Profile of Zhisheng An

Abstract

Zhisheng An of the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is a leader in the multidisciplinary field of Earth system science. His integration of Quaternary geology and global change methodologies beginning in the 1980s marked a paradigm shift and continues to facilitate climate change research. With geologist and mentor Tungsheng Liu, An pioneered studies concerning the climate significance of China’s loess sediments. He has conducted formative research on the history, dynamics, and environmental effects of Asian monsoons. Elected as a foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences in 2016, An synthesizes recent advances in the fundamental mechanisms of severe haze formation in Northern China in his Inaugural Article (1). The synthesis could inform future regulatory policies to mitigate China’s haze-associated problems. Zhisheng An. Image courtesy of Zhang Yi (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, China). An was raised in Nanjing, China by parents who were both teachers. An says, “My father Mengzhou An helped to nurture my writing skills, sense of logic, and philosophical thinking.” An attended a high school affiliated to Nanjing Normal University, where he developed an appreciation for science and the liberal arts. Inspired by a talk given by Nanjing University chemist Anbang Dai, An envisioned his future as a scientist. An planned to focus on physics, but in 1958 received an admission notice from the newly established Nanjing Geology College, which was later incorporated into Nanjing University’s geology department. His mother Zhihua Jiao urged him to attend the college, and An followed her advice. His interest in geology and nature grew during college-sponsored field trips. After earning a bachelor’s degree in geology in 1962, An attended the CAS Institute of Geology and the CAS Institute of Geochemistry for postgraduate studies in Quaternary geology. An’s supervisor Liu introduced him to research on …