Expert Profile
Amir AghaKouchak
Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Amir AghaKouchak studies how climate change and variability influence extreme events (flood/drought/heatwaves) and compound hazards.
Areas of Expertise
- Climate Extremes
- Climatology
- Climate Change
- Flood
- Drought
- Heatwave
- Hydrology
- Remote Sensing of the Environment
Biography
Amir AghaKouchak is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on natural hazards and climate extremes and crosses the boundaries between hydrology, climatology, remote sensing. One of his main research areas is studying and understanding the interactions between different types of climatic and non-climatic hazards including compound and cascading events. He has received a number of honors and awards including the American Geophysical Union’s James B. Macelwane Medal and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Huber Research Prize. Amir is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Earth’s Future. He has served as the principal investigator of several interdisciplinary research grants funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Amir has a passion for nature and landscape photography, and he uses his photos for creating educational materials.
Media
Media Appearances
After winter storms, California can expect a late start to the wildfire season
Los Angeles Times, 3/8/2024
How California’s storms are projected to become more extreme with climate change
Los Angeles Times, 2/8/2024
World Nears Dangerous Climate Tipping Point With Snow in Short Supply
Bloomberg, 1/10/2024
University Of California Irvine Study Finds Human-Caused Climate Change To Blame For Increase In California’s Wildfires
India Education Diary, 7/10/2023
See the data behind climate change's devastating impact on California wildfires
USA Today, 6/16/2023
Wildfire burn areas in California are growing ever larger due to greenhouse gas emissions
Los Angeles Times, 6/14/2023
Human-caused climate change to blame for increase in California's wildfires, says study
Phys.org, 6/13/2023
California wildfires incinerate vast amounts of land. But far more could burn in a warmer world, study says
San Francisco Chronicle, 6/12/2023
Flooding vulnerabilities of L.A. River’s Glendale Narrows spark concern amid record rain
Los Angeles Times, 3/18/2023
Pajaro: The look of floods to come soon
KTVU, 3/16/2023
California’s winter storms have been deadlier than any wildfire since 2018
The Washington Post, 1/14/2023
Articles
Changes in the exposure of California's Levee-Protected Critical Infrastructure to flooding hazard in a warming climate
Environmental Research Letters, 1/1/1970
Impacts of ozone and climate change on yields of perennial crops in California
Nature Food, 1/1/1970
Flash droughts present a new challenge for subseasonal-to-seasonal prediction
Nature Climate Change volume, 1/1/1970
Climate Extremes and Compound Hazards in a Warming World
Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1/1/1970
How do natural hazards cascade to cause disasters?
Nature, 1/1/1970
Mountain snowpack response to different levels of warming
PNAS, 1/1/1970
Compounding effects of sea level rise and fluvial flooding
PNAS, 1/1/1970
Education
University of Stuttgart
PhD, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2010
K.N. Toosi University of Technology
MSc, Civil Engineering, 2005
K.N. Toosi University of Technology
BSc, Civil Engineering, 2001
Accomplishments
- ASCE Huber Prize
- AGU Fellow
- American Geophysical Union’s Macelwane Medal
- AGU Hydrologic Sciences Early Career Award
- IAHS/STAHY Best Paper Award
- Outstanding ASCE Faculty Advisor
- Orange County Engineering Council (OCEC) Distinguished Educator Award
- Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) Award
Research Grants
Resilience of Geotechnical Infrastructure under a Changing Climate: Quantitative Assessment for Extreme Events
NSF, 9/2016-8/2019
Monitoring and managing food, energy, and water systems under stress
NSF, 9/2016-8/2021
Weather Augmented Risk Determination System
NSF, 7/2017-1/2018