Hongmei Li, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology

Bundesstrasse 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany

Tel: +49 40 41173 415

Email: hongmei.li@hereon.de

My bio and research interests

Born at 342ppm in Sichuan, China. My major research focus is on understanding the processes in regulating variations and predictability of the global carbon cycle and climate in the context of the Earth system. I am using large ensemble simulations based on Earth system models to disentangle the internal variability from the variability generated by anthropogenic perturbations. In the meanwhile, I pursue to improve the near-term predictions of the global carbon cycle and relevant processes by initializing the Earth system models with observations and by improving the representation of meso-scale processes with high resolution models.

My selected research highlights

Li et al. 2023, ESD

For the first time, our decadal prediction system enables prognostic atmospheric CO2 with an interactive carbon cycle. The evolution of CO2 fluxes and atmospheric CO2 growth is well reconstructed and can be predicted into the next year with high confidence. esd.copernicus.org/articles/14/101/2023/

Li et al. 2019, Sci. Adv.

We found the predictive skill of the global ocean carbon sink up to 2 years with a longer predictability horizon regionally, which is maintained by the nonthermal drivers of the ocean surface pCO2. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aav6471

Li et al. 2016, Nat. Comm.

As the first study in the world on decadal prediction of the ocean carbon uptake, we revealed a predictive skill of 4-7 years in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre region. The predictive skill is mainly maintained in winter and is attributed to the improved physical state of the ocean. www.nature.com/articles/ncomms11076