Jie Chen

Assistant Professor

Email：chen_jie@nju.edu.cn

Dr. Chen joined the Nanjing-Helsinki Institute in Atmospheric and Earth Sciences in April, 2025. The research topics include (1) demonstrates the physical understanding of landfalling hurricanes, (2) advances theoretical solutions describing and predicting the inland evolution of hurricane wind fields, (3) develops new frameworks assessing the modeled hurricane wind field, and (4) makes above studies useful for the prediction of severe weather and impacts. Dr. Chen and her lab aim to link the physics of weather and climate to the quantification of their impacts and risks, and solve weather dependent problems. The ultimate goal is building a more risk-resilient society in a changing environment. Applications are highly welcom from prospective PhD students/postdocs interested in related topics.

Work Experience

2025.4 – present Assistant Professor, Nanjing-Helsinki Institute, Nanjing University

2021.8 – 2025.3 CIMES Postdoc Fellow, Princeton University in collaboration with NOAA GFDL

2012.6 – 2014.6 Assistant Engineer, Shenzhen Meteorological Bureau

Education

2016.8-2021.5 Ph.D., Purdue University, West Lafayette

2014.8-2016.7 M.S., University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu

2008.9-2012.6 B.S., Nanjing University of Info. Science and Technology

Teaching Activities

Undergraduate Program: Principles of Synoptic Meteorology

Graduate Program: Advanced Synoptic Meteorology, Advanced Atmospheric Sciences

Synergistic Activities

Associate Editor for Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

Journal Referee

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Geophysical Research Letter, Journal of Climate, Science Advances, Atmospheric Research, Earth Future, Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Selected Publications (Google Scholar)

Part I. Physics and Theoretical models of landfalling Tropical Cyclones

1. Chen, J. and D. R. Chavas (2020). The Transient Responses of An Axisymmetric Tropical Cyclone to Instantaneous Surface Roughening and Drying. J. Atmos. Sci.,77(8), pp.2807–2834.

2. Chen, J. and D. R. Chavas (2021). Can existing theory predict the response of tropical cyclone intensity to idealized landfall? J. Atmos. Sci., 78(10), pp.3281–3296.

3. Chen, J. and D. R. Chavas (2023). A Model for the Tropical Cyclone Wind Field Response to Idealized Landfall. J. Atmos. Sci., 80,1163-1176.

Part II. Observation, Numerical Simulations, and Model assessments of landfalling Storms

1. Chen, J., K. Gao, L. Harris, T. Marchok, L. Zhou and M. Morin (2023) A New Framework for Evaluating Model Simulated Inland Tropical Cyclone Wind Fields. Geophysical Research Letters (50), e2023GL104587.

2. Chen, J., K. Gao, L. Harris, T. Marchok (2025) Do Tropical Cyclone Outer Size Forecasts Improve Simultaneously with Intensity Forecasts? Geophysical Research Letters (52), e2025GL115875.

Part III. Hazards and Impacts of landfalling Tropical Cyclones

1. Jing, R., S. Heft-Neal, Z. Wang, J. Chen, M. Qiu, I. Opper, Z. Wagner and E. Bendavid (2025). Loss of Schooling from Tropical Cyclones: Evidence from 13 Low- and Middle-income Countries. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (PNAS) U.S.A. 122 (18) e2413962122.

2. Xian, S., Feng, K., Lin, N., Marsooli, R., Chavas, D., Chen, J. and Hatzikyriakou, A. (2018). Brief communication: Rapid assessment of damaged residential buildings in the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 18(7), pp.2041-2045.

Part IV.  Comment and Review

1. Chavas D. R. and J. Chen (2020). Tropical cyclones could last longer after landfall in a warming world. Nature, 587, pp.200-201. (Invited commentary)

2. Walder, J. B. and J.E. Rudzin and B, J. Cruz and Chen, J., Fischer, M., Chen, G.H., Qin N.N. and Tang, B. and Q. Q. Li (2023). A review of Recent Research Progress on the Effect of External Influences on Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change. Tropical Cyclone Research and Review, 12(2).