1981年9月-1985年7月，在西北大学地质系地质学专业学习，获学士学位。
1994年9-1998年7月，在中国科学院西安与第四纪地质国家重点实验室读博士学位。

新生代地质与环境

1985年7月-1990年10月，在中国科学院西安黄土与第四纪地质研究室工作，主要从事黄土与第四纪地质研究，1986年被聘为研究实习员，1995年被聘为副研究员，2000年4月被聘为研究员。 
2000年6月-2005年2月，在中国科学院南海海洋研究所海洋地质室工作，从事季风变迁中的海陆相互作用与全球变化研究，2001年6月被聘为博士生导师。
2005年3月-今，在兰州大学资源环境学院地理系工作。

第四纪地质,新生代地质,行星与地球末来

1. 通过组织实施了沙漠钻探研究计划，研究了西北主要沙漠漠形成的地质时代和演化历史,结果表明, 塔可拉玛干沙漠形成的地质时代为3.4Ma, 腾格里沙漠和巴丹吉林沙漠腹地大致形成于中更新世, 库布沙漠形成于中晚第四纪。 
2. 发现了黄土由粗粒和细粒组分叠加组成并建立了分离这些组分的数学方法，提出这两种组分可能分别与低空季风和高空西风环流有成因联系，据此重建了晚新生代北方季风和西风环流的演化趋势和它们在冰期旋回中的空间特征。 
3. 恢复了风成沉积在新生代的演化历史，提出风成沉积在整个新生代都存在，其通量在不断增加，其中最显致的变化发生在33、22、和8Ma。这一趋势与新生代特提斯海退缩，全球降温，冰量增加有关。
4. 建立了主体黄土高原第三纪风尘红粘土序列的磁性地层年代标尺，重建了最近７ＭＡ的晚新生代东亚季风变迁历史；重建了末次冰期旋回风尘区夏季风空间格局的演化；系统地

2001年获得全国优秀百篇博士学位论文, 2007年获得国家杰出青年基金。

1. Sun Donghuai, John Shaw, An Zhisheng and Tim Rolph, 1993，Matuyama/Brunhes (M/B) transition recorded in Chinese loess, Journal of Geomagnetism and Geoeclectrisity, 45, 319-330.
2. Sun Donghuai, Wu Xihao and Liu Tungsheng, 1996, Evolution of the summer monsoon regime over the loess plateau of the last 150ka. Science in China (D), 39, 503-511.
3. Sun Donghuai, Zhou Jie, Jiang Fuchu and Porter SC, 1996, Preliminary study on the summer monsoon climate of Chinese loess plateau during the last interglacial period. Chinese Science Bulletin, 41,321-325.
4. Sun Donghuai, Liu Tungsheng, Chen Minyang and An Zhisheng, 1997, Magnetostratigraphy and palaeoclimate of Red Clay sequences from Chinese loess Plateau. Science in China(D), 40,337-343.
5. Sun Donghuai, John Shaw, An Zhisheng, Cheng Minyang and YueLeping, 1998，Magnetostratigraphy and paleoclimatic interpretation of a continuous 7.2Ma Late Cenozoic eolian sediments from the Chinese Loess Plateau, Geophysical Research Letter, 25(1), 85-88.
6. Sun Donghuai, An Zhisheng, J. Shaw J. Bloemendal and Sun Youbin, 1998，Magnetostratigraphy and Palaeoclimatic significance of Late Tertiary Aeolian Sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Geophysical Journal International, 134,207-212.
7. Sun Donghuai Liu Yu and Tan Min, Digital image analysis of palaeoenvironmental records and applications. Chinese Science Bulletin, 2002, 47 (23), 1957-1963.
8. Donghuai Sun，Fahu Chen, Jan Bloemendal, and Su Ruixian, Seasonal variability of modern dust over the Loess Plateau of China, Journal of Geophysical Research, 108, 2003, (D21), 4665, doi:10. 1029/2003JD003382, 1-10.
9. SUN Donghuai, AN Zhisheng，Ruixia Su, Huayu Lu, Youbin Sun, Eolian sedimentary records for the evolution of monsoon and westerly circulations of northern China in the last 2.6 Ma Science in China Ser. D 2003, 46 (10).
10. SUN DonghuaiBloemendal J, Rea D K, Vandenberghe J., Jiang F, Zhisheng An, Ruixia, Su, Grain-size distribution function of polymodal sediments in hydraulic and Aeolian environments, and numerical partitioning of the sedimentary components. Sedimentary Geology, 2002, 152/3-4, 263-277.
11. Sun Donghuai An Zhisheng et al, Mathematical approach to sedimentary component partitioning of polymodal sediments and its applications。 Progress in Nature Science, 2001, 11(5)，374-382.
12. Sun Donghuai, Monsoon and westerly circulation changes recorded in the Late Cenozoic aeolian sequences of Northern China, Global and Planetary Change, 2004, 41/1, 63-80.
13. SUN Donghuai, Jan Bloemendal, David K. Rea, An Zhisheng, JefVandenberghe, Lu Huayu, Su Ruixia, Liu Tungsheng. Bimodal grain-size distribution of Chinese loess, and its palaeoclimatic implications. 2004, Catena, 55( 3), 325-340.
14. Sun Donghuai, Michael K. Gagan, Hai Cheng, Heather Scott-Gagan, Carolyn A. Dykoski, R. Lawrence Edwards, Ruixia Su, Seasonal and interannual variability of the Mid-Holocene East Asian monsoon in coral d18O records from the South China Sea. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 237 (2005) 69- 84.
15. Donghuai Sun, Ruixia Su, Jan Bloemendal, Huayu Lu, 2008. Grain-size and accumulation rate records from Late Cenozoic aeolian sequences in northern China: Implications for variations in the East Asian winter monsoon and westerly atmospheric circulation Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 264. 39–53.
16. Donghuai Sun, Ruixia Su, Ted A. McConnaughey, Jan Bloemendal. Variability of skeletal growth and δ13C in massive corals from the South China Sea: Effects of photosynthesis, respiration and human activities. Chemical Geology, 2008，255(3-4):414-425.
17. Donghuai Sun, Jan Bloemendalb , Zhiyu Yi, Yanhu Zhu, Xin Wang, Yuebao Zhang, Zaijun Li, Fei Wang, Fei Han and Yan Zhang. Palaeomagnetic and palaeoenvironmental study of two parallel sections of late Cenozoic strata in the central Taklimakan Desert: Implications for the desertification of the Tarim Basin. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology，2011, 300:1-10.
18. Donghuai Sun, Ruixia Su, Zaijun Li, Huayu Lu. 2011. The ultrafine component in Chinese loess and its variation over the past 7.6 Ma: implications for the history of pedogenesis. Sedimentology, 58, 916-935.
19. Sun Donghuai, Zhang Yuebao, Han Fei, Zhang Yan, Yi Zhiyu, Li Zaijun, Wang Fei, Wu Sheng, Li Baofeng. 2011. Magnetostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental records for a Late Cenozoic sedimentary sequence from Lanzhou, Northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Global and Planetary Change, 76, 106-116.
20. Zaijun Li, Donghuai Sun, Fahu Chen et al, Chronology and paleoenvironmental records of a drill core in the central Tengger Desert of China. 2014, Quaternary Science Reviews,85, 85-98, DOI | 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.12.003,
21. FeiWang, DonghuaiSun, FahuChen, Jan Bloemendal, FengGuo, ZaijunLi, YuebaoZhang, BaofengLi, XinWang, Formation and evolution of the BadainJaran Desert, North China, as revealed by a drill core from the desert centre and by geological survey. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 426, 2015, 139-158
22. YuebaoZhang, DonghuaiSun, ZaijunLi, FeiWang, XinWang, BaofengLi, FengGuo, ShengWu, Cenozoic record of aeolian sediment accumulation and aridification from Lanzhou, China, driven by Tibetan Plateau uplift and global climate. Global and Planetary Change, 120, 2014, 1-15
23. BaofengLi, DonghuaiSun, WeihongXu, FeiWanga, BaiqingLiang, ZhiweiMa, XinWang, ZaijunLi, FahuChena, Paleomagnetic chronology and paleoenvironmental records from drill cores from the Hetao Basin and their implications for the formation of the Hobq Desert and the Yellow River, Quaternary Science Reviews, 156, 2017, 69-89