Yige Zhang

Associate Professor
Geological Oceanography: Past and future climate change; Organic and isotope geochemistry; Global biogeochemical cycles
Research
- Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology: Cenozoic climate change; Greenhouse gases; Earth system climate sensitivity; Ocean temperature and temperature gradients; Ocean currents; Upwelling
- Geochemistry: organic geochemistry; stable isotope geochemistry (compound-specific isotopes); global biogeochemical cycles
- Geomicrobiology and Biogeochemistry: Archaea evolution
I am a paleoclimatologist/geochemist interested in studying the Earth’s past climate and biogeochemical cycle changes. These studies help us to better understand and manage our future. My primary research tools are organic/isotope geochemistry, aided by geochemical and climate models. We run an organic geochemistry lab equipped with gas chromatography, liquid chromatography and isotope ratio mass spectrometry that are specialized at measuring the composition and stable isotopes of lipid biomarkers or “molecular fossils”.
Selected Publications
*Denotes Student/Postdoc Publications
2023
Li, Z.-Y.*, Zhang, Y.G., Torres, M. and Mills, B.J.W., 2023, Neogene burial of organic carbon in the global ocean, Nature, 613, 90-95.
Kim, B*. and Zhang, Y.G., 2023, Methane Index: Towards a quantitative archaeal lipid biomarker proxy for reconstructing marine sedimentary methane fluxes, Geochimi. Cosmochimi. Acta, 354, 74-87.
Petrick, B., Reuning, L., Auer, G., Zhang, Y.G., Pfeiffer, M., and Schwark, L., 2023, Warm, not cold temperatures contributed to a Late Miocene reef decline in the Coral Sea, Sci. Rep., 13, 4015.
2022
Liu, X*., Huber, M., Foster, G., Dessler, A. and Zhang, Y.G., 2022, Persistent high latitude amplification over the last 10 million years, Nature Comm., 13, 7310.
Wang, T.X., Wang Y., Auderset, A., Sigman D.M., Ren, H., Martínez-García, A., Haug, G.H., Su, Z., Zhang, Y.G., Rasmussen, B., Sessions, A.L., Fischer, W.W., 2022, Nutrient rise drove ocean deoxygenation over the past eight million years, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 119, e2204986119.
Shen, J., Zhang, Y.G., Yang, H., Xie, S., and Pearson, A., 2022, Early and late phases of the Permian-Triassic mass extinction marked by different atmospheric CO2 regimes, Nature Geosci., 15, 839–844.
Rattanasriampaipong, R.*, Zhang, Y.G., Pearson, A., Hedlund, B.P., and Zhang, S., 2022, Archaeal lipids trace ecology and evolution of marine ammonia-oxidizing archaea, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 119, e2123193119.
Kim, B*. and Zhang, Y.G., 2022, Marine gas hydrate dissociation across the Oligocene – Miocene boundary, Nature Geosci., 15, 203-209.
Zhang, Y.G., 2022, Acceptance of the 2022 F.W. Clarke award to Yige Zhang, Geochimi. Cosmochimi. Acta, 337, 189.
Judd, E.J., Tierney, J.E., Huber, B.T., Wing, S.L., Lunt, D.J., Ford, H.L., Inglis, G.N., McClymont, E.L., O’Brien, C.L., Rattanasriampaipong, R.*, Si, W., Staitis, M.L., Thirumalai, K., Anagnostou, E., Cramwinckel, M.J., Dawson, R.R., Evans, D., Gray, W.G., Grossman, E.L., Henehan, M.J., Hupp, B.N., MacLeod, K.G., O’Connor, L.K., Sánchez Montes, M.L., Song H., and Zhang, Y.G., 2022, The PhanSST global database of Phanerozoic sea surface temperature proxy data, Sci. Data, 9, 753.
Liang, J.-Q., Leng, Q., Hofig, D.F.*, Niu, G., Wang, L., Royer, D.L., Burke, K., Xiao, L., Zhang, Y.G., and Hong, Y., 2022, Constraining conifer physiological parameters in leaf gas-exchange models for ancient CO2 reconstruction, Global & Planet. Change, 209, 103737.
Liang, J.-Q., Leng, Q., Xiao, L., Hofig, D.F.*, Royer, D.L., Zhang, Y.G., and Hong, Y., 2022, Early Miocene redwood fossils from Inner Mongolia: CO2 reconstructions and paleoclimate effects of a low Mongolian plateau, Rev. Palaeobot. & Paleonol., 305, 104743.
2021
Hofig, D.*, Zhang, Y.G., Giosan, L., Qin, L., Liang, J., Wu, M., Miller, B.V., and Yang, H., 2021, Annually-resolved sediments in the classic Clarkia lacustrine deposits during the middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, Geology, 49, 916-920.
Rae, J.W.B., Zhang, Y.G., Liu, X.*., Foster, G.L., Stoll, H.M., and Whiteford, R.D.M., 2021, Atmospheric CO2 over the last 66 million years from marine archives, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 49, 609-641.
Gao, C.*, Yang, Y., Zhang, Y.G., Lu, X., Wang, H., Yu, X., and Ruan, X., 2021, Different temperature dependence of marine-derived brGDGT isomers in a sediment core from the Chukchi Sea shelf, Org. Geochem., 152, 104169.
Lu, W., Barbosa, C., Rathburn, A., Xavier, P., Cruz, A.P., Thomas, E., Rickaby, R., Zhang, Y.G., and Lu, Z., 2021, Proxies for paleo-oxygenation: A downcore comparison between benthic foraminiferal surface porosity and I/Ca, Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 579, 110588.
2020
Zhang, Y.G., Henderiks, J. and Liu, X.*, 2020, Refining the alkenone-pCO2 method II: Towards resolving the physiological parameter ‘b’, Geochimi. Cosmochimi. Acta, 281, 118-134.
Da, J., Zhang, Y.G., Li, G. and Ji, J., 2020, Aridity-driven decoupling of δ13C between pedogenic carbonate and soil organic matter, Geology, 48, 981-985.
Tierney, J.E., Poulsen, C.J., Montanez, I.P., Bhattacharya, T., Feng, R., Ford, H.L., Honisch, B., Inglis, G.N., Petersen, S.V., Sagoo, N., Tabor, C.R., Thirumalai, K., Zhu, J., Burls, N.J., Foster, G.L., Godderis, Y., Huber, B.T., Ivany, L.C., Turner, S.K., Lunt, D.J., McElwain, J.C., Mills, B.J.W., Otto-Bliesner, B.L., Ridgwell, A. and Zhang, Y.G., 2020, Past climates inform our future, Science, 370, eaay3701.
2019
Da, J., Zhang, Y.G., Meng, X., Li. G., and Ji, J., 2019, Low CO2 levels of the entire Pleistocene Epoch, Nature Commun., 10, 4342.
Zhang, Y.G., Pearson, A., Benthien, A., Dong, L., Huybers, P., Liu, X.* and Pagani, M., 2019, Refining the alkenone-pCO2 method I: Lessons from the Quaternary glacial cycles, Geochimi. Cosmochimi. Acta, 260, 177-191.
Zhuang, G., Zhang, Y.G., Hourigan, J., Ritts, B., Hren, M., Hou, M., Wu, M. and Kim, B.-S.*, 2019, Microbial and geochronologic constraints on the Neogene paleotopography of Northern Tibetan Plateau, Geophys. Res. Lett., 46, 1312-1319.
Hollis, C. J., Dunkley Jones, T., Anagnostou, E., Bijl, P. K., Cramwinckel, M. J., Cui, Y., Dickens, G. R., Edgar, K. M., Eley, Y., Evans, D., Foster, G. L., Frieling, J., Inglis, G. N., Kennedy, E. M., Kozdon, R., Lauretano, V., Lear, C. H., Littler, K., Meckler, N., Naafs, B. D. A., Pälike, H., Pancost, R. D., Pearson, P., Royer, D. L., Salzmann, U., Schubert, B., Seebeck, H., Sluijs, A., Speijer, R., Stassen, P., Tierney, J., Tripati, A., Wade, B., Westerhold, T., Witkowski, C., Zachos, J. C., Zhang, Y. G., Huber, M., and Lunt, D. J., 2019, The DeepMIP contribution to PMIP4: methodologies for selection, compilation and analysis of latest Paleocene and early Eocene climate proxy data, incorporating version 0.1 of the DeepMIP database, Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 3149-3206.
2018
Zhang, Y.G., and Liu, X.*, 2018, Export depth of the TEX86 signal, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 33, 666-671.
Shen, J., Pearson, A., Henkes, G., Zhang, Y.G., Chen, K., Li, D., Wankel, S.D., Finney, S.C., and Shen, Y., 2018, Improved efficiency of the biological pump as a trigger for the late Ordovician glaciation, Nature Geosci., 11, 510-514
Pearson, P. and IODP Expedition 363 Scientific Party, 2018, A deep-sea agglutinated foraminifer tube constructed with planktonic foraminifer shells of a single species, Journal of Micropaleontology, 37, 97-104
2017
Zhang, Y.G., Pagani, M., Henderiks, J., and Ren, H., 2017, A long history of equatorial deep-water upwelling in the Pacific Ocean: Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 467, 1-9.
Zhuang, G., Pagani, M. and Zhang, Y.G., 2017, Monsoonal upwelling in the western Arabian Sea since the middle-late Miocene, Geology, 45, 655-658.
Zhang, Y.G., 2017, Compound-specific isotope analysis, In: White W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham
Wang, J.-X., Xie, W., Zhang, Y.G., Meador, T.B., Zhang, C.L., 2017, Evaluating production of cyclopentyl tetraethers by Marine Group II Euryarchaeota in the Pearl River estuary and coastal South China Sea: Potential impact on the TEX86 paleothermometer, Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, 2077.
Rosenthal, Y., Holbourn, A., Kulhanek, D.K., and Expedition 363 Scientific Party, 2017, International Ocean Discovery Program, Expedition 363 Preliminary Report: Western Pacific Warm Pool
2016
Pearson, A., Hurley, S.J., Shah Walter, S.R., Kusch, S., Lichtin, S., and Zhang, Y.G., 2016, Stable carbon isotope ratios of intact GDGTs indicate heterogeneous sources to marine sediments. Geochimi. Cosmochimi. Acta, 181, 18-35.
Zhang, Y.G., Pagani, M., and Wang, Z., 2016, Ring Index: A new strategy to evaluate the integrity of TEX86 paleothermometry: Paleoceanography, 31, 220-232.
2015
Da, J.W., Zhang, Y.G., Wang, H.T., Balsam, W., and Ji, J.F., 2015, An early Pleistocene atmospheric CO2 record based on pedogenic carbonate from the Chinese loess deposits: Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 426, 69-75.
2014
Zhang, Y.G., Pagani, M., and Liu, Z., 2014, Response to comment on “A 12-million-year temperature history of the tropical Pacific Ocean”: Science, 346, 1467-b.
Zhang, Y.G., Pagani, M., and Liu, Z., 2014, A 12-million-year temperature history of the tropical Pacific Ocean: Science, 343, 84-86.
Kluge, T., Affek, H., Zhang, Y.G., Dublyansky, Y., Spötl, C., Immenhauser, A., and Richter, D.K., 2014, Clumped isotope thermometry of cryogenic cave carbonates: Geochimi. Cosmochimi. Acta, 126, 541-554.
2013
Schouten, S. et al., (69 coauthors including Zhang, Y.G.), 2013, An interlaboratory study of TEX86 and BIT analysis of sediments, extracts and standard mixtures, Geophys. Geochem. Geosyst., 14, 5263-5285.
Zhang, Y.G., Pagani, M., Liu, Z., Bohaty, S., and DeConto, R., 2013, A 40-million-year history of atmospheric CO2: Phil. Trans. Royal. Soc. A, 371, 20130096.
2011 and Earlier
Zhang, Y.G., Zhang, C.L., Liu, X.-L., Li, L., Hinrichs, K.-U., and Noakes,J.E., 2011, Methane Index: A tetraether archaeal lipid biomarker indicator for detecting the instability of marine gas hydrates: Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 307, 525-534.
Boyd, E.S., Pearson, A., Pi, Y.D., Li, W.-J., Zhang, Y.G., He, L., Zhang, C.L., and Geesey, G.G., 2011, Temperature and pH controls on glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether lipid composition in the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Acidilobus sulfurireducens: Extremophiles, 15, 59-65.
Zhang, Y.G., Ji, J.F., Balsam, W.L., Liu, L.W. and Chen J., 2009, Mid-Pliocene Asian monsoon intensification and the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation: Geology, 37, 599-602.
Zhang Y.G., Ji, J.F., Balsam, W.L. Liu, L.W. and Chen, J., 2007, High-resolution hematite and goethite record from ODP 1143, South China Sea: Co-evolution of monsoonal precipitation and El Niño over the last 600,000 years: Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 264, 136-150.
Education
Ph.D. Yale University, 2014
M.Phil. Yale University, 2012
B.S. Nanjing University, 2007
Awards
F.W. Clarke Medal, Geochemical Society, 2022
Philip Orville Prize, Yale University, 2015
Karl Turekian Prize, Yale University, 2014
Ziff Environmental Fellowship, Harvard University, 2014-2016
Schalnger Fellowship, U.S. Science Support Program for Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, 2012-2014