Dr. Zhiyuan Zhou is a Research Professor at the Ocean Academy, Southern University of Science and Technology (Preparation Office for Shenzhen Ocean University). He concurrently serves as the Assistant to the Dean, Director of the General Office, Director of the Development Planning Department, and Director of the Laboratory of Marine Supercomputing and Digital Twin. He is a recipient of the Shenzhen "Pengcheng Peacock Plan" Distinguished Talent award. His professional appointments include Member of the Submarine Geosciences Branch of the Chinese Society for Oceanography (CSO), Member of the Marine Geophysics Professional Committee of the Chinese Geophysical Society (CGS), Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Marine Heritage Conservation Professional Committee of the CSO & the Marine Museum Alliance, Secretary-General of the Deep-sea Artificial Intelligence Branch of the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA), Standing Member of the Digital Polar Professional Committee (CNISDE), Member of the Shenzhen Marine Standardization Technical Committee, Science and Technology Vice Principal of Dapeng Overseas Chinese Middle School (Hongling Education Group) and Baocheng Primary School.
Dr. Zhou specializes in international advanced 3D geodynamic modeling to study global seafloor dynamic processes. He has published over 60 papers in top-tier journals such as Earth and Planetary Science Letters (EPSL), Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR), and National Science Review. One of his papers as first/corresponding author was selected as a Top 10 Highly Cited Paper in Terra Nova, and a co-authored paper was ranked in the ESI Top 1% Highly Cited Papers globally.
He has served as the Principal Investigator (PI) for numerous high-level projects, including the National Key R&D Program of China, multiple National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grants (General and Youth programs), and the Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation. His research was honored with the Special Grand Prize of the 2021 Marine Science and Technology Award.
In the academic community, he serves on the editorial boards of Acta Oceanologica Sinica, Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research (OLAR), and Earth Science and Engineering. He was recognized as one of the AOGS 2023 Top 10 Conveners (9/172) and has frequently served as a session convener and speaker at major international conferences (AGU, EGU, AOGS). He has supervised or co-supervised over 30 PhD students, Master’s students, and Postdoctoral fellows in collaboration with Tongji University and Sun Yat-sen University.
· Intelligent Marine Geophysics & Marine AI
· Deep-sea Geodynamics & Seafloor Exploration
· Marine Big Data, Supercomputing, and Digital Twins
· Tsunami Mechanisms
· 2012 – 2015: Ph.D. in Solid Earth Geophysics, Tongji University
· 2013 – 2015: Joint Ph.D. in Marine Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), USA
· 2009 – 2012: M.S. in Earth Exploration and Information Technology, Second Institute of Oceanography, MNR
· 2005 – 2009: B.S. in Geophysics, Tongji University
· Jun 2024 – Present: Research Professor (Fast-track promotion), Ocean Academy, SUSTech
· Jan 2024 – Present: Assistant Dean, Director of General Office & Development Planning Dept, SUSTech
· Sep 2021 – Present: Core Member of the Shenzhen Ocean University Founding Team
· Sep 2021 – Jun 2024: Research Associate Professor, Dept. of Ocean Science and Engineering, SUSTech
· Dec 2018 – Aug 2021: Associate Research Professor, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
· Dec 2017 – May 2018: Visiting Scholar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), USA
· Dec 2015 – Dec 2018: Assistant Research Professor, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS
Dr. Zhou has led 14 research projects, including:
· National Key R&D Program of China (Sub-project PI)
· NSFC General Program
· NSFC Youth Science Fund
· Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (General Program)
He has participated in 21 major projects, including NSFC Major Programs, CAS International Partnership Programs, and the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) special fund.
1. Zhou Z., et al. (2015). Mechanism for normal faulting in the subducting plate at the Mariana trench. Geophysical Research Letters.
2. Zhou Z., & Lin J. (2018). Elasto-plastic deformation and plate weakening... Tectonophysics.
3. Zhou Z., et al. (2018). Modeling of normal faulting in the subducting plates... Acta Oceanologica Sinica.
4. Luo Y., Lin J., Zhou Z.*, et al. (2024). Interactions of Kerguelen and Amsterdam-St. Paul Dual Hotspots... Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
5. Zha C., Lin J., Zhou Z.*, et al. (2022). Effects of hotspot-induced long-wavelength mantle melting... Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.
6. Qiu Q., Zhou Z.*, et al. (2022). Great earthquake and tsunami potential in the eastern Makran subduction zone... Tectonophysics.
7. Zhang F., Lin J., Zhou Z.*, et al. (2018). Intra- and inter-trench variations in flexural bending... Geophysical Journal International.
8. Li H., Lin J., Zhou Z.*, et al. (2022). Variations in magmatism and the state of tectonic compensation... Terra Nova (Top 10 Highly Cited).
9. Zhang F., Lin J., Zhou Z.* (2020). Flexural bending curvature and yield zone of subducting plates. International Geology Review.
10. Liu S., Lin J., Zhou Z.*, et al. (2020). Large along-axis variations in magma supply... Acta Oceanologica Sinica.
· Editorial Boards: Acta Oceanologica Sinica, Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, Marine Geology & Quaternary Geology, Earth and Planetary Physics.
· Awards: Special Grand Prize of the 2021 Marine Science and Technology Award.
