English CV

CURRICULUM VITAE

YUAN YAO

Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University

No 99, Yanxiang Road, Xi’an, 710054, Shaanxi, China

E-mail: yaoyuan@xjtu.edu.cn

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS  

12/2019–now  Associate Professor, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China.

12/2019–12/2021  Postdoctor, Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. (Co-advisor: Prof. Hai Cheng)

8/2016–11/2019  Postdoctor, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. (Co-advisor: Prof. Yongsong Huang)

5/2018–5/2019  Postdoctor/Visiting Scholar, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. (Co-advisor: Prof. Yongsong Huang)

9/2013–6/2016  Ph.D., Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an

Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. (Advisor: Prof. Weiguo Liu)

9/2011–6/2013  M.S., Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. (Advisor: Prof. Weiguo Liu)

9/2007–7/2011  B.E., Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.

RESEARCH INTERESTS AND FINDINGS  

My research focuses primarily on the development of organic biomarkers (including alkenones, GDGTs, and leaf wax isotopes) as paleoclimate proxies, and their applications for paleoclimate reconstructions in lacustrine and stalagmite settings.

The summary of my novel research findings is as follows:

  1. Alkenone biomarkers: (1) freshwater lakes: we demonstrated that oligotrophic freshwater lakes in the northern mid- and high latitudes with optimal pH range are highly valuable targets for cold-season temperature reconstructions using Group 1 alkenones that eludes species-mixing effects (Yao et al., 2019, EPSL; Wang et al., 2022, OG); (2) saline lakes: we proposed one new solution for extracting warm-season temperature signal for paleotemperature reconstructions using Group 2 alkenones in saline lake sediments with mixed alkenone-producing species (Yao et al., 2022, GCA); (3) oligohaline lakes: we developed that the alkenone isomer-based RIK37 index can be used as a salinity proxy in oligohaline lakes, and employed it to successfully reconstruct past regional hydrological changes in the northern China (Yao et al., 2020, GRL; Yao et al., 2021, Geology).
  2. GDGT biomarkers: (1) we proposed that iGDGT-based TEX86 has potential application as a lake level proxy in deep volcanic lakes of northeastern China when temperature can be constrained independently or remains constant over a given period of time (Yao et al., 2019; OG); (2) we developed a brGDGT-based HP5 index that has potential to be an overall indicator of lake water redox potential (Yao et al., 2020, OG).
  3. Leaf wax isotopes: (1) we found the significant effects (but no effect on the hydrogen isotopes of long-chain n-fatty acids) of different pretreatment protocols on n-fatty acid distributions (Yao et al., 2015, RCMS); (2) we reconstructed hydrological changes of the past 1400 years based on leaf wax hydrogen isotopes in southeastern China, providing support for the important role of Asian summer monsoon in controlling the hydrological changes (Yao et al., 2015, Holocene).

PUBLICATIONS  

  1. Wang, L., Yao, Y*., Huang, Y., Cai, Y., Cheng, H., 2022. Group 1 phylogeny and alkenone distributions in a freshwater volcanic lake of northeastern China: implications for paleotemperature reconstructions. Organic Geochemistry DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2022.104483.
  2. Yao, Y*., Huang, Y*., Zhao, J., Wang, L., Cheng, H., 2022. Lipid biomarkers in Lake Wudalianchi record abrupt environmental changes from the volcanic eruption in 1776. Organic Geochemistry 164, 104349.
  3. Yao, Y., Zhao, J., Vachula, R.S., Liao, S., Li, G., Pearson, E.J., Huang, Y*., 2022. Phylogeny, alkenone profiles and ecology of Isochrysidales subclades in saline lakes: implications for paleosalinity and paleotemperature reconstructions. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 317, 472–487. (Nature Index)
  4. Yao, Y*., Huang, Y*., Zhao, J., Wang, L., Ran, Y., Liu, W., Cheng, H., 2021. Permafrost thaw induced abrupt changes in hydrology and carbon cycling in Lake Wudalianchi, northeastern China. Geology 49, 1117–1121. (Nature Index)
  5. Yao, Y*., Lan, J*., Zhao, J., Vachula, R.S., Xu, H., Cai, Y., Cheng, H., Huang, Y., 2020. Abrupt freshening since the early Little Ice Age in Lake Sayram of arid central Asia inferred from an alkenone isomer proxy. Geophysical Research Letters 47, e2020GL089257. (Nature Index)
  6. Yao, Y., Zhao, J., Vachula, R.S., Werne, J.P., Wu, J., Song, X., Huang, Y*., 2020. Correlation between the ratio of 5-methyl hexamethylated to pentamethylated branched GDGTs (HP5) and water depth reflects redox variations in stratified lakes. Organic Geochemistry 147, 104076.
  7. Yao, Y., Zhao, J., Longo, W.M., Li, G., Wang, X., Vachula, R.S., Wang, K.J., Huang, Y*., 2019. New insights into environmental controls on the occurrence and abundance of Group I alkenones and their paleoclimate applications: Evidence from volcanic lakes of northeastern China. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 527, 115792. (Nature Index)
  8. Yao, Y., Zhao, J., Bauersachs, T., Huang, Y*., 2019. Effect of water depth on the TEX86 proxy in volcanic lakes of northeastern China. Organic Geochemistry 129, 88–98.
  9. Yao, Y., Yang, H*., Liu, W*., Li, X., Chen, Y., 2015. Hydrological changes of the past 1400 years recorded in δD of sedimentary n-alkanes from Poyang Lake, southeastern China. The Holocene DOI:10.1177/0959683615576231.
  10. Yao, Y*., Liu, W., 2015. Comparison of three pretreatment methods for the analysis of distributions and hydrogen isotopic compositions of leaf wax n-fatty acids in natural samples. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 29, 593–600.
  11. Yao, Y., Liu, W*., 2014. Hydrogen isotopic composition of plant leaf wax in response to soil moisture in an arid ecosystem of the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Journal of Arid Land 6, 592–600.
  12. Yao, Y., Liu, W*., 2014. Distributions and hydrogen isotopic compositions of plant leaf wax from Orinus kokonorica along a general aridity gradient around Lake Qinghai, China. Chinese Journal of Geochemistry 33, 236–243.
  13. Liang, J., Guo, Y., Richter, N., Xie, H., Vachula, R.S., Lupien, R.L., Zhao, B., Wang, M., Yao, Y., Hou, J., Liu, J., Russell, J.M., 2022. Calibration and application of branched GDGTs to Tibetan lake sediments: the influence of temperature on the fall of the Guge Kingdom in Western Tibet, China. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology doi: 10.1029/2021PA004393.
  14. Liao, S., Yao, Y., Wang, L., Wang, K.J., Amaral-Zettler, L., Longo, W.M., Huang, Y*., 2020. C41 methyl and C42 ethyl alkenones are biomarkers for Group II Isochrysidales. Organic Geochemistry 147, 104081.
  15. Zhao, J., Huang, Y*., Yao, Y., An, Z., Zhu, Y., Lu, H., Wang, Z., 2020. Calibrating branched GDGTs in bones to temperature and precipitation: Application to Alaska chronological sequences. Quaternary Science Reviews 240, 106371.
  16. Wang, K.J*., O’Donnell, J.A., Longo, W.M., Amaral-Zettler, L., Li, G., Yao, Y., Huang, Y*., 2019. Group I alkenones and Isochrysidales in the World’s largest maar lakes and their potential paleoclimate applications. Organic Geochemistry 138, 103924.
  17. Long, W.M*., Huang, Y*., Yao, Y., Zhao, J., Giblin, A.E., Wang, X., Zech, R., Haberzettl, T., Jardillier, L., Toney, J., Liu, Z., Krivonogov, S., Kolpakova, M., Chu, G., D’Andrea, W.J., Harada, N., Nagashima, K., Sato, M., Yonenobu, H., Yamada, K., Gotanda, K., Shinozuka, Y., 2018. Widespread occurrence of distinct alkenones from Group I haptophytes in freshwater lakes: Implications for paleotemperature and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 492, 239–250. (Nature Index)
  18. Zhao, J., Thomas, E.K., Yao, Y., DeAraujo, J., Huang, Y*., 2018. Major increase in winter and spring precipitation during the Little Ice Age in the westerly dominated northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Quaternary Science Reviews 199, 30–40.
  19. Liu, W*., Yang, H., Wang, H., Yao, Y., Wang, Z., Cao, Y., 2016. Influence of aquatic plants on the hydrogen isotope composition of sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes in the Lake Qinghai region, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Science China Earth Sciences 59, 1368–1377.
  20. Li, X*., Yang, H., Yao, Y., Chen, Y., Liu, W., 2016. Precipitation changes recorded in the sedimentary total organic carbon isotopes from Lake Poyang in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River, southern China over the last 1600 years. Quaternary International 425, 292–300.

RESEARCH FUNDINGS  

  1. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Cold season temperature proxy based on Group I long-chain alkenones and its application for temperature reconstruction of the past 2000 years in volcanic lakes of the Great Khingan Mountain, 1/2021–12/2024, ¥ 610,000. (PI: Yuan Yao)
  2. Basic Scientific Research Foundation of Central University, Paleotemperature reconstructions in stalagmites using organic biomarkers. 4/2020–12/2022, ¥ 150,000. (PI: Yuan Yao)
  3. National Natural Science Foundation of China, The Group I-type long-chain alkenones and alkenone-temperature calibration for paleotemperature reconstruction in the volcanic lakes of northeastern China, 1/2018–12/2020, ¥ 260,000. (PI: Yuan Yao)
  4. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Characteristics and mechanisms of continental paleotemperature changes since the 150,000 years in China recorded by cave stalagmite, 1/2022–12/2026, ¥ 2880,000. (PI: Yanjun Cai; Co-PI: Yuan Yao)

ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS  

  1. Applications of long-chain alkenones in paleoclimate reconstructions: from freshwater, oligohaline, to saline lakes. Invited speaker at Forum on Palynology and Biogeochemistry, China, 12/2021.
  2. Novel applications of alkenone-isomer RIK37 index as paleosalinity proxy in oligohaline lakes. Oral presentation at 6th Earth System Science Congress, China, 7/2021.
  3. Group 1 alkenones: novel applications in paleoclimate reconstructions. Oral presentation at 7th Symposium on Bio-Organic Geochemistry, China, 10/2020.
  4. Organic lipid biomarkers and paleoclimate reconstructions. Oral presentation at Symposium for Basic Science of Continental Evolution and Monsoon System Evolution, China, 8/2020.
  5. New insights into environmental controls on the occurrence and abundance of Group I alkenones and their paleoclimate applications: Evidence from volcanic lakes of northeastern China. Oral presentation at 6th Youth Geosciences Forum, China, 10/2019.
  6. Group I Alkenones in the Volcanic Lakes of Northeastern China: Implication for Paleotemperature Reconstructions. Poster presentation at American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, USA, 12/2018.