1986 PhD, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Physical Geography)
1982 M., Lanzhou University (Physical Geography)
1978 B., Lanzhou University (Physical Geography)

Third Polar Environment and Earth System Science

2003-present: Professor, institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
1999-2003: Professor, Cold and Arid Region Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
1996-1999: Professor, Lanzhou Institute of Glaciology and Permafrost, Chinese Academy of Sciences
1996-1997: visiting scholar, the Ohio State University, U.S.
1995-1996: visiting scholar, the Ohio State University, U.S.
1993-1994: visiting scholar, LSCE, France
1992-1993: visiting scholar, the Ohio State University, U.S.
1988-1990: Postdoc, the Ohio State University, U.S.
1987-1988: Postdoc, Institute of Environmental Geosciences, the Observatory of Sciences of the Universe from Grenoble

2009-present: co-chair, Third Pole Environment program (TPE)
2009-present: chairman, China Society on Tibetan Plateau
2009-present: vice chairman, Chinese Committee on ICIMOD
2007-resent: editor, Science in China (earth sciences)
2012-2015: vice chairman, Chinese Association for Quaternary Research
2011-2013: member, The International Council for Science Future Earth Transitional Team
Member, AAAS
Member, AGU
Member, IGS
Vice chairman, Society of Glaciology and Permafrost
Member, Society of Geomorphology and Quaternary
Member of the assessment panel, NSFC

2017: Vega Medal, Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography
2017: Excellent Mentor Award, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2014: State Natural Science Award (Second Class)
2007: Elected Member, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2005: PI national 973 project
2004: Excellent Science & Technology Workers in China
2004: Advanced Individuals of national 973 project
2002: The Science Fund for Excellent Creative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China
2001: Earth Sciences Prize, Ho Leung Ho Lee Achievement Prize for Science and Technology Progress
2000: Chinese Academy of Sciences Award in Natural Science (First Class)
2000: Zhu Kezhen field work prize
1999: National Prize for Natural Sciences of China (Third Class)
1998: Excellent Mentor Award, Chinese Academy of Sciences
1997: National Prize for Natural Sciences of China (Third Class)
1996: Chinese Academy of Sciences Prize for Natural Sciences (First Class)
1995: First Tibetan Plateau Youth Award in Science and Technology
1994: First winner of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, National Natural Science Foundation of China
 

Yao, T.D., Xue, Y., Chen, D., Chen, F., Thompson, L., Cui, P., ... & Zhang, R. (2019). Recent Third Pole’s Rapid Warming Accompanies Cryospheric Melt and Water Cycle Intensification and Interactions between Monsoon and Environment: Multidisciplinary Approach with Observations, Modeling, and Analysis. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 100(3), 423-444.
Yao, T. (2019). Tackling on environmental changes in Tibetan Plateau with focus on water, ecosystem and adaptation. Science Bulletin, 64(7), 417-417.
Yao, T.D. (2019). A comprehensive study of Water-Ecosystem-Human activities reveals unbalancing Asian Water Tower and accompanying potential risks. Chinese Science Bulletin, 64(27), 2761-2762.
Yao, T.D., Yu, W., Wu, G., Xu, B., Yang, W., Zhao, H., ... & Liu, S. (2019). Glacier anomalies and relevant disaster risks on the Tibetan Plateau and surroundings. Chinese Science Bulletin, 64(27), 2770-2782.
Gao, J., Yao, T.D., Masson-Delmotte, V., Steen-Larsen, H. C., & Wang, W. (2019). Collapsing glaciers threaten Asia’s water supplies. Nature, 565, 19-21.
Gao, J., Yao, T.D., Cai, R., Zhang, T., He, Z., Niu, X., ... & Wu, G. (2019). Observation of the atmospheric water vapor stable isotopes in three dimensions over the Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin, 64(27), 2822-2829.
Allen, S. K., Zhang, G., Wang, W., Yao, T.D., & Bolch, T. (2019). Potentially dangerous glacial lakes across the Tibetan Plateau revealed using a large-scale automated assessment approach. Science Bulletin, 64(7), 435-445.
Lei, Y., Zhu, Y., Wang, B., Yao, T.D., Yang, K., Zhang, X., ... & Ma, N. (2019). Extreme lake level changes on the Tibetan Plateau associated with the 2015/2016 El Niño. Geophysical Research Letters.
Li, G., Li, X., Yao, T.D., Che, T., Yang, H., Ma, M., ... & Pan, X. (2019). Heterogeneous sea-level rises along coastal zones and small islands. Science Bulletin, 64(11), 748-755.
Li, S., Yao, T.D., Yu, W., Yang, W., & Zhu, M. (2019). Energy and mass balance characteristics of the Guliya ice cap in the West Kunlun Mountains, Tibetan Plateau. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 159, 71-85.
Liu, K., Yao, T.D., Liu, Y., Xu, B., Hu, A., & Chen, Y. (2019). Elevational patterns of abundant and rare bacterial diversity and composition in mountain streams in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau. Science China Earth Sciences, 62(5), 853-862.
Pepin, N., Deng, H., Zhang, H., Zhang, F., Kang, S., & Yao, T.D. (2019). An examination of temperature trends at high elevations across the Tibetan Plateau: the use of MODIS LST to understand patterns of elevation‐dependent warming. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.
Shen, S. S., Clarke, G., Shen, B. W., & Yao, T.D. (2019). Spatiotemporal variations of the twentieth century Tibetan Plateau precipitation based on the monthly 2.5° reconstructed data. Theoretical and applied climatology, 135(1-2), 71-83.
Shrestha, S., Yao, T.D., & Adhikari, T. R. (2019). Analysis of rainfall trends of two complex mountain river basins on the southern slopes of the Central Himalayas. Atmospheric research, 215, 99-115.
Shrestha, S., Yao, T.D., Kattel, D. B., & Devkota, L. P. (2019). Precipitation characteristics of two complex mountain river basins on the southern slopes of the central Himalayas. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 1-20.
You, C., Yao, T.D., & Xu, C. (2019). Environmental significance of levoglucosan records in a central Tibetan ice core. Science Bulletin, 64(2), 122-127.
Zhang, G., Yao, T.D., Chen, W., Zheng, G., Shum, C. K., Yang, K., ... & O'Reilly, C. M. (2019). Regional differences of lake evolution across China during 1960s–2015 and its natural and anthropogenic causes. Remote sensing of environment, 221, 386-404.
Zhang, T., Wang, T., Krinner, G., Wang, X., Gasser, T., Peng, S., ... & Yao, T.D. (2019). The weakening relationship between Eurasian spring snow cover and Indian summer monsoon rainfall. Science advances, 5(3), eaau8932.
Bibi, S., Wang, L., Li, X., Zhou, J., Chen, D., & Yao, T.D. (2018). Climatic and associated cryospheric, biospheric, and hydrological changes on the Tibetan Plateau: a review. International Journal of Climatology, 38, e1-e17.
Dai, Y., Wang, L., Yao, T.D., Li, X., Zhu, L., & Zhang, X. (2018). Observed and simulated lake effect precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau: an initial study at nam co lake. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123(13), 6746-6759.