Researcher Information

SATO Yousuke

Associate Professor

Numerical simulation targeting on cloud, lightning, and aerosol

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Earth and Planetary Dynamics

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Theme

Study of cloud, aerosol, aerosol-cloud interaction, and lightning using numerical simulation, and development of numerical weather/climate models

FieldMeteorology, Cloud microphysics
KeywordAerosol cloud interaction, Global cloud system resolving model, Large Eddy Simulation, Numerical weather/climate model, Bulk lightning model

Introduction of Research

My research field is meteorology, especially cloud, aerosol, lightning, and their effect on the human life. I'm researching them using the numerical simulation. During my research activity, I have experience using super computer like K computer and Fugaku, Earth Simulator, and so on. As well as the aerosol, cloud and lightning, I have been contributing the research project targeting on the radionuclide emitted from nuclear power plant to atmosphere using the numerical simulation.
Development of the numerical weather/climate model is also my research topic.

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Stratocumulus simulated by a numerical weather model on K computer
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Global distribution of (white) cloud, (yellow) sulfate aerosol, (blue) sea salt aerosol, (green) carbonaceous aerosol, and (orange) dust simulated by global cloud system resolving model
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An example of the distribution of cloud (white) and lightning (yellow) simulated by a bulk lightning model

Representative Achievements

Difference in the lightning frequency between the July 2018 heavy rainfall event over central Japan and the 2017 northern Kyushu heavy rainfall event in Japan,
Y. Sato, S. Hayashi, and A. Hashimoto,
Atmo. Sci. Lett., 23(1), doi:10.1002/asl.1067 (2022)
Lightning Frequency in an Idealized Hurricane-Like Vortex from Initial to Steady-State Using a Coupled Meteorological and Explicit Bulk Lightning Model,
Y. Sato, Y. Miyamoto and H. Tomita,
Mon. Wea. 149, 753-771, (2021)
Aerosol effects on cloud water amounts were successfully simulated by a global cloud-system resolving model, Y. Sato, D. Goto, T. Michibata, K. Suzuki, T. Takemura, H. Tomita, and T. Nakajima, Nature Communications, 9, 985 (2018).
Unrealistically pristine air in the Arctic produced by current global scale models, Y. Sato, H. Miura, H. Yashiro, D. Goto, T. Takemura, H. Tomita, and T. Nakajima, Scientific Reports, 6, 26561 (2016)
Impacts of cloud microphysics on trade wind cumulus: which cloud microphysics processes contribute to the diversity in a large eddy simulation?, Y. Sato, S. Nishizawa, H. Yashiro, Y. Miyamoto, Y. Kajikawa, and H. Tomita, Prog. Earth Planet. Sci., 2(23) (2015)
Academic degreePh. D.
Self Introduction

My research field is meteorology, especially cloud, aerosol, lightning, and their effect on the human life. Befor I come to Hokkaido, I lived in Chubu (near Nagoya), Kantou (Chiba Pref.), Kansai (Kobe Pref.).

Academic background2006: B.A. Nagoya University, Department of Science (in Physics)
2008: M.S. University of Tokyo, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Apr. 2008- Mar. 2009: East Japan Railway Company
2012: Sci. PhD. University of Tokyo, Department of Earch and Planetary Sciences
Apr.2010 - Mar.2012: Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promption of Science(DC2)
Oct.2010 - Dec.2010: Visiting Researcher, National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA
Apr.2012 - Mar.2015: Post-doctoral fellow, RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science, Computational Climate Science Research Team
Apr.2015 - Apr.2017: Special Post-doctoral fellow, RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science, Computational Climate Science Research Team
Apr.2013 - Mar.2017: Visiting Associate Professor, University of Hyogo, Graduated School of Simulation Study
Apr.2013 - Mar.2017: Visiting Researcher, Meteorological Research Institute, Atmospheric Environment and Applied Meteorology Research Department May 2017 - Present: Visiting Researcher, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Computational Climate Science Research Team
May 2017 - Mar.2019: Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Energy, Graduate school of Engineering, Nagoya University
Apr.2019 - Present: Associate Professor, Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Research Field of Hokkaido Weather Forecast and Technology Development (Endowed by Hokkaido Weather Technology Center Co. Ltd.), Hokkaido University
Affiliated academic societyJapan Meteorological Society, Japan Geoscience Union
ProjectLarge Ensemble Atmospheric and Environmental Prediction for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
Room addressScience Building 8 8-216

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Earth and Planetary Dynamics

SATO Yousuke

Associate Professor

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Who is the researcher you respect most?

The researchers that I respect are Prof. Teruyuki Nakajima and Dr. Hirofumi Tomita. Prof. Nakajima was my supervisor from the master’s program to the doctoral program, and Dr. Tomita was my boss when I worked at RIKEN as a post-doctoral researcher. They both have made great achievements in the fields of radiation, meteorology, and climate science, especially in the development of weather and climate models. However, the main reason I respect them is that they work not only for their own research but also for young researchers. Their approach to work has greatly influenced my research and educational activities.

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Please tell us about yourself; things you are good at, your favorites, hobbies, and daily routines.

My hobby is watching sports, such as baseball, soccer, basketball, rugby, American football, tennis, table tennis, softball, and marathon. Among them, I get really excited watching basketball games, since I played basketball on several club teams until I was 35 years old. However, my spectating style is similar to my approach to research. When I watch a sports game, I watch calmly with analyzing the game, e.g., trying to read the game, trying to understand the mind of players. Such style of spectating does not seem to be common and is not easy to be understood. So, my friends often say, “Are you really enjoying the game?”. I always answer, “Absolutely! I’m having so much fun!”.

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Please tell us your stories until you became a researcher.

My most precious experience before I work as a researcher was working in a private company. When I finished my master’s course, I wanted to go on to a doctoral course, but for economic reasons I was not able to do so. However, I returned to the doctoral course after working for a year in a railway company (the private company). My experience in the company taught me a different way of thinking from the research community, and such experience has been very useful when I discuss about collaboration with people from the private company. On top of that, the many friends I have made at the company are so nice and irreplaceable to me!