主要从事宇宙成因核素（14C，10Be等）在地球环境科学中的应用研究。第四纪地质学家。长期从事第四纪地质与全球变化研究以及宇宙成因核素C年代学研究，近年来又拓展到Be环境示踪研究。

1976年毕业于贵州大学外语系，1995年在西北大学地质系获博士学位，获中国首届百篇优秀博士学位论文。2009年12月当选中国科学院院士，第三世界科学院院士现任中国科学院地球环境研究所副所长，中国科学院黄土与第四纪地质国家重点实验室主任和科技部、中科院、教育部共建的“西安加速器质谱中心”主任，实质性双聘教授。曾任国际放射性碳学会常务理事，国际PAGES/CLIVAR工作委员会委员，现任这一国际SCI杂志的编委；国家自然科学基金委员会学科评审组评委；中国第四纪研究委员会副主任。《Radiocarbon》编委。

先后负责国家基金委“杰出青年科学基金”, “优秀青年科学家群体”，“重点项目”，973(二级)，科技部基础研究的前期专项和中科院重要方向项目等重要课题；获“首届全国百篇优秀博士学位论文奖”，作为主持和主要参加者获五项省部级一等奖，一项国家级二等奖、三等奖和一项专利。此外，获多项荣誉称号。共发表论文近百篇。

2002年度陕西省科技进步一等奖 2007-11-13 　　

2008年度国家自然科学奖二等奖 2008-12-24

代表性论著

1.Zhou Weijian, Zhou Mingfu, and M.J. Head, 14C Chronology of Beizhuangcun sedimentation sequence since 30,000 years B.P. Chinese Science Bulletin, 35(7) (1990), 567-572.

2.Zhou Weijian, M.J.Head, and L. Kaiholas, Small sample dating in China. Radiocarbon 34(3) (1994), 47-49.

3.Zhou Weijian, D.J.Donahue, S.C.Porter, T.A.Jull, Li Xiaoqiang, M.Stuiver, An Zhisheng, Eiji Matsumoto and Dong Guangrong, Variability of monsoon climate in East Asia at the end of the last glaciation. Quaternary Research 46(3) (1996), 219-229.

4.Zhou Weijian, D.J. Donahue and J.T. Jull, Radiocarbon AMS dating of pollen concentrated from eolian sand and paleosol: Implications for the monsoon climate change since the late Quaternary. Radiocarbon, 39(1) (1997), 19-26. 　

5.Zhou Weijian, Head, M.J., Lu Xuefeng, A.J.T. Jull and D.J.Donahue, Teleconnection of climatic events between east Asia and ploar high latitude areas during the last deglaciation. Palaeo. Palaeo. Palaeo. 152 (1999), 163-172. 　

6.Weijian Zhou, M. John Head Zhisheng An Patrick De Deckker Zhengyu Liu, Xiaodong Liu, Xuefeng Lu Douglas Donahue, A. J. Timothy Jull, & J. Warren Beck, Terrestrial Evidence for a Spatial Structure of Tropical-Polar Interconnections During the Younger Dryas Episode. Earth and Planetary Science Letter, (2001), 191: 231-239. 　　

7.Zhou Weijian J.Dodson, M. John Head, B.S Li, Y.J.Hou, X.F. Lu, D. D. Donahue,, A. J. T. Jull, Environmental variability within the Chinese desert-loess transition zone over the last 20,000 yrs. Holocene 12 (1) ( 2002), 107-112. 　

8.Weijian Zhou, Xuefeng Yu, A. J. Timothy Jull, G. Burr, J. Y. Xiao, Xuefeng Lu, & Feng Xian, High-resolution evidence of an early Holocene optimum and a mid-Holocene dry event from southern China during the last 18,000 years. Quaternary Research 62 (2004), 39-48. 　

9.Weijian Zhou, Shucheng Xie, Philip A. Meyers, and Yanhong Zheng, Reconstruction of Late-Glacial and Holocene Climate Evolution in Southern China from Geolipids and Pollen in the Dingnan Peat Sequence. Organic Geochemistry, 36 (2005), 1272－1284. 　　

10.Zhou Weijian, Zhao Xiaolei, Lu Xuefeng, Liu Lin, Wu Zhengkun, Cheng Peng Zhao Wengnian and Huang Chunhai, 2006 , 3MV multi-element AMS in Xian China: Peculiar features and preliminary tests. Radiocarbon 48 (2) (2006), 285-293 　

11.Zhou, W., P. Alfred, et al. Disentangling geomagnetic and precipitation signals in an 80-kyr Chinese loess record of 10Be. Radiocarbon 49(1) (2007), 139–160.