 3-hourly TRMM Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) near-real-time and research products.", Atmospheric Research, 153 119-133 [10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.07.032] [Journal Article/Letter]

2014. "Developing GIOVANNI-based online prototypes to intercompare TRMM-related global gridded-precipitation products.", Computers & Geosciences, 66 168-181 [10.1016/j.cageo.2013.12.012] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Data and Services for Research and Applications.", Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, [https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00152.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Online Visualization and Analysis of Global Half-Hourly Infrared Satellite Data.", Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 92 (4): 429-432 [10.1175/2010bams2976.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Global Agriculture Information System and its Applications.", In Advanced Geoinformation Science, CRC Press Taylor & Francis [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Developing an Online Information System Prototype for Global Satellite Precipitation Algorithm Validation and Intercomparison.", Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 48 (12): 2581-2589 [10.1175/2009jamc2244.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2006. "Comparison of TRMM and water district rain rates over New Mexico.", Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 23 (1): 1-13 [10.1007/s00376-006-0001-x] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "Monitoring the response of vegetation phenology to precipitation in Africa by coupling MODIS and TRMM instruments.", Journal of Geophysical Research, 110 (D12): D12103 [10.1029/2004jd005263] [Journal Article/Letter]

2004. "Anomalous cold water detected along Mid-Atlantic Coast.", Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 85 (15): 152 [10.1029/2004eo150003] [Journal Article/Letter]

1998. "Winter Atmospheric Forcing of the Ross Sea Polynya.", Antarctic Research Series, 101-133 [10.1029/ar075p0101] [Article in Book]

1997. "Mesoscale cyclone activity over Antarctica during 1991: 1. Marie Byrd Land.", Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 102 (D12): 13923-13937 [10.1029/97jd00905] [Journal Article/Letter]

1997. "Mesoscale cyclone activity over Antarctica during 1991: 2. Near the Antarctic peninsula.", Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 102 (D12): 13939-13954 [10.1029/97jd00904] [Journal Article/Letter]

1997. "Combined global climate model and mesoscale model simulations of Antarctic climate.", Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 102 (D12): 13747-13760 [10.1029/97jd00792] [Journal Article/Letter]

1997. "Dynamics of the Katabatic Wind Confluence Zone near Siple Coast, West Antarctica.", Journal of Applied Meteorology, 36 (2): 97-118 [10.1175/1520-0450(1997)036<0097:dotkwc>2.0.co;2] [Journal Article/Letter]

1996. "An Observational Study of the Katabatic Wind Confluence Zone near Siple Coast, West Antarctica.", Monthly Weather Review, 124 (3): 462-477 [10.1175/1520-0493(1996)124<0462:aosotk>2.0.co;2] [Journal Article/Letter]

1993. "Acoustic Remote Sensing of Planetary Boundary Layer Dynamics near Ross Island, Antarctica.", Journal of Applied Meteorology, 32 (12): 1867-1882 [10.1175/1520-0450(1993)032<1867:arsopb>2.0.co;2] [Journal Article/Letter]

1993. "Hemispheric atmospheric variations and oceanographic impacts associated with katabatic surges across the Ross ice shelf, Antarctica.", Journal of Geophysical Research, 98 (D7): 13045 [10.1029/93jd00562] [Journal Article/Letter]

1993. "A Study of Sampling-Variability Effects in Raindrop Size Observations.", Journal of Applied Meteorology, 32 (7): 1259-1269 [10.1175/1520-0450(1993)032<1259:asosve>2.0.co;2] [Journal Article/Letter]

Contact Us

For general inquiries about the Sciences and Exploration Directorate.

Jocelyn Lynch

Project Support Specialist

301-286-6066 jocelyn.m.lynch@nasa.gov
Ellie Jeffries

Project Support Specialist

301-286-6066 ellie.jeffries@nasa.gov
Technical issues with this website may be reported to ben.pelletier@nasa.gov.
General inquiries about the scientific programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center may be directed to the Center Office of Communications at 1.301.286.8955.