News & Events

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

On October 22, we have hosted the Earth-HK(AoE/P-601/23-N) and Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau (CORE) Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme (PDFS) Award Ceremony 2025 and Workshop at The HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).This event provided a significant platform for awardees to present their research findings, facilitating collaboration among peers and enhancing the overall impact of their work. Read more

On September 11-12, we have participated in ReThink HK 2025, which took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. During this prestigious expo, we introduced our innovative digital twin of the regional earth system in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), known as WavyOcean 2.0, to interested stakeholder.   Read more