Dr Steven Dobbie
- Position: Associate Professor in Atmospheric Physics
- Areas of expertise: Atmospheric and climate processes; climate impacts including flooding and impacts on crops in global south
- Email: J.S.E.Dobbie@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)113 343 6725
- Location: 11.101 School of Earth and Environment
Profile
Recent employment
- Associate Professor: Atmospheric Physics, University of Leeds
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UMIST/University of Manchester
School roles
- 2026- USTB-Leeds Programme Leader, Environment, Sustainability, and Data Analytics
- 2025- Co-Director of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS)
- 2019-2022 Assessment Lead, School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
- 2014-2017 Deputy Head of School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
- 2010-2014 Director of ICAS
- 2007-2010 Co-Director of ICAS
School and other activities
- 2025- Committee Member, Royal Meteorological Society, Yorkshire.
- 2024- Visiting Professor, UMK, Malaysia
- 2022- External Examiner for proposed Environmental Analytics, University of Malaysia, Kalantan, Malaysia
- 2019- Faculty of Enviornment Assessment and Standards Group
- 2019- Chair of Internal UG and PGT Marks and Classification Boards
- 2019- Chair of School Special Circumstances Committee
- 2019- SEE OTL/Exam Scruity Lead
- 2019 University QAT Working Group on Marking and Classifications
- 2018- External Examiner, University of Birmingham for Env Science
- 2017-2019 Creation of 2+2 link with Southwest Petroleum University, China
- 2015-2017 Creator and lead of the Environmental Science Academy.
- 2012-2015 NERC DTP Advisory Group
- 2014- Committee Head of Environmental Science
- 2010-2013 University SGSA committee member
- 2007-2010 NERC College Member. Panel member for almost all grant calls.
- 2007-2008 Development of the ICAS Strategy
- 2007-2008 Development of MEnv integrated masters
- 2007-2014 Study Abroad Coordinator for Environment
Past research grants
- FRGS/2020 Co-I, Land-atmosphere interactions and influence on hydroclimate of Kelantan, 83,200 RM.
- NERC/S017364/1 Co-I, Smart Systems Approaches for Climate Resilient Livestock Production, £251,557
- NERC/I013466/1 Co-I, Quantifying the efficiency with which biological particles nucleate ice, £342,553
- NERC/I020059/1 Co-I, ACID-PRUF, Aerosol-Cloud Interactions, £684,009
- NERC/I028858/1 Co-I, ACCACIA: Aerosol-Cloud Coupling And Climate Interactions in the Arctic, £269,481
- NERC/G005109/1 Co-I, Standard Round Grant,Contrails Spreading into Cirrus (COSIC), £304,695
- NERC/H02168X/1 Co-I, ASCOS analysis - surface coupling in the arctic boundary layer, £316,658
- ERC, Co-I on Ben Murray’s ERC Fellowship (5 years at 10% of time), €1.66 Mil
- NERC/2002/00127, PI, New Investigator’s Research Grant. Effects of shear on the structure of cirrus clouds, £50,976
- NERC/2000/00983, PI of subcontract from UMIST/Co-PI, CWVC Thematic Programme, Radiative Properties of inhomogeneous cirrus clouds, £97,400
Awards/ HonoraryPosts
- 2007-2010 NERC Peer Review College
- 2007 NERC Services Review Group
- 2004 Chair of GCSS WG2 (cirrus clouds intercomparison)
- 1999 Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society (FRMetS)
- ’92-94 & 96-‘99 Dalhousie Graduate Scholarship Recipient.
Responsibilities
- Co-Director of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
Research interests
Understanding the Earth–atmosphere system is fundamental to improving our knowledge of climate and its future changes. My research combines process-based atmospheric science with climate impact studies, linking advances in our understanding of atmospheric processes to the effects of climate variability and change on society and the environment.
My research on atmospheric processes investigates aerosols, clouds, radiation and atmospheric dynamics to improve our understanding of how the atmosphere functions and how these processes influence weather and climate. This process-based approach provides the scientific foundation for examining how atmospheric variability and climate change affect extreme weather and environmental hazards.
Building on this understanding, my research focuses on two broad areas of climate impacts. The first examines the influence of climate change on tropical cyclones and associated flooding, with a particular emphasis on the South China coast. The second investigates the impacts of climate variability and climate change on agriculture, assessing how changing climate conditions affect crop yields, crop failures and food security. Together, this research aims to improve our understanding of climate risks and support adaptation to a changing climate, especially with relevance for the global south.
Current research projects
- Assessing future climate impacts on typhoons and coastal flooding along the South China coast.
- Exploring high temperature future climate extremes on rice crops in China and India and adaptation approaches.
- Understanding the influence of atmospheric desert dust outbreaks on marine atmospheric processes.
Research supervision
I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students and collaborators interested in the following areas:
- Atmospheric processes, including aerosols, clouds and radiation.
- Climate extremes, including tropical cyclones, flooding and compound events.
- Climate impacts on agriculture, including crop yields, crop failures and food security.
Qualifications
- PhD, Dalhousie University
- MSc, Dalhousie University
- BSc, University of Toronto
Professional memberships
- FRMSoc
Student education
Teaching:
In 2026, I am teaching a module on Weather. The Weather module is an exciting introduction to atmosphere science and forecasting for those student wishing to understand more about what influences our weather and prediction, as well as understanding the proceses and approximations that are involved in influencing climate change predictions.
Administrative role:
I have leadership roles in two areas:
Interim Programme Leader for the Environment, Sustainability, and Data Analytics programme as part of the new Joint School with the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB).
Co-Director of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS). This is a leading research institute within the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability.
Current research group members:
- Jingru Liu (PhD Student)
- Saras Dewi (PhD Student)
- Loius Amos (PhD Student)
Past research group members:
- Dr Beiyao Xu (PhD Student)
- Dr Mae Leong (PhD Student)
- Dr Mohammed Abed (PhD Student)
- Dr Innocent Kudzotsa (PhD Student)
- Dr Becky Jansen (PhD Student)
- Dr Mae Leong (PhD student)
- Dr Huiyi Yang (Research Fellow/Visitor)
- Dr John Marsham (Research Fellow)
- Dr Ross Herbert (PhD student)
- Dr Sat Ghosh (Research Fellow)
- Dr Tom Pleavin (PhD student)
- Dr Gourihar Kulkarni (PhD graduate)
- Dr Sardar Al-Jumur (PhD student)
- Dr Adrian Hill (PhD graduate)
- Dr Theo Wilson (PhD student)
- Dr Clare Allen (PhD graduate)
- Dr Jim Atkinson (PhD student)
- Dr Huiyi Yang (PhD graduate)
- Mr Jamie Clayton (MRes graduate)
- Dr Thomas Whale (PhD student)
- Mr Dan Tang (MRes graduate)
- Dr Dan Tang (PhD graduate)
Research groups and institutes
- Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science
- Land-Atmosphere-Biosphere