Hongmei Li

Dr. Hongmei Li is a Research Scientist at Hereon (Hamburg, Germany) since 2024, focusing on Earth system modeling and the global carbon cycle. Previously, she held research positions at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (2009–2023) and earned her Ph.D. in Meteorology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2007–2009). Her research emphasizes disentangling natural climate variability from anthropogenic impacts using large Earth system model ensembles, improving ocean carbon uptake predictions through high-resolution modeling and observational initialization.

Her educational background includes a B.Sc. in Atmospheric Science from Sun Yat-sen University (2000–2004), an M.Sc. in Meteorology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2004–2007), and a Ph.D. in Meteorology (2007–2009) with a thesis on East Asian summer monsoon dynamics. She also spent 2007–2008 as a visiting scholar at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (Boulder, USA).

Research interests include global carbon cycle processes, climate predictability, ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the impacts of anthropogenic perturbations on Earth system dynamics. Her work frequently employs ensemble modeling and high-resolution simulations to address uncertainties in climate projections and carbon sink behavior.

Key contributions include studies on decadal trends in ocean carbon uptake, the role of Rossby waves in biogeochemical predictability, and the influence of cleaner air on High Mountain Asia precipitation regimes. Collaborations span international initiatives like CMIP6 and CovidMIP, focusing on multi-model framework analyses and pandemic-driven emission changes.

Dr. Li has advised no explicitly listed students but contributes to large collaborative projects involving global research teams. Her work is supported by grants enabling high-performance computing resources for Earth system modeling. She is affiliated with the Institute of Oceanography and contributes to initiatives like the Global Carbon Budget assessment.