Prof. Dr. Zhiguo Meng | Earth Science | Research Excellence Award

Professor | Jilin University | China

Zhiguo Meng is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the College of Geoexploration Science and Technology, Jilin University (Changchun, China). His primary research area is microwave remote sensing — especially using passive microwave radiometry to probe the thermal and physical properties of planetary surfaces. A key focus of Meng’s work is the study of the lunar regolith (the Moon’s surface “soil”): its dielectric properties, temperature distribution, composition, and thickness. For example, in one influential paper, he and colleagues demonstrated that the abundance of iron oxide (FeO) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in lunar soil strongly influences microwave thermal emissions — but these compositional effects aren’t the only controls on emission behaviour.Meng’s group also investigates how the dielectric constant of lunar soil changes with frequency and temperature (using simulant materials in the lab), showing that both variables significantly affect microwave brightness temperature — a critical factor for interpreting data from lunar orbiters accurately.Using data from the passive microwave sounder instruments onboard the lunar missions Chang’e-1 and Chang’e-2, Meng has contributed to mapping subsurface structure, regolith thickness, and basalt–mare units on the Moon by developing frameworks to parse “brightness temperature” anomalies that are invisible in optical or infrared data. Overall, Meng’s work lies at the intersection of geophysics, planetary science, and microwave remote sensing. His research improves our ability to infer the composition, layering, and thermal properties of planetary surfaces — especially the Moon — from orbit, supporting lunar geology, exploration, and future mission planning.

Profiles: Scopus | ResearchGate

Featured Publications

1. Chang, W., Meng, Z., Bugiolacchi, R., Xu, Y., Zheng, Y., Zong, Q., Zhang, X., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Geological evolution of Rima Bode on the Moon revealed by multi-source remote sensing data. Remote Sensing, 17, 3824.

2. Shu, C., Meng, Z., Yang, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, S., Zhang, X., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Deep learning-based InSAR time-series deformation prediction in coal mine areas. Geo-Spatial Information Science, 2025, 1-23.

3. Liu, R., Zhang, X., Zhao, S., Xu, Y., Luo, P., Li, Y., Zeng, X., Sun, C., Pang, R., Li, C., Li, X., Xie, L., Meng, Z., Zong, Q., & Wang, C. (2025). Million-year solar wind irradiation recorded in Chang’E-5 and Chang’E-6 samples. Nature Communications, 16, 9197.

4. Mei, L., Liu, C., Meng, Z., Xu, Y., Zhang, X., Bugiolacchi, R., Zong, Q., Cheng, W., Ping, J., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Definition of effective brightness temperature difference and its geological significance. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 63, Article 4508411.

5. Bugiolacchi, R., Meng, Z., Hu, G. P., & Mall, U. (2025). Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Imbrium lava flows: A new comparative look using microwave radiometer data. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 130, e2024JE008827.

Prof. Dr. Zhiguo Meng’s research advances planetary science by improving our ability to interpret microwave remote sensing data for exploring the Moon’s geological history, surface composition, and subsurface structure. His work strengthens global lunar exploration efforts, supports resource-mapping for future missions, and enhances Earth-based applications such as InSAR deformation monitoring for mining and geohazard assessment. Through innovative modeling, deep-learning approaches, and multi-mission data analysis, he contributes valuable scientific tools that benefit both fundamental research and practical engineering, fostering technological progress and informed decision-making in space science and Earth observation.