張鏡湖生於1927年。1948年獲浙江大學史地系學士學位，1949年赴台灣，1950年獲美國克拉克（Clark）大學地理研究所獎學金，負笈深造，1954年獲博士學位。1953年即應约翰霍金斯（Johns Hopkins）大學桑斯衛特（Thornthwaite）微氣候研究所之聘擔任研究員。1954年轉赴哈佛大學藍山（Blue Hill）氣象研究所負責美國陸軍委託之研究，著 Ground Temperature（Harvard University, Printing Office, vol. I, pp.300,vol. II, pp.196, 1958）。1958年參加威斯康辛（Wisconsin）大學由 Vernon Suomi 教授領導美國最早的太空氣象觀察儀器研究。1959年應夏威夷大學之聘擔任教職，同年獲《美國地理學會期刊》（Annals of the Association of American Geographers）之，為八位編輯委員之一，審查有關氣候及自然地理之投稿論文。
1968年由美國 Aldine Publishing 公司出版 Climate and Agriculture —書，Science 雜誌請 David Miller 教授撰寫書評。1972年由美國 Oriented Publishing公司出版 Atmospheric Circulation Systems and Climate 一書，《美國氣象雜誌》（Bulletin of American Meteorological Society）有書評，此二書為美國及加拿大多所大學採用為教材，中國大陸氣象系與農學院亦有採用者。
1969年至1972年，獲聘為新加坡南洋大學校外考試委員。
1972年，獲加拿大維多利亞大學聘為特約講座。
1973年，獲世界銀行之聘擔任巴西貝倫（Belem）氣候與水文研究所顧問，三次前往巴西協助該國政府規劃亞馬遜（Amazon）河中下游開發計畫。
1978年，美國地理學會會刊刊登自1968年至1977年在美國主要地理雜誌發表論文篇數的統計，居第二位。
1978年至1984年，獲聘為香港中文大學校外考試委員。
1981年，獲聯合國教科文組織之聘擔任「熱帶水文與氣象委員會」召集人,在巴黎召開會議並編纂 Hydrology and Water Management in the Humid Tropics 一書，撰寫其中〈熱帶亞洲的水文〉一文，該書於1993年由Cambridge University Press出版。
在美任教發表的論文
1. The climate of China according to the new Thornthwaite classification, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 45(4):393~403,1955.
2. Review Collected Scientific Papers: Meteorology, 1919~1949, Geographical Review, 46(2):285~287,1956.
3. Air mass maps of China proper and Manchuria, Geography, 42:142~148,1957.
4. World patterns of monthly soil temperature distribution, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 47(3):241~249,1957.
5. Global distribution of the annual range in soil temperature, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 38(5):718~723,1957.
6. An evaluation of the 1948 Thornthwaite classification, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 49(1):24~30,1959.
7. Zonal indices as related to the winter climate in East Asia, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 49(2):156~163,1959.
8. Evapotranspiration of sugar cane in Hawaii as measured by in-field lysimeters in relation to climate, Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the International Society of Sugarcane Technologists, 637~649,1959.(with R. B. Campbell and D. C. Cox)
9. Microclimate of sugar cane, The Hawaiian Planters' Record, 56(3):195-225,1961.
10. Comparative climatology of the tropical western margins of the northern oceans, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 52(2):221-227,1962.
11. On the relationship between water and sugar cane yield in Hawaii, Agronomy Journal, 55:450-453,1963.(with R. B. Campbell and F. E. Robinson)
12. Assessing the utility of pan evaporation for controlling irrigation of sugar cane in Hawaii, Agronomy Journal, 55:444-446,1963.(with F. E. Robinson and R. B.Campbell)
13. The role of climatology in the Hawaiian sugar-cane industry:an example of applied agricultural climatology in the tropics, Pacific Science, 17(4):379-397,1963.
14. On the study of evapotranspiration and water balance, Erdkunde, 19:141-150,1965.
15. Evapotranspiration research at the HSPA Experiment Station, Proceedings of the 12th International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists Congress, 10-24,1965.(with R. B. Campbell, H. W. Brodie and L. D. Baver)
16. The Indian summer monsoon, Geographical Review, 57(3):373-396,1967.
17. Rainfall in the tropical Southwest Pacific, Geographical Review, 58(1):142-144,1968.
18. The agricultural potential of the humid tropics, Geographical Review, 58(3):333-361,1968.
19. Progress in agricultural climatology, Professional Geographer, 20(5):317-320,1968.
20. Economics of a water-yield function for sugar cane, Journal of the Irrigation and Drainage Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 95:127-138,1969.(with H. C. Hogg and J. R. Davidson)
21. Some aspects of climatic fluctuations since the Pleistocene, Geographical Review, 59(4):619-621,1969.
22. Sugar cane in Hawaii and Taiwan; contrasts in ecology, technology and economics, Economic Geograhpy, 46(1):39-52, 1970.
23. Potential photosynthesis and crop productivity, Annals of the Association of Americaan Geographers, 60(1):92-101, 1970.
24. Global water balance according to the Penman approach, Geographical Analysis, 2:55-67, 1970.(with G. Okimoto)
25. Global distribution of net radiation according to a new formula, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 60(2):340~351, 1970.
26. Review - Climates of Northern and Eastern Asia, edited by H. Arakawa, Professional Geographer, 23(1):82–83, 1971.
27. A critique of the concept of growing season, Professional Geographer, 23(4):337-340, 1971.
28. The Chinese monsoon, Geographical Review, 61(3):370-395, 1971.
29. The effect of water deficit on length of growing season and potential productivity, Proceedings of the 22nd International Geographical Congress, 1:226-228, 1972. (with J. O. Juvik)
30. Review - Water Balance of Monsoon Asia: A Climatological Approach, edited by M. M. Yoshino, Geographical Review, 63(3):424-426, 1973.
31. Review Climate: Present, Past and Future, Vol. 1, Fundamentals and Climate, by H. H. Lamb, Professional Geographer, 25(4):398-399, 1973.
32. Photosynthesis of canopy leaves, Annals of the Assoviation of American Geographers, 65(1):105-108,1975.
33. Some aspects of climatological research as related to fertilizer practice, Proceedings: Fertilizer I. N.P.U.T.S. Projet, Planning and Organization Meeting, 129-138, 1975.
34. On the relationship between mean monthly global radiation and air temperature, Archiv fur Meteorologie, Geophysik und Biolimatologie, Ser. B, 23:13-30,1975.
35. Review - Photosynthesis and Productivity in Different Environments, by J. P. Cooper, Human Ecology, 4(4):358-359, 1976.
36. Tropical agriculture: crop diversity and crop yields, Economic Geography, 53(3):241-254, 1977.
37. On the relationship between climate and corn yield, Proceedings, the East-West Center Food Security Conference, 1-6, 1979.
38. Fourteen consecutive days without precipitation as an indicator of drought, Proceedings, the East-West Center Food Security Conference, 1-4, 1979.
39. Diffuse radiation as related to global radiation and the Angot value, Archiv fur Meteorologie, Geophysik und Biolimatologie, Ser. B, 28:31-39, 1980.
40. Some aspects of agroclimatology in Southeast Asia and New Guinea, GeoJournal, 4(5):437-446, 1980.
41. Review Climatic Change and Food Production, edited by Takahashi and Yoshino, Geographical Review, 70(2):243-244, 1980.
42. Corn yield in relation to photoperiod, night temperature, and solar radiation, Agricultural Meteorology, 24:253-262, 1981.
43. A climatological consideration of the transference of agricultural technology, Agricultural Meteorology, 25:1-13, 1981.
44. Review - Climatic Change and Society, Consequences of Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, by W. W. Kellogg and R. Schwae, Professional Geographer, 34(4):478, 1982.
45. The monsoon circulation of Asia, In: Climate and Agricultural Land Use in Monsoon Asia, edited by Masatoshi. M. Yoshino, University of Tokyo Press, 3-34, 1984.
46. A climatological analysis of yield difference between the first and second rice crop in Taiwan, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 36:113-120,1985.
47. Evaporation in tropical highlands, Symposium on Tropical Climatology and Human Settlements, 25th International Congress of Geography, 231-241,1985.
48. Agroclimatology, In: The Encyclopedia of Climatology, Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences, vol.11, edited by J. E. Oliver and R. W. Fairbridge, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 16-22, 1987.
49. Intertropical convergence zone, In: The Encyclopedia of Climatology, Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences, vol.11, edited by J. E. Oliver and R. W. Fairbridge, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 516-518, 1987.
50. Hydrology in humid tropical Asia, In: International Hydrology Series, Hydrology and Water Management in the Humid Tropics, edited by M. Bonell, M. M. Hufscmidt and J. S. Gladwell, UNESCO, Cambridge University Press, 55-66, 1993.
1987年擔任中國文化大學董事長後之著作
(甲)書籍
1.《Variability of precipitation in Europe 》,1954.
2.《Agricultural geography of Taiwan》,Taipei : China Cultural Service, 1958.
3.《 Ground temperature》,Milton, Mass. : Harvard University, Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, 1958.
4.《Papers on the climate of China and ground temperature 》,Taipei : Chinese Geographical Research Institute, 1958.
5.《Climate and agriculture : an ecological survey 》,Chicago : Aldine, 1968.
6.《 Climate and agriculture : an ecological survey》,Chicago : Aldine, 1970.
7.《Global distribution of net radiation according to a new formula 》,United States of America : The Association of American Geographers, 1970.
8.《Problems and methods in agricultural climatology 》,Taipei : Oriental Publishing Co., c1971.
9.《Atmospheric circulation systems and climates 》,Honolulu: Oriental Publishing Co.,1972.
10.《農業地理 》,臺北市 : 華岡出版部, 1975.
11.《 環境與生態》,臺北市 : 中國文化大學出版部, 2002.
12.《世界的資源與環境》(繁體字版),台北:中國文化大學出版部,2002(初版), 2005(二版), 2008(三版).
13.《世界的資源與環境》(簡體字版),北京:科學出版社, 2004(初版), 2006 (二版).
14.《Climate and agriculture : an ecological survey》,New Brunswick, N.J. : AldineTransaction, 2009.
15.《教育與文化的王道》(與池田大作合著)日文版,日本東京:創價學會,2010.
16.《教育與文化的王道》(與池田大作合著)中文版,台北:正因文化事業有限公司,2010.
17.《 世界核能發電的過去和未來》,臺北市 : 中國文化大學華岡出版部, 2013.
18.《張鏡湖先生文集》,台北:中國文化大學出版部,2020.
(乙)有關教育問題的論文
1.從權力結構談大學法的修訂,聯合報,1987, 10, 8, 2版 .
2.大學行政單位､教師和學生的權利,中央日報,1988,9, 15, 3版.
3.美國大學教授協會對大學法規的看法,自立早報,1988,10,23-25.
4.學生對教師教學之評鑑,華夏導報,1988,10, 26.
5.為私立學校請命,中央日報,1989, 5, 20.
6.論學術自由,華夏導報特刊,1989, 11, 16.
7.私立學校的問題,教育資料文摘, 1990, 1, 10.
8.論我國教育法令之演變,華夏導報,現代青年,1990, 3, 1.
9.公私立大學法律地位之差異-兼論高雄國際商專事件,自立早報, 1990, 6, 8.
10.憲政時期的教育制度,自立晚報,1990, 6, 23.
11.論私立學校董事的資格和職權,自立晚報,1991, 3, 16.
12.憲法中高等教育的問題,自立早報,1992, 3, 24-25.
13.教育資源的浪費,自立晚報, 1992, 4, 18.
14.師生比一比二十的謬誤,自立晚報 1992, 6, 20.
15.論彈性收費和師生比,自立晚報,1992, 10, 17.
16.詢於芻蕘,自立晚報,1992, 11, 26.
17.美國大學評鑑,自立早報,1992, 12, 28.
18.教育部對私立大學的評鑑,自立晚報,1993, 6, 4-5.
19.私立大學的學費與經營,自立早報, 1993, 11, 2.
20.從歐美大學制度評我國大學法,自立早報,1994, 5, 2-3.
21.大學評鑑標準厚理工輕藝文,中國時報, 1997, 3, 14.
22.論大學法的修訂,自立晚報,1999, 3, 21.
23.論大學評鑑,自立晚報,1999, 4, 5.
24.為私立學校把脈,自立晚報,1999, 8, 22.
25.論「大學政策白皮書」,自立晚報,2000,3,3.
26.再論大學政策白皮書,自立晚報,2000, 4, 24.
27.中美大學募款的差異,中央日報, 2000, 8, 9.
28.基礎科學 兩岸差距日益擴大,中國時報,2001, 5, 12.
29.論教育部對校舍建築面積的規定,私校文教期訊, 2006, 7, 16.
(丙)非教育類論文
1.“世界農業的起源”(中國文化大學農學院研究報告第一號),台北:中國文化大學農學院,1987, 4.
2.“「孝」與中國文化”,日本《孝道新聞》(橫濱孝道教團), 512號,1990, 1, 1.
3.“氣候篇”,《中華民國史地理志》,台北:國史館,173~193,1990, 5.
4.“南韓的北進政策與南北韓的統一”,《亞洲與世界文摘》,12(6):70~75,1990, 6, 1.
5. “人類活動所引起的大氣變化”,《人文及社會科學教學通訊》,1(5):20-27, 1991, 2.
6.“戈巴契夫與蘇聯”,《統領雜誌》,69:115~120, 1991, 4.
7.“中國大陸的農業”,《聯合報》,1993, 7, 3-4.
8.“中國大陸的能源”,《中央日報》, 1993, 8, 25-26.
9.“中國大陸的森林”,《中央日報》, 1994, 4, 23; 4, 25-26.
10.“評論核能的爭議”,《中國時報》, 1994, 11, 26.
11.“中國大陸水資源對生態和經濟發展的影響”,《中央日報》,1995, 7, 15-16.
12. “中國水資源の生態と經濟發展に及ぼす影響”, The Journal of Institute of Asian Studies（Soka University）, 17:96~103, Tokyo, March 1996.
13.“地震後的省思”,《聯合報》, 1999, 10, 23.
14.“論海峽兩岸的關係”,《聯合報》,2000, 5, 15.
15.“能源生力軍-核四興建平議”,《中央日報》, 2000, 6, 17.
16.“台灣太陽能和風力發電的困難”,《中國時報》, 2000, 8, 16.
17.“核能與環保”,《聯合報》, 2000, 10, 27.
18.“各種能源風險的比較”,《自由時報》,2000, 11, 9.
19.“評章家敦的「中國崩潰」論”,《地球信息科學》(北京),6(2):23~26,2004, 6.
20.“中國經濟與兩岸關係”,《海峽評論》,163:18~22, 2004, 7.
21.“論本土化和愛台灣”,《海峽評論》,166:52, 2004, 10.
22. “Three important trends in recent global economic development", in Multinational Enterprises and Emerging Challenges of the 21" Century, Edited by John H. Dunning and Tsai-Mei Lin, Edward Elgar Press, pp. 7~9, 2007.
23.“中國的城市化問題”,《海峽評論》,197:41~42, 2007, 5.
24.“論西部經濟開發與中國農、畜、漁業的進步”,《海峽評論》,200:7-12, 2007, 8.
25.“改革開放後中國的經濟發展”,《海峽評論》, 204:15~18, 2007, 12.
26.“中國農、畜、漁業的進步”,《海峽兩岸經濟發展-挑戰與機遇》,香港:商務印書館,363~367, 2008,1.
27.“台灣新政府面臨的經濟問題”,《海峽評論》,211:47~48, 2008, 7.
28.“中國經濟發展的回顧與前瞻”,《文大校訊》,2010, 4, 12.
(丁)序文
1. "《日本環境基本法之解說》序”(日本環境廳編),台北:中國文化大學出版部,1997, 3.
2. 池田大作 "《虹之歌》序”,台北:正因文化, 1998, 3, 15.
3. 明驥 "《蘇聯外交史》序”,台北:黎明文化, 2003, 10, 8.
4. 池田博正“《青春之路》序”,台北:正因文化,2004, 8, 15.
5. 戈巴契夫 Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeevich 與池田大作 "《二十世紀的精神教訓》序”,台北:正因文化,2004, 10, 15.
6. 海瑟·亨德森 Hazel Henderson 與池田大作“《珍愛地球-邁向光輝的女性世紀》序”,台北:正因文化,2005, 6, 30.
7. 馬吉特·德拉尼安 Majid Tehranian 與池田大作 "《21 世紀的選擇》序”,台北:正因文化, 2006, 8, 30.
8. 沙德维尼茲 V. A. Sadovnichy 與池田大作著“《新人類·新世界一暢談教育與社會》序”,台北,正因文化, 2006, 12, 15.
9. 約瑟夫·羅特布拉特 Joseph Rotblat 與池田大作著“《探索地球的和平》序”,台北:正因文化,2007, 8, 15.
10. 利哈諾夫 Albert A. Likhanov 與池田大作著"《给青少年的哲學》序”St: Exit, 2008, 1, 2.
11. 李建軍著 “《城市美國 波士頓風水》序”,台北:台灣知識庫,2011,1.
12. 李建軍著 "《城市美國 華盛頓風水》序”,台北:台灣知識庫, 2011, 1.
13. 李建軍著 “《城市美國 紐約風水》序”,台北:台灣知識庫, 2011, 1.