Dr. Yongzhe Chen’s recent publications in Science & Nature Communications

Size, distribution, and vulnerability of the global soil inorganic carbon

Reference: Huang, Y., et al. Size, distribution, and vulnerability of the global soil inorganic carbon. Science 384, 233-239 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adi7918

Brief summary: This study quantified the global size, distribution, and vulnerability of soil inorganic carbon (SIC). The research revealed that soils store 2,305 ± 636 billion tons of SIC in the top 2 meters, with significant annual losses to inland waters. Under current trends, 23 billion tons of SIC may be lost over 30 years due to nitrogen-driven acidification, emphasizing the need to integrate SIC into climate models for better carbon management.

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Assessing global drinking water potential from electricity-free solar water evaporation device

Reference: Zhang, W., Chen, Y., Ji, Q. et al. Assessing global drinking water potential from electricity-free solar water evaporation device. Nature Communications 15, 6784 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51115-0

Brief summary: This study developed a physics-guided machine learning model to assess the global potential of solar water evaporation (SWE) technology for providing safe drinking water. A 1 m² SWE device can produce 2.5 L/day of clean water, meeting the needs of 95.8% of the unserved population. Scaling this technology could achieve universal access to safe water by 2030 at a significantly reduced cost.