Wenhong Li

Bio

Dr. Li's research interests focus primarily on climate dynamics, land-atmosphere interaction, hydroclimatology, and climate modeling. Her current research is to understand how the hydrological cycle changes in the current and future climate and their impacts on the ecosystems, subtropical high variability and change, unforced global temperature variability, and climate and health issues.

Positions

• Associate Professor of Climate
• Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

• Marie Tharp Fellowship. Columbia University. 2013

Courses Taught

• EOS 511: The Climate System
• EOS 365: Introduction to Weather and Climate
• ENVIRON 368: Introduction to Weather and Climate
• ENERGY 796T: Bass Connections Energy & Environment Research Team
• ENERGY 795T: Bass Connections Energy & Environment Research Team
• ENERGY 396T: Bass Connections Energy & Environment Research Team
• ENERGY 395T: Bass Connections Energy & Environment Research Team
• ECS 511: The Climate System
• ECS 393: Research Independent Study
• ECS 391: Independent Study
• ECS 365: Introduction to Weather and Climate

Publications

• Zhang J, Zhang Y, Dannenberg MP, Guo Q, Atkins JW, Li W, et al. Eco-hydrological recovery following large vegetation disturbances from a mega earthquake on the eastern Tibetan plateau (Accepted). Journal of Hydrology. 2025 Apr 1;651.
• Zhang Y, Mao J, Sun G, Guo Q, Atkins J, Li W, et al. Earth's record-high greenness and its attributions in 2020. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2025 Jan 1;316.
• Kukulies J, Li W, Chen D. Mean flow and eddy summer moisture transport over East Asia in reanalysis data and a regional climate simulation. Climate Dynamics. 2024 Aug 1;62(8):8073u201397.
• Patton E, Li W, Ward A, Doyle M. Wet bulb globe temperature from climate model outputs: a method for projecting hourly site-specific values and trends. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 2024.
• Hao L, Sun G, Huang X, Tang R, Jin K, Lai Y, et al. Urbanization alters atmospheric dryness through land evapotranspiration. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. 2023 Dec 1;6(1).
• He K, Li W, Zhang Y, Sun G, McNulty SG, Flanagan NE, et al. Identifying driving hydrogeomorphic factors of coastal wetland downgrading using random forest classification models. The Science of the total environment. 2023 Oct;894:164995.
• Chen P, Li W. Assessing reservoir effect on water quality in the Missouri River basin using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model. River Research and Applications. 2022 Dec 1;38(10):1775u201386.
• Chen P, Li W, He K. Impacts of different types of El Niu00f1o events on water quality over the Corn Belt, United States. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 2022 Oct 6;26(19):4875u201392.
• Shang L, Li W. North China Spring Rainfall and Its Linkage with SST and Atmospheric Circulation. Journal of Climate. 2022 Sep 15;35(18):6151u201360.
• He K, Li W, He R. Variability of Remotely Sensed Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Relation to Climate Indices. Environments - MDPI. 2022 Sep 1;9(9).
• Ng CP, Zhang Q, Li W, Zhou Z. Contribution of Thunderstorms to Changes in Hourly Extreme Precipitation over China from 1980 to 2011. Journal of Climate. 2022 Jul 15;35(14):4485u201398.
• He K, Zhang Y, Li W, Sun G, McNulty S. Detecting Coastal Wetland Degradation by Combining Remote Sensing and Hydrologic Modeling. Forests. 2022 Mar 1;13(3).
• Huang X, Hao L, Sun G, Yang ZL, Li W, Chen D. Urbanization Aggravates Effects of Global Warming on Local Atmospheric Drying. Geophysical Research Letters. 2022 Jan 28;49(2).
• Zhang Y, Li W, Sun G, King J. Coastal Wetland Hydrologic Resilience to Climatic Disturbances: Concept, Quantification, and Threshold Response. In: Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience: Disaster and Social Aspects. 2022. p. 417u201329.
• Liu Y, Zhang C, Tang Q, Hosseini-Moghari SM, Haile GG, Li L, et al. Moisture source variations for summer rainfall in different intensity classes over Huaihe River Valley, China. Climate Dynamics. 2021 Aug 1;57(3u20134):1121u201333.
• Ju C, Cai T, Li W, Sun G, Lei C, Di X, et al. Improving forest burn severity estimations with partial least squares regression and orthogonal signal correction methods in Daxingu2019an Mountains, China. Journal of Forestry Research. 2021 Jun 1;32(3):1157u201365.
• Chen P, Yuan Y, Li W, LeDuc SD, Lark TJ, Zhang X, et al. Assessing the Impacts of Recent Crop Expansion on Water Quality in the Missouri River Basin Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Journal of advances in modeling earth systems. 2021 May;13(6).
• Ng CP, Zhang Q, Li W. Changes in Hourly Extreme Precipitation Over Eastern China From 1970 to 2019 Dominated by Synoptic-Scale Precipitation. Geophysical Research Letters. 2021 Mar 1;48(5).
• Wei Y, Zhang X, Li W, Hou N, Zhang W, Xu J, et al. Trends and Variability of Atmospheric Downward Longwave Radiation Over China From 1958 to 2015. Earth and Space Science. 2021 Feb 1;8(2).
• Haile GG, Tang Q, Li W, Liu X, Zhang X. Drought: Progress in broadening its understanding. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water. 2020 Mar 1;7(2).
• Hao Z, Li W, Singh VP, Xia Y, Zhang X, Hao F. Impact of dependence changes on the likelihood of hot extremes under drought conditions in the United States. Journal of Hydrology. 2020 Feb 1;581.
• Zhao S, Deng Y, Li W. A nonmodal instability perspective of the declining northern midlatitude synoptic variability in boreal summer. Journal of Climate. 2020 Feb 1;33(3):1177u201392.
• Layton JB, Li W, Yuan J, Gilman JP, Horton DB, Setoguchi S. Heatwaves, medications, and heat-related hospitalization in older Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions. PloS one. 2020 Jan;15(12):e0243665.
• Tang Q, Liu Y, Zhang C, Su F, Li Y, Gao Y, et al. Research progress on moisture source change of precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas. Transactions of Atmospheric Sciences. 2020 Jan 1;43(6):1002u20139.
• Wei W, Zhang R, Yang S, Li W, Wen M. Quasi-Biweekly Oscillation of the South Asian High and Its Role in Connecting the Indian and East Asian Summer Rainfalls. Geophysical Research Letters. 2019 Dec 28;46(24):14742u201350.
• Wei W, Zhang R, Wen M, Yang S, Li W. Dynamic effect of the South Asian high on the interannual zonal extension of the western North Pacific subtropical high. International Journal of Climatology. 2019 Nov 30;39(14):5367u201379.
• Zhang W, Zhang X, Li W, Hou N, Wei Y, Jia K, et al. Evaluation of Bayesian multimodel estimation in surface incident shortwave radiation simulation over high latitude areas. Remote Sensing. 2019 Aug 1;11(15).
• Layton JB, Li W, Wang L, Yuan J, Gilman JP, Horton DB, et al. Heatwaves and heat-sensitizing medications in vulnerable older adults. In: PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY. WILEY; 2019. p. 422u20133.
• Wei W, Li W, Deng Y, Yang S. Correction to: Intraseasonal variation of the summer rainfall over the Southeastern United States (Climate Dynamics, (2019), 53, 1-2, (1171-1183), 10.1007/s00382-018-4345-6). Climate Dynamics. 2019 Jul 1;53(1u20132):1185.
• Zhang X, Wang D, Liu Q, Yao Y, Jia K, He T, et al. An Operational Approach for Generating the Global Land Surface Downward Shortwave Radiation Product from MODIS Data. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 2019 Jul 1;57(7):4636u201350.
• Zhang C, Tang Q, Chen D, Van Der Ent RJ, Liu X, Li W, et al. Moisture source changes contributed to different precipitation changes over the northern and southern Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Hydrometeorology. 2019 Feb 1;20(2):217u201329.
• Yuan J, Li W, Kopp R, Deng Y. Response of subtropical stationary waves and hydrological extremes to climate warming in boreal summer. Journal of Climate. 2018 Nov 30;31:10165u201380.
• Zhang Y, Li W, Sun G, King J. Coastal Wetland Resilience to Climate Variability: A Hydrologic Perspective. Journal of Hydrology. 2018 Oct 27;568:275u201384.
• Hao L, Huang X, Qin M, Liu Y, Li W, Sun G. Ecohydrological Processes Explain Urban Dry Island Effects in a Wet Region, Southern China. Water Resources Research. 2018 Sep 23;
• zhang Y, Li W, sun G, Miao G, Noormets A, Emanuel R, et al. Understanding coastal wetland hydrology with a new regional scale process-based hydrologic mode. Hydrological Processes. 2018 Jul 27;
• Wei W, Li W, Deng Y, Yang S. Intraseasonal variation of the summer rainfall over the Southeastern United States. Climate Dynamics. 2018 Jul 6;51:1u201313.
• Zou T, Zhang Q, Li WENHONG, Li J. Responses of Hail and Storm Days to Climate Change in the Tibetan Plateau. Geophysical Research Letters. 2018 Apr 30;
• Zhu J, Sun G, Li W, zhang Y, Miao G, Noormets A, et al. Modeling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the hydrology of selected forested wetlands in the Southeastern United States. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 2017 Oct 29;
• Brown PT, Ming Y, Li W, Hill SA. Change in the magnitude and mechanisms of global temperature variability with warming. Nature Climate Change. 2017 Sep 4;
• Layton JB, Wang L, Li W, Yuan J, Setoguchi S. Heat-Related Outcomes and Medication Use in Older Adults with Heart Failure. In: PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY. WILEY; 2017. p. 185u20136.
• Maxwell RS, Harley GL, Maxwell JT, Rayback SA, Pederson N, Cook ER, et al. An interbasin comparison of tree-ring reconstructed streamflow in the eastern United States. Hydrological Processes. 2017 Jun 30;31(13):2381u201394.
• Wei W, Li W, Deng Y, Yang S, Jiang JH, Huang L, et al. Dynamical and thermodynamical coupling between the North Atlantic subtropical high and the marine boundary layer clouds in boreal summer. Climate Dynamics. 2017 Jun 10;1u201313.
• Zhu J, Sun G, Li W, Zhang Y, Miao G, Noormets A, et al. Modeling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Hydrology of Selected Forested Wetlands in the Southeastern United States. 2017 Apr 18;
• Tang T, Li W, Sun G. Impact of two different types of El Niu00f1o events on runoff over the conterminous United States. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 2016 Jan 15;20:27u201337.
• Li L, Li W, Tang Q, Zhang P, Liu Y. Warm season heavy rainfall events over the Huaihe River Valley and their linkage with wintertime thermal condition of the tropical oceans. Climate Dynamics. 2016 Jan;46(1u20132):71u201382.
• Brown, PT, Lozier S, Zhang R, Li, W. The necessity of cloud feedback for a basin-scale Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Geophysical Research Letters. 2016;
• Li F, Chen D, Tang Q, Li W, Zhang X. Hydrological Response of East China to the Variation of East Asian Summer Monsoon. Advances in Meteorology. 2016;2016:1u201312.
• Brown PT, Li W, Jiang J, Su H. Unforced surface air temperature variability and its contrasting relationship with the anomalous TOA energy flux at local and global spatial scales. Journal of Climate. 2015 Dec 8;
• Yuan J, Li W, Deng Y. Amplified subtropical stationary waves in boreal summer and their implications for regional water extremes. Environmental Research Letters. 2015 Oct 14;10.
• Tang T, Li W, Sun G. Impact of two different types of El Niu00f1o events on runoff over the conterminous United States. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions. 2015 Sep 4;12(9):8977u20139002.
• Li L, Li W, Jin J. Contribution of the North Atlantic subtropical high to regional climate model (RCM) skill in simulating southeastern United States summer precipitation. Climate Dynamics. 2015 Jul 26;45(1u20132):477u201391.
• Li L, Li W. Thermodynamic and dynamic contributions to future changes in regional precipitation variance: focus on the Southeastern United States. Climate Dynamics. 2015 Jul 26;45(1u20132):67u201382.
• Li W, Li, L, Deng, Y. Impact of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation on Tropical Cyclone Activity in the North Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific. Scientific Reports. 2015 Jul 24;5.
• Li, Laifang, Li W, Ballard, Tristan, Ge Sun, Jeuland, Marc. CMIP5 model simulations of Ethiopian Kiremt-season precipitation: current climate and future changes. Climate Dynamics. 2015 Jul;46(9u201310):2883u201395.
• Gao, H, Zhang, S, Fu, R, Li, W, Dickinson, RE. Interannual variation of the surface temperature of tropical forests from satellite observations. Advances in Meteorology. 2015 May 17;2016.
• u25e6Brown, P.T., W. Li, E.C. Cordero, S.A. Mauget. Comparing the Model-Simulated Global Warming Signal to Observations Using Empirical Estimates of Unforced Noise. Scientific Reports. 2015 Apr 21;5.
• Brown, PT, W. Li, S Xie. Regions of Significant Influence on Unforced Global Mean Surface Temperature Variability in Climate Models. Journal of Geophysical Research u2013 Atmospheres. 2015;
• Park TW, Deng Y, Li W, Yang S, Cai M. Mass footprints of the north pacific atmospheric blocking highs. Journal of Climate. 2015 Jan 1;28(12):4941u20139.
• Li L, Li W, Jin J. Improvements in WRF simulation skills of southeastern United States summer rainfall: physical parameterization and horizontal resolution. Climate Dynamics. 2014 Oct;43(7u20138):2077u201391.
• Brown PT, Li W, Li L, Ming Y. Top-of-atmosphere radiative contribution to unforced decadal global temperature variability in climate models. Geophysical Research Letters. 2014 Jul 28;41(14):5175u201383.
• Yin L, Fu R, Zhang YF, Arias PA, Nelun Fernando D, Li W, et al. What controls the interannual variation of the wet season onsets over the amazon? Journal of Geophysical Research. 2014 Mar 16;119(5):2314u201328.
• Wuebbles D, Meehl G, Hayhoe K, Karl TR, Kunkel K, Santer B, et al. CMIP5 Climate Model Analyses: Climate Extremes in the United States. The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 2014;
• Li W, Li L, Fu R, Deng Y, Wang H. Comments on 'Influences of the Bermuda High and atmospheric moistening on changes in summer rainfall in the Atlanta, Georgia region, USA'. International Journal of Climatology. 2013 Nov 30;33(14):3083u20135.
• Li W, Li L, Ting M, Deng Y, Kushnir Y, Liu Y, et al. Intensification of the Southern Hemisphere summertime subtropical anticyclones in a warming climate. Geophysical Research Letters. 2013 Nov 28;40(22):5959u201364.
• Li W, Li L, Fu R, Deng Y, Wang H. Reply to "Comments on 'Changes to the North Atlantic Subtropical High and Its Role in the Intensification of Summer Rainfall Variability in the Southeastern United States'". JOURNAL OF CLIMATE. 2013;26(2):683u20138.
• Ye J, Li W, Li L, Zhang F. "North drying and south wetting" summer precipitation trend over China and its potential linkage with aerosol loading. Atmospheric Research. 2013;125u2013126:12u20139.
• Li L, Li W. Southeastern United States summer rainfall framework and its implication for seasonal prediction. Environmental Research Letters. 2013 Jan 1;8(4).
• Jiang T, Deng Y, Li W. Local kinetic energy budget of high-frequency and intermediate-frequency eddies: winter climatology and interannual variability. Climate Dynamics. 2013;1u201316.
• Fu R, Yin L, Li W, Arias PA, Dickinson RE, Huang L, et al. Increased dry-season length over southern Amazonia in recent decades and its implication for future climate projection. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2013;110(45):18110u20135.
• Li L, Li W, Deng Y. Summer rainfall variability over the Southeastern United States in the 21st century as assessed by the CMIP5 Models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2013;118:340u201354.
• Li L, Li W, Kushnir Y. Variation of the North Atlantic subtropical high western ridge and its implication to Southeastern US summer precipitation. Climate Dynamics. 2012;39(6):1401u201312.
• Jiang T, Deng Y, Li W. Local kinetic energy budget of high-frequency and intermediate-frequency eddies: winter climatology, subseasonal variability and ENSO impact. Climate Dynamics (Submitted). Climate Dynamics. 2012;
• Li W, Li L, Fu R, Deng Y, Wang H. Comments on u201cInfluences of the Bermuda High and atmospheric moistening on changes in summer rainfall in the Atlanta, Georgia region, USAu201d (Accepted). International Journal of Climatology. 2012;
• Li W, Li L, Ting M, Liu Y. Intensification of Northern Hemisphere subtropical highs in a warming climate. Nature Geoscience. 2012;5(11):830u20134.
• Li W, Zhang P, Ye J, Li L, Baker PA. Impact of two different types of El Niu00f1o events on the Amazon climate and ecosystem productivity. Journal of Plant Ecology. 2011;4(1u20132):91u20139.
• Li L, Li W, Barros AP. Atmospheric moisture budget and its regulation of the summer precipitation variability over the Southeastern United States (Submitted). Climate Dynamics. 2011;
• Arias PA, Fu R, Hoyos CD, Li W, Zhou L. Changes in cloudiness over the Amazon rainforests during the last two decades: Diagnostic and potential causes. Climate Dynamics. 2011;37(5):1151u201364.
• Li W, Li L, Fu R, Deng Y, Wang H. Changes to the North Atlantic subtropical high and its role in the intensification of summer rainfall variability in the southeastern United States. Journal of Climate. 2011;24(5):1499u2013506.
• Arias P, Fu R, Hoyos CD, Li W, Zhou L. Changes in cloudiness during the last two decades over the Amazon forests. Climate Dynamics. 2010;
• Wang H, Fu R, Kumar A, Li W. Intensification of summer rainfall variability in the southeastern United States during recent decades. Journal of Hydrometeorology. 2010;11(4):1007u201318.
• Wu GX, Liu Y, Zhu X, Li W, Ren R, Duan A, et al. Multi-scale forcing and the formation of subtropical desert and monsoon. Annales Geophysicae. 2009 Dec 1;27(9):3631u201344.
• Negru00f3n Juu00e1rez RI, Li W, Fu R, Fernandes K, Cardoso A. Comparison of precipitation dataset over tropical lands. Journal of Hydrometeorology. 2009 Feb;
• Juu00e1rez RIN, Li W, Fernandes K, Cardoso ADO. Comparison of precipitation data sets over the tropical South American and African continents. Journal of Hydrometeorology. 2009;10(1):289u201399.
• Malhi Y, Roberts JT, Betts RA, Killeen TJ, Li W, Nobre CA. Climate Change, deforestation and the fate of the Amazon. Science. 2008;319(5860):169u201372.
• Li W, Fu R, Juu00e1rez RIN, Fernandes K. Observed change of the standardized precipitation index, its potential cause and implications to future climate change in the Amazon region. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2008;363(1498):1767u201372.
• Li W, Dickinson RE, Fu R, Niu GY, Yang ZL, Canadell JG. Future precipitation changes and their implications for tropical peatlands. Geophysical Research Letters. 2007;34(1).
• Nakamura K, Tanaka H, Hiyama T, Shinoda T, Endo T, Li W. Seasonal change of the atmospheric boundary layer over Huaihe River basin in China. Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. 2006 Dec 1;6404.
• Li W, Fu R. Influence of cold air intrusions on the wet season onset over Amazonia. Journal of Climate. 2006;19(1):257u201375.
• Li W, Fu R, Dickinson RE. Rainfall and its seasonality over the Amazon in the 21st century as assessed by the coupled models for the IPCC AR4. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2006;111(2).
• Fu R, Li W. Influence of land surface on transition from dry to wet season in Amazonia. Theoretical & Applied Climatology. 2004;78(1u20133):97u2013110.
• Li W, Fu R. Transition of the large-scale atmospheric and land surface conditions from the dry to the wet season over Amazonia as diagnosed by the ECMWF re-analysis. Journal of Climate. 2004;17(13):2637u201351.
• Li W, Zou T, Li L, Deng Y, Sun V, Zhang Q, et al. Impacts of the North Atlantic Subtropical High on Interannual Variation of Summertime Heat Stress over the Conterminous United States. Climate Dynamics.
• Zheng J, Sun G, Li W, Gong Y, Tu L. Impacts of land use change and climate variations on annual inflow into Miyun Reservoir,Beijing, China. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci,. 20:1561u201372.
• Brown P, Li W, Jiang J, Su H. Spread in the magnitude of climate model interdecadal global temperature variability traced to disagreements over high-latitude oceans. Geophysical Research Letters.
• Patton E, Li W, Ward A, Doyle M. Wet bulb globe temperature from climate model outputs: a method for projecting hourly site-specific values and trends. International Journal of Biometeorology.

In The News

• Nicholas Faculty Advise on North Carolina Climate Change Report (Mar 12, 2020 | Nicholas School of the Environment)
• More Wet and Dry Weather Extremes Projected with Global Warming (Oct 5, 2018 | Nicholas School of the Environment)
• Warmer world may bring more local, less global, temperature variability (Sep 5, 2017 | ScienceDaily)
• WARMER WORLD MAY BRING MORE LOCAL, LESS GLOBAL, TEMPERATURE VARIABILITY (Sep 5, 2017 | ScienceNewsLine)
• Climate variability: Picking apart climate models (Sep 4, 2017 | Nature)
• WARMER WORLD MAY BRING MORE LOCAL, LESS GLOBAL, TEMPERATURE VARIABILITY (Sep 4, 2017 | )
• Greenhouse gases fuelling long-term global warming (Feb 9, 2016 | )
• Study confirms global warming not driven by natural forces (Feb 2, 2016 | )
• Duke-NASA study confirms global temperature does not rise or fall chaotically in long run (Feb 2, 2016 | )
• LONG-TERM GLOBAL WARMING REQUIRES EXTERNAL DRIVERS (Feb 2, 2016 | )
• Global warming not driven by natural forces: study (Feb 2, 2016 | )
• Did the climate spin out of control on its own? (Feb 2, 2016 | )
• Global Warming is Stable: Scientists (Feb 2, 2016 | )
• Climate Avenger Wenhong Li: The Water Watcher (Aug 23, 2015 | )
• Duke study finds 'natural variability' impacts global warming (Apr 22, 2015 | WNCN)
• Temperature records study shows climate models underestimate magnitude of natural climate wiggles (Apr 22, 2015 | Science 2.0)
• Global Warming More Moderate Than Worst-Case Models (Apr 21, 2015 | )
• Study analyzes variability of climate models (Jan 28, 2015 | Environmental News Network)
• Framework Could Improve Southeast Rainfall Forecasts (Nov 20, 2013 | Duke Today)
• News Tip: Experts Available to Comment on U.N. Climate Conference (Nov 11, 2013 | )