Regional HydroClimate Analysis and Modeling Lab · University of Oklahoma
Connecting atmospheric science, hydrology, and engineering to understand our changing climate and build a more resilient future
Atmospheric river over the Pacific Northwest, Dec 4–5, 2023 · GOES-West imagery: NASA
Who we are
The Regional HydroClimate Analysis and Modeling (RHyCAM) Lab at the University of Oklahoma investigates hydroclimate processes and extremes using observations, numerical modeling, and artificial intelligence. Our work bridges fundamental Earth system science and practical engineering challenges, translating scientific understanding into actionable knowledge for a changing world.
School of Civil Engineering and Environmental ScienceSchool of Meteorology
Research themes
Atmospheric processes, hydroclimate extremes, and compound hazards
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Snowpack, precipitation, runoff, and climate change
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Hydroclimate modeling, downscaling, and Earth system predictability
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Translating hydroclimate science into engineering decisions
ExploreFeatured discoveries
The strongest winter storms in the western U.S. could bring up to 40% more precipitation at storm centers by mid-century. Understanding these changes is important for assessing future storm risks and improving infrastructure planning.
Machine-learning clustering identifies distinct weather and moisture conditions associated with wildfires in the western U.S., improving seasonal predictions by 10%. Historically, some wildfire types...
WAC-hydro classifies daily weather into 12 types based on precipitation and temperature, connecting large-scale climate variability to snowpack, runoff, and floods in the Pacific...
Projects & collaborations
Advancing credible and actionable regional climate information
Our role co-Investigator
Partners LBNL · PNNL
Project detailsEvaluating high-resolution simulations of mesoscale convective systems
Our role Lead
Project detailsOur team
We are atmospheric scientists, hydrologists, and engineers working side by side at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
Meet the people
Xiaodong ChenAssistant Professor
Wenjun CuiScientist
Lujun ZhangPostdoctoral Research Associate
Yiming SongPh.D. Student
Lauren BurgeUndergraduate ResearcherLatest news
Collaboration paper published in JAMES, looking into storm reconstruction using the E3SM SCREAM model.
Xiaodong is invited to join the npj Hydrosphere editorial board.
Collaboration paper published in GRL, exploring the use of AI in hydrologic modeling.
Join our group
We are looking for 1 postdoc (starting January 2027) and 1 Ph.D. student (starting Fall 2027).
Opportunities & contact
