News & Events

On 2 June 2026, Prof. Jianping Gan’s research team joined HKUST Unicorn Day 2026 at the Shaw Auditorium, showcasing WavyOcean v3.0, a Gold Medal winner at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. The upgraded platform enhances real-time 3D rendering and immersive visualization for ocean and Earth systems. The team also participated in the “Future Unicorns: Deeptech Investment Pitch” session, highlighting its potential applications in the blue economy and environmental governance. Their participation reflects a strong commitment to advancing marine science and translating research into impactful innovation. Read more

Rapid urban development and anthropogenic heat emissions are making summers both hotter and wetter across China’s Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to a new study led by researchers from the Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau(CORE), together with a team led by Professor Jianping Gan at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology(HKUST). Read more

On March 11–15, 2026, Professor Jianping GAN, Director of the Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau (CORE), led his team to participate for the first time in the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, where they successfully won a gold medal. During the event, they showcased their latest scientific achievement: the "Science and AI-Empowered Digital Twin Visualization of Ocean System." Read more

On January 26, 2026, we have hosted the "Academic Exchange for Earth System Study", took place at the Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute (FYTRI). This event successfully brought together project members and students to present their fieldwork summaries and research progress, fostering an environment of scientific exchange and collaboration. Read more

Accurate prediction of tropical cyclone tracks has long been a key priority in both scientific research and operational forecasting. Track errors directly affect assessments of wind hazards and rainfall distribution, thereby substantially undermining the effectiveness of early warnings and disaster preparedness. A recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters by researchers from the Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau, together with a team led by Professor Jianping Gan at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, reports a striking finding. Even under uniform and steady steering flows, tropical cyclones can exhibit pronounced systematic track deviations. Read more

This study elucidates the dynamics of riverine nutrient fluxes and their pathways within a coupled human-hydrological-biogeochemical framework by examining a typical urban agglomeration during a period of rapid socioeconomic development. The following conclusions can be drawn from the analysis: Nutrient dynamics of NPS are proportional to the coupling of transport processes and nutrient inputs. Surface flow is particularly high in urban and agricultural areas, making agricultural land an active NPS zone due to the intensive fertilizer use, while urban areas serve as hotspots for surface nitrogen transport from nitrogen deposition. High nitrogen levels in forested regions result from soil nitrate pool in the lateral layer, where lateral flow is not a limiting factor. PS variations are primarily driven by domestic sources, which initially surged and subsequently declined following significant advancements in wastewater treatment. Domestic sources establish a core-periphery pollution structure, where intensity decreases from domestic-heavy and hybrid-sourced areas at the core to agro-centric regions at the periphery. However, this structure weakens as domestic sources decline significantly while non-domestic sources remain dynamically balanced. Read more

Beneath the seemingly calm ocean surface lies a complex, layered circulation structure. A recent study by Professor Jianping Gan's team at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, published in Progress in Oceanography, systematically reveals the formation mechanisms and dynamic sources of the three-layer circulation in the Philippine Sea. The research clearly depicts how this sea acts as a "Dynamic Hub" for the Western Pacific, receiving large-scale external forcing while internal processes – complex interactions between currents and topography – work together to shape its complete three-dimensional circulation structure. Read more