General

Li Mingxing   

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Email: limx@tea.ac.cn

Telephone: 010-82995316

Address: No. 81 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, P. O. Box 9804, Beijing 100029, P. R. China

Postcode: 100029

Research Areas

Land surface model development, terrestrial hydrological processes, land-atmosphere interactions, and climate change impacts


Key Achievements:


  • Advanced the representation of soil water dynamics through novel parameterizations of soil porosity and 2D groundwater flow processes
  • Constructed high-resolution atmospheric forcing datasets and optimized land parameterizations for land surface models
  • Uncovered the climatic mechanisms driving aridification in China's dry-wet transition zones, revealing feedback loops between soil moisture memory, land-atmosphere coupling strength, and semi-arid region expansion
  • Established interdisciplinary frameworks linking land processes, ecosystem services, and socio-economic sustainability to support regional climate adaptation strategies

Publications & Impact:


  • Authored/co-authored 29 peer-reviewed papers in Web of Science Core Collection journals, including one Highly Cited Paper (top 1% in Geosciences, November/December 2023)


Awards & Honors:


  • First Prize, Henan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award (2017)
  • First Prize, Yellow River Conservancy Commission Science and Technology Progress Award (2016)
  • Science and Technology Innovation Contribution Award, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2022)

Education

2007.9 -2010.7     Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,  Ph.D. 

2004.9-2007.7     Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences,  M.S. 

1996.9-2000.7     Shenyang Agricultural University,  B.S.

Experience

2024.1 -Now   Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Full professor

2013.5 -2024.1 Institute of Atmospheric Physics,   Associate professor

2010.7 -2013.5 Institute of Atmospheric Physics,   Assistant professor

2018.3 -2019.3 Met Office Hadlay Centre UK,       Visiting scientist

2012.3 -2013.3 The University of Texas at Austin, Post doctoral

2000.7 -2004.9 Langfang meteorological bureau of Hebei province, Engineer

Publications

  1. LI M X, MA, Z G, WU, P L, LIU, J D. 2024. Climate Change reshapes bioclimatic environments in China’s dry‒wet transition zones. Journal of Hydrology, 634, 131122, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131122.

  2. LI M X, MA, Z G, WU, P L, LIU, J D. 2022. Prominent vegetation greening in spring and autumn across China during the 1981–2018 period. Environmental Research Letters. 17, 124043.

  3. LI M X, MA, Z G, WU, P L, LIU, J D, LV, M X, et al. 2022. Ecological response to climate change across China from combined soil temperature and moisture changes. Earth and Space Science, 9(12), e2022EA002640.

  4. LI M X, WU P L, MA Z G, LV M X et al. 2022. The decline in the groundwater table depth over the past four decades in China simulated by the Noah-MP land model. Journal of Hydrology, 607, 127551.

  5. LI M X, WU P L, MA Z G, PAN Z H, et al. 2021. The increasing role of vegetation transpiration in soil moisture loss across China under global warming. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 23(2), 253-274.

  6. LI M X, WU P L, SEXTON D M H, et al. 2021. Potential shifts in climate zones under a future global warming scenario using soil moisture classification. Climate Dynamics, 56(7-8), 2071-2092.

  7. LI M X, WU P L, MA Z G, et al. 2020. Changes in soil moisture persistence in China over the past 40 years under a warming climate. Journal of Climate, 33: 9531-9550.

  8. LI M X, WU P L, MA Z G 2020. A comprehensive evaluation of soil moisture and soil temperature from third‐generation atmospheric and land reanalysis data sets. International Journal of Climatology, 40: 5744-5766.

  9. LI M X, MA Z G 2018. Decadal changes in summer precipitation over arid northwest China and associated atmospheric circulations. International Journal of Climatology, 38: 4496-4508.

  10. LI M X, MA Z G, LV M X 2017. Variability of modeled runoff over China and its links to climate change. Climatic Change, 144: 433-445.

  11. LI M X, MA Z G, GU H P, et al. 2017. Production of a combined land surface data set and its use to assess land-atmosphere coupling in China. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 122: 948-965.

  12. LI M X, MA Z G 2015. Sensible and latent heat flux variability and response to dry-wet soil moisture zones across China. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 154: 157-170.

  13. LI M X, MA Z G 2015. Soil moisture drought detection and multi-temporal variability across China. Science China-Earth Sciences, 58: 1798-1813.

  14. LI M X, MA Z G 2013. Soil moisture-based study of the variability of dry-wet climate and climate zones in China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 58: 531-544.

  15. LI M X, MA Z G, NIU G Y 2011. Modeling spatial and temporal variations in soil moisture in China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 56: 1809-1820.

  16. LI M X, MA Z G, DU J W 2010. Regional soil moisture simulation for Shaanxi Province using SWAT model validation and trend analysis. Science China-Earth Sciences, 53: 575-590.

  17. LI M X, MA Z G 2010. Comparisons of simulations of soil moisture variations in the Yellow River basin driven by various atmospheric forcing data sets. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 27: 1289-1302.

  18. LI M X, MA Z G 2013. Spatial and temporal variability of water availability in the Yellow River basin. Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, 6: 191-196.

  19. ZHANG S Y, LI M X信封 轮廓, MA Z G, et al. 2023. The intensification of flash droughts across China from 1981 to 2021. Climate Dynamics, 1-15. Doi: 10.1007/s00382-023-06980-8

  20. ZHANG X, LI M X信封 轮廓, MA Z G, et al. 2019. Assessment of an evapotranspiration deficit drought index in relation to impacts on ecosystems. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 36: 1273-1287.

  21. Li, Z Y, Yang Q, Ma Z G, Wu P L, Duan Y W, Li M X, and Zheng Z Y. 2024. Aridification and Its Impacts on Terrestrial Hydrology and Ecosystems over a Comprehensive Transition Zone in China. Journal of Climate, 37: 1651-1666

  22. YANG Q, LI M X, ZU Z Q, and MA Z G, 2021: Has the stilling of the surface wind speed ended in China. Science China Earth Sciences, Doi: 10.1007/s11430-020-9738-4.

  23. LV M X, MA Z G, LI M X, et al. 2019. Quantitative analysis of terrestrial water storage changes under the Grain for Green Program in the Yellow River basin. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 124: 1336-1351.

  24. YANG Q, LI M X, ZHENG Z Y, et al. 2017. Regional applicability of seven meteorological drought indices in China. Science China-Earth Sciences, 60: 745-760.

  25. LV M X, MA Z G, YUAN X, Lv M Z, Li M X et al. 2017. Water budget closure based on GRACE measurements and reconstructed evapotranspiration using GLDAS and water use data for two large densely-populated mid-latitude basins. Journal of Hydrology, 547: 585-599.

  26. ZHENG Z Y, MA Z G, LI M X, et al. 2016. Regional water budgets and hydroclimatic trend variations in Xinjiang from 1951 to 2000. Climatic Change, 144: 1-14.

  27. YING K R, ZHAO T B, ZHENG X G, QUAN X W, FREDERIKSEN C S, LI M X. 2016. Predictable signals in seasonal mean soil moisture simulated with observation-based atmospheric forcing over China. Climate Dynamics, 47: 2373-2395.

  28. GU H P, MA Z G, LI M X 2016. Effect of a large and very shallow lake on local summer precipitation over the Lake Taihu basin in China. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 121: 8832-8848.

  29. Wang A H, Chen Y, Li M X, Gao Y H, & Ma X. (2025). A review of soil moisture data in China: definition, sources, and applications in hydrometeorology research. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0197.1.

Research Grants

  1. National Natural Science Foundation of China - Youth Project, ”Aridification in the northern China and its effects on regional carbon budgets”，Grant No, 41105048， 2012-2014，PI

  2. National Natural Science Foundation of China - General Program, ”Soil water-groundwater exchanges and their effects on vegetation ecosystem over dry-wet transition zone in China”，Grant No, 41575087, 2016.1-2019.12. PI.

  3. National Natural Science Foundation of China - General Program, “Intensifying variability in groundwater in northern China and the effects on eco-climatic environment”，Grant No, 41875082, 2019.1-2019.12. PI.

  4. National Natural Science Foundation of China - General Program, “Understanding of terrestrial water cycles with climate change and the risk of aridification in drylands in China”, Grant No, 42075171, 2021.1-2024.12. PI.

  5. National Natural Science Foundation of China - General Program, “Uncertainty in Water Limitation of Vegetation Productivity and AI-Physics Hybrid Scheme in Land Surface Models”, Grant No, 42575178, 2026.1-2029.12. PI.

  6. National Natural Science Foundation of China - Key Project, “Mechanisms of terrestrial dry-wet changes in Northern China under climate change and human activities”，Grant No, 42130613, 2022.1-2026.12. subproject PI

  7. National Key R&D Program of China, “Anthropogenic and natural processes coupling in a regional Earth system model”，Grant No, 2023YFF0805501, 2023.12-2028.11，subproject PI

  8. National Natural Science Foundation of China - General Program, “Climate and hydrological effects of reforestation on the Loess Plateau”, Grant No, 41275085， 2013.1-2016.12，Participation

  9. National Key R&D Program of China, “Development and application of a high-resolution regional Earth system model” Grant No, 2018YFA0606002, 2018.5-2023.4，subproject PI

  10. National Basic Research Program of China, “Decadal Climate Change and Its Effects in Global Typical Arid and Semi-arid Regions”, Grant No, 2012CB956200. 2012.1-2016.8，subproject PI

  11. National Program on Key Basic Research Project（973 Program）, “Impacts of climate change on water cycle and water resources in monsoon East China”, Grant No, 2010CB428404, 2010.1－2014.12，Participation

  12. National Key Technology Research and Development Program, “Development and application of global medium-term numerical prediction technology”, Grant No, 2012BAC22B00, 2012.1-2016.12. subproject PI

  13. National Key Technology Research and Development Program, ”Principle and technology of drought monitoring and water resources allocation in the Yellow River basin”，Grant No, 2013BAC10B02, 2013.1-2015.12. Participation

  14. China Special Fund for Meteorological Research in the Public Interest- Major Project, “Drought meteorology-the process and mechanism of drought disaster in northern China” Grant No, GYHY201506001. 2015-2018. subproject PI

  15. China Special Fund for Meteorological Research in the Public Interest, “Soil moisture estimation and soil moisture impacts on agriculture in China”, Grant No, GYHY201106028， 2011.1-2013.12，Participation

  16. Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, ”Large-scale land use change and its impacts on climate in semiarid region in China”, Grant No, KZCX2-EW-202. 2011.1-2013.12. subproject PI