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Research facility · Hong Kong · China

Hong Kong Observatory

In research, Hong Kong Observatory stands highest in Physical Sciences (#4,756 of 12,888 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Atmospheric Science, Earth and Planetary Sciences and Global and Planetary Change — Atmospheric Science is 71.9× its share of world research.

hko.gov.hk/en/index.htmlROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#8,560
of 28,054 · #10,898 all time
Rank in China
#1,666
of 3,058
Research works
477
▲ 34% vs 2013–17
Citations
8.3k
17.4 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
22.2%
record average 16.5%
Open access
50%
world 28%

What is Hong Kong Observatory known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #4,756 of 12,888 21.4%125 #6328

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Hong Kong Observatory sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

What does Hong Kong Observatory specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Atmospheric Science takes 71.9× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Atmospheric ScienceSubfield · 41.1 works72×
  2. Earth and Planetary SciencesField · 49.6 works24×
  3. Global and Planetary ChangeSubfield · 20.3 works21×
  4. Environmental ScienceField · 43.7 works6.8×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.04× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.25× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.21× its world share, 2 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 24.40× its world share, 50 worksEarth and Planetary …Engineering: 1.36× its world share, 26 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 6.80× its world share, 44 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.17× its world share, 1 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.69× its world share, 2 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.18× its world share, 1 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.05× its world share, 1 worksMedicineBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.13× its world share, 0 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.55× its world share, 2 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.03× its world share, 0 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Earth and Planetary Sciences, 24.4×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Hong Kong Observatory?

Ranked on the composite score, Wai Kin Wong and Pak Wai Chan lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Hong Kong Observatory.

  1. 1 Wai Kin Wong China · #253,544 worldwide 1.5k citations · 15 works
  2. 2 Pak Wai Chan China · #754,838 worldwide 304 citations · 113 works
All ranked researchers at Hong Kong Observatory

Which keywords describe research at Hong Kong Observatory?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Climate Change, Boundary Layer, Global Warming, Probabilistic Forecasting, Data Assimilation, Air Quality, Tropical Cyclones and Ensemble Kalman Filter.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Boundary Layer36▲ 224×2 topics
  2. Climate Change36▲ 10×22 topics
  3. Global Warming26▲ 50×5 topics
  4. Probabilistic Forecasting22▲ 89×3 topics
  5. Data Assimilation22▲ 106×4 topics
  6. Air Quality21▲ 89×5 topics
  7. Tropical Cyclones21▲ 297×2 topics
  8. Ensemble Kalman Filter21▲ 158×2 topics
  9. Convective Parameterization20▲ 292×1 topic
  10. Mesoscale Modeling20▲ 292×1 topic
  11. Large-Eddy Simulation18▲ 71×4 topics
  12. CFD Simulation17▲ 112×2 topics
  13. Turbulent Flow16▲ 106×3 topics
  14. Sea Level Rise16▲ 95×3 topics
  15. Pedestrian Wind Comfort15▲ 248×1 topic
  16. Urban Microclimate15▲ 248×1 topic
  17. Hurricanes15▲ 350×1 topic
  18. Storm Surge15▲ 350×1 topic
  19. Remote Sensing14▲ 8.9×15 topics
  20. Hydrological Cycle13▲ 107×2 topics
  21. Ocean Circulation10▲ 59×3 topics
  22. Climate Modeling9▲ 99×1 topic
  23. Extreme Events9▲ 81×1 topic
  24. Wave Modeling7▲ 104×2 topics
  25. Ocean Waves6▲ 221×1 topic
  26. Wind Stress6▲ 221×1 topic
  27. Hydrological Modeling6▲ 21×5 topics
  28. Aerodynamics6▲ 71×2 topics
  29. Crosswind5▲ 128×1 topic
  30. High-Speed Trains5▲ 58×1 topic
  31. Satellite Observations5▲ 38×3 topics
  32. Climate4▲ 37×2 topics
  33. Collision Avoidance4▲ 18×2 topics
  34. Aerosols4▲ 47×1 topic
  35. Atmospheric Dust4▲ 130×1 topic
  36. Air Traffic Management4▲ 166×1 topic
  37. Conflict Resolution4▲ 82×1 topic
  38. Satellite Imagery4▲ 22×2 topics
  39. Thermal Comfort3▲ 20×2 topics
  40. Urban Heat Island3▲ 25×2 topics

Which research topics does Hong Kong Observatory publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations, Wind and Air Flow Studies, Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research and Climate variability and models.

Meteorological Phenomena…20Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations: 20 fractional worksWind and Air Flow Studies: 15 fractional worksTropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research: 15 fractional worksClimate variability and models: 9 fractional worksOcean Waves and Remote Sensing: 6 fractional worksAerodynamics and Fluid D…5Aerodynamics and Fluid Dynamics Research: 5 fractional worksAtmospheric aerosols and clouds: 4 fractional worksAir Traffic Management and Optimization: 4 fractional worksFlood Risk Assessment and Management: 3 fractional worksUrban Heat Island Mitigation: 3 fractional works
Atmospheric ScienceEnvironmental EngineeringGlobal and Planetary ChangeOceanography1 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations Atmospheric Science 20 works
  2. 2 Wind and Air Flow Studies Environmental Engineering 15 works
  3. 3 Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research Atmospheric Science 15 works
  4. 4 Climate variability and models Global and Planetary Change 9 works
  5. 5 Ocean Waves and Remote Sensing Oceanography 6 works
  6. 6 Aerodynamics and Fluid Dynamics Research Aerospace Engineering 5 works
  7. 7 Atmospheric aerosols and clouds Global and Planetary Change 4 works
  8. 8 Air Traffic Management and Optimization Aerospace Engineering 4 works
  9. 9 Flood Risk Assessment and Management Global and Planetary Change 3 works
  10. 10 Urban Heat Island Mitigation Environmental Engineering 3 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available50.3%not open49.7%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors37.1%domestic only62.9%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Hong Kong Observatory's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 34% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Hong Kong

All research institutions in Hong Kong

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.