Professor Xu Liang of the University of Pittsburgh delivered the William Mong Distinguished Lecture titled “The past, present and future of Land Surface Modeling: A Personal Perspective” on June 12, 2025. The lecture was facilitated by Professor Ji Chen, Department of Civil Engineering.
During the lecture, Professor Liang delved into three decades of development of land surface models (LSMs) since the original VIC model of 1994. She elaborated on how advances in plant physiology have enhanced our understanding of the intricate interplay among water, energy, carbon, and nitrogen cycles, while also introducing new challenges and opportunities. To address these, Professor Liang proposed an innovative two-pronged strategy, emphasizing the need for cross-disciplinary model integration and scalable platforms. Additionally, she also showcased CyberWater, a cyberinfrastructure developed by her team, that facilitates seamless data-model integration, model coupling, and collaboration with minimal programming effort.
For viewing the lecture recording, please visit link.
Professor Xu Liang (left) and Professor David Srolovitz (right).
Professor Xu Liang delivered the lecture.