Xueke Li

Xueke Li is a Research Associate at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences in the Department of Earth & Environmental Science. She is affiliated with the Mann Research Group and serves as an Associate Editor for Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, and as an Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports. Her work focuses on advancing the physical understanding of climate variability and extremes using multi-source datasets, remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, and computational Earth system modeling.

Dr. Li earned her Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Connecticut (2015-2019), an M.S. in Cartography and Geographic Information System from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2011-2014), and a B. Eng. in Earth Science and Engineering from Taiyuan University of Technology (2007-2011).

Her research interests center on extreme weather/climate phenomena, particularly heatwaves and their associated drivers, mechanisms, and impacts. She investigates atmospheric circulation patterns including planetary wave resonance, with applications ranging from densely populated regions affected by mid-latitude weather extremes to remote polar environments undergoing rapid sea ice loss. Her work at the intersections of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and land surface has produced significant findings about how climate change is reshaping weather patterns globally.

Dr. Li's publication record demonstrates consistent advancement in understanding climate extremes, with a notable recent paper in PNAS (2025) showing that planetary wave resonance events have tripled since 1950, rising from about 1 event per year to 3 events per year, with this increase tied to polar amplification of warming and increased land/ocean thermal contrast from human-caused climate change.

• American Geophysical Union (AGU) member (2016 - present)
• American Association of Geographers (AAG) member (2016 - 2018)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) member (2016)

Prior to joining Penn, Dr. Li was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University. Her research has been published in high-impact journals including PNAS, with findings that inform our understanding of how a warming planet is reshaping atmospheric circulation and increasing the risk of destructive weather patterns worldwide.