Email: jsun@ucar.edu
Phone: 303-497-8994
Postal Address: P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO, 80307-3000
Shipping Address: 3450 Mitchell Lane, Boulder, CO, 80307-3000

Professional Interests

Dr. Sun studies interactions between the land/sea and atmosphere by mainly conducting field experiments through tower and aircraft observations and analyzing observational data. Her current research interests include stable boundary layer, turbulence intermittency, land surface parameterization for numerical models, influence of surface heterogeneity on boundary layer development, grid-averaged surface fluxes over heterogeneous surfaces, satellite-remote sensing of the surface-air exchange processes, air-sea interactions, surface-air interactions in the cold season, and trace gas transport over complex terrain. She has participated in a number of field experiments. Recent field experiments are Carbon in the Mountains Experiment (CME), Coupled Boundary Layers/Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST), Fluxes over Snow Surfaces (FLOSS), Shoaling Wave Experiment (SHOWEX), Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study (CASES)-99, Southern Great Plain Experiment (SGP), Microfronts experiment, and Boreal Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) in 1994 and 1996.

Recent Publications

To search my complete list of publications, please see The ESSL Publications Search.

(links to PDFs available for most at end of citation)

Sun, J., 2007: Tilt corrections over complex terrain and its implication for CO2 transport. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 124, 143-159.

Edson, J., T. Crawford, J. Crescenti, T. Farrar, N. Frew, G. Gerbi, C. Helmis, T. Hristov, D. Khelif, A. Jessup, H. Jonsson, M. Li, L. Mahrt, W. McGillis, A. Plueddemann, L. Shen, E. Skyllingstad, T. Stanton, P. Sullivan, J. Sun, H. Trowbridge, D. Vickers, S. Wang, Q. Wang, R. Weller, J. Wilkin, D. Yu, and C. Zappa, 2007: The Coupled Boundary Layers and Air-Sea Transfer Experiment in Low Winds (CBLAST-LOW). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 88, 341-356.

Lenschow, D., and J. Sun, 2007: The spectral composition of fluxes and variances over land and sea out to the mesoscale. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 125, 63-84.

Banta, R. M., L. Mahrt, D. Vickers, J. Sun, B. B. Balsley, Y. Pichugina, and E. J. Williams, 2007: The very stable boundary layer on nights with weak low-level jets. J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 3068-3090.

Sun, J., S. P. Burns, A. C. Delany, S. P. Oncley, A. A. Turnipseed, B. B. Stephens, D. H. Lenschow, M. A. LeMone, R. K. Monson, D. E. Anderson, 2007: CO2 transport over complex terrain, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 145, 1-21.

Barth, M., J.P. McFadden, J. Sun, C. Wiedinmyer, P. Chuang, D. Collins, R. Griffin, M. Hanningan, T. Karl, S.-W. Kim, S. Lasher-Trapp, S. Levis, M. Litvak, N. Mahowald, K. Moore, S. Nandi, E. Nemitz, A. Nenes, M. Potosnak, T. Raymond, J. Smith, C. Still, C. Stroud, 2005: Coupling between land ecosystems and the atmospheric hydrologic cycle through biogenic aerosol pathways, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 86(12), 1738-1742. PDF

Wang, Y.-C., J. Li, F. Chen, D. H. Lenschow, J. Sun, D. Niyogi, K. Lau, W. Jiang, X. Deng, D. Wu, 2005: Challenge and opportunities in urban meteorology research and forecast. Bulletin of National Natural Science Foundation, 13 (1), 23-30. PDF

Sun, J., S. P. Burns, D. Vandermark, M. A. Donelan, L., Mahrt, T. L. Crawford, G. H. Crescenti, and J. R. French, 2005: Measurement of directional wave spectra using aircraft laser altimeters. J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech., 22, 869-885. PDF

Vandemark, D., B. Chapron, J. Sun, G. H. Crescenti, and H. Graber, 2004: Ocean wave slope observations using radar backscatter and laser altimeters. J. Phys. Oceanog., 34, 2825-2842. PDF

Sun, J., D. H. Lenschow, S.P. Burns, R.M. Banta, R.K. Newsom, R. Coulter, S. Frasier, T. Ince, C. Nappo, B. Balsley, M. Jensen, L. Mahrt, D. Miller, and B. Skelly, 2004: Atmospheric Disturbances that Generate Intermittent Turbulence in Nocturnal Boundary
Layers. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 110, 255-279. PDF

Sun, J., S. P. Burns, A.C. Delany, T. Horst, S. Oncley, and D. H. Lenschow, 2003: Heat Balance in Nocturnal Boundary Layers. J. Appl. Meteor., 42(11), 1649-1666. PDF

Burns, S.P., J. Sun, A. C. Delany, S.R. Semmer, S.P. Oncley, and T.W. Horst, 2003: A field intercomparison technique to improve the relative accuracy of longwave radiation measurements and an evaluation of CASES-99 pyrgeometer data quality. J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech., 20, 348-361. PDF

Poulos, G.S., W. Blumen, D.C. Fritts, J.K. Lundquist, J. Sun, S. P. Burns, C. Nappo, R. Banta, R. Newsom, J. Cuxart, E. Terradellas, B. Balsley, and M. Jensen, 2002: CASES-99 A comprehensive investigation of the stable nocturnal boundary layer. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83(4), 555-581. PDF

Sun, J., S. P. Burns, D. H. Lenschow, R. Banta, R. Newsom, R. Coulter, S. Frasier, T. Ince, C. Nappo, J. Cuxart, W. Blumen, X. Lee, and X.-Z. Hu, 2002: Intermittent turbulence associated with a density current Passage in the stable boundary layer. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 105(2), 199-219. PDF

Mahrt, L., D. Vickers, J. Sun, N.O. Jensen, H. Jorgensen, E. Pardyjak, and H. Fernando, 2001: Determination of the surface drag coefficient. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 99, 249-276. PDF

Vandemark, D., P.D. Mourad, T.L. Crawford, C.A. Vogel, J. Sun, S.A. Bailey, and B. Chapron, 2001: Measured changes in ocean surface roughness due to atmospheric boundary layer rolls. J. Geophys. Res., 106, 4639-4654. PDF

Vickers, D., L. Mahrt, J. Sun, and T. Crawford, 2001: Structure of off-shore flow. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 1251-1258. PDF

Mahrt, L., D. Vickers, J. Sun, J. Harry McCaughey, 2001: Calculation of area-averaged fluxes: Application to BOREAS. J. Appl. Meteor., 40, 915-920. PDF

Mahrt, L., D. Vickers, R. Nakamura, M.R. Soler, J. Sun, and S. Burns, L. Lenschow, 2001: Shallow drainage flow. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., bf 101, 243-260. PDF

Blumen, W., R. Banta, S.P. Burns, D.C. Fritts, R. Newsom, G.S. Poulos, and J. Sun, 2001: Turbulence statistics of a Kelvin-Helmholtz billow event observed in the night-time boundary layer during the Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study field program. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans, 34, 189-204. PDF

Mahrt, L., D. Vickers, J. Sun, 2001: Spatial variations of surface moisture flux from aircraft data. Advances in Water Resources, 24, 1133-1141. PDF

Sun, J., D. Vandemark, L. Mahrt, D. Vicker, T. Crawford, C. Vogel, 2001: Momentum transfer over the coastal zone. J. Geophys. Res., bf 106, 12,437-12,448. PDF

Mahrt, L., D. Vickers, J. Sun, T. Crawford, G. Crescenti, and P. Frederickson, 2001: Surface stress in offshore flow and quasi-frictional decoupling. J. Geophys. Res., 106, 20,629-20,639. PDF

Howell, J. and J. Sun, 1999: Surface layer fluxes in stable conditions. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 90, 495-520. PDF

Sun, Jielun, and W. Massman, 1999: Ozone transport in California Ozone Deposition Experiment. J. Geophys. Res., 104, 11,939-11,948. PDF

Sun, Jielun, W. Massman, and D. Grantz, 1999: Aerodynamic variables in the bulk formula. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 91, 109-125. PDF

Sun, J. 1999: Diurnal Variations of Thermal Roughness Height over a Grassland. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 92, 407-427. PDF

Sun, J., R. Dejardins, L. Mahrt, and I. MacPherson, 1998: Transport of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone by turbulence and local circulations. J. Geophys. Res., 103, 25,873-25,885. PDF

Mahrt L., D. Vickers, J. Edson, J. Sun, J. Hojstrup, J. Hare, and J.M. Wilczak, 1998: Heat flux in coastal zone. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 86, 421-446. PDF

Mahrt,L., Sun, J., W. Blumen, T. Delany, and S. Oncley, 1998: Nocturnal boundary layer regimes. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 88, 255-278. PDF

Mahrt, L., K. Kotwica, J. Sun, J.I. MacPherson, and R.L. Desjardins, 1998: Estimation of area averaged moisture flux. Quart. J. Roy. Met. Soc., 124(152), 2793-2815. PDF

Sun, Jielun, D.H. Lenschow, L. Mahrt, T.L. Crawford, K.J. Davis, S.P. Oncley, J.I. MacPherson, Q. Wang, R.J. Dobosy, and R.L. Desjardins, 1997: Lake-induced atmospheric circulations during BOREAS. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 29155-29166. PDF

Mahrt, L., Jielun Sun, J.I. MacPherson, N.O. Jensen, and R.L. Desjardins, 1997: Formulation of the surface temperature for prediction of heat flux: Application to BOREAS. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 29,641-29,649. PDF

Sun, Jielun, J.F. Howell, S.K. Esbensen, L. Mahrt, C.M. Greb, R. Grossman, M.A. LeMone, 1996: Scale dependence of air-sea Fluxes over the western equatorial pacific. J. Atmos. Soc., 53, 2997-3012. PDF

Sun, Jielun, and L. Mahrt, 1995: Determination of surface fluxes from the surface radiative temperature. J. Atmos. Soc., 52, 1096-1106. PDF

Mahrt, L., and Jielun Sun, 1995: The subgrid velocity scale in the bulk aerodynamic relationship for spatially averaged scalar fluxes. Mon. Wea. Rev., 123, 3032-3041. PDF

Sun, Jielun, S.K. Esbensen, and L. Mahrt, 1995: Estimation of surface heat flux. J. Atmos. Soc., 52, 3162-3171. PDF

Mahrt, L., and Jielun Sun, 1995: Dependence of exchange coefficients on averaging scale or grid size. Quart. J. Roy. Met. Soc., 121, 1835-1852. PDF

Mahrt, L., D.H. Lenschow, Jielun Sun, J.C. Weil, J.I. MacPherson, and R. Desjardins, 1995: Ozone fluxes over a patchy cultivated surface. J. Geophys. Res., 100, 23,125-23,131. PDF

Sun, Jielun, and L. Mahrt, 1995: Relationship of the heat flux to microscale temperature variations: Application to BOREAS. Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 76, 291-301.

Mahrt, L., Jielun Sun, D. Vickers, J.I. MacPherson, J.R. Pederson, R.L. Desjardins, 1994: Observations of fluxes and inland breezes over a heterogeneous surface. J. Atmos. Soc., 51, 2165-2178. PDF

Sun, Jielun, and L. Mahrt, 1994: Spatial distribution of surface fluxes estimated from remotely sensed variables. J. Appl. Meteor., 33, 1341-1353. PDF

Esbensen, S.K., D.B. Chelton, D. Vickers and Jielun Sun, 1992, An analysis of errors in SSM/I evaporation estimates over the global oceans. J. Geophys. Res., 98, 7081-7101.

Sun, Jielun, 1992, Effects of vertical distribution of water vapor and temperature on precipitable water retrieval errors. J. Geophys. Res., 98, 7069-7079.

Smith, R., and Jielun Sun, 1987, Generalized hydraulic solutions pertaining to severe downslope winds. J. Atmos. Soc.,44, 2934-2939. PDF

Chen, Q., and Jielun Sun, 1987, Physical Processes for maintaining the meridional and zonal circulation in midlatitude atmosphere. Scien. Atmos. Sinica, 11, 189-213.

Chen, Qiushi, Sun, Jielun, 1987: Physical processes for maintenance of the mean meridional and zonal circulation of the atmosphere in the middle latitudes, Pt. 2 Scientia Atmospherica Sinica, 11(3), 237-246.