BEIJING, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientist Yao Tandong has been elected as a 2020 fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for years of research on glaciers and the environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, sources at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said on Monday.

 A CAS academic, Yao is the chief scientist on China's second comprehensive scientific expedition to the plateau that began in 2017. He has led several research programs, including the "Third Pole Environment" (TPE) project, which has become internationally significant.

 He is also one of the most prolific and most-cited researchers in the field of international Qinghai-Tibet Plateau studies, according to a CAS statement.

 Founded in 1919, the AGU is the world's most influential geoscientific organization, with more than 60,000 members. Since 1962, only 0.1 percent of its global members have been elected as AGU Fellows in recognition of their exceptional contributions to Earth and space sciences. Enditem