Li’s study, “Emergent Trends Complicate the Interpretation of the United States Drought Monitor,” was published in AGU Advances in 2024. The work examined how often drought-relevant variables, such as precipitation, runoff, or soil moisture, reached USDM-defined thresholds since 2000.
“The Climate Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers is the main society of climate scientists within the AAG,” Li said. “I feel truly honored to receive their Paper of the Year Award. To me, this recognition means that my work is valued by the climate research community — a community I’m passionate about being part of. This research was also a team effort, so the award reflects the collaborative work that made the paper possible.”
Li’s research shows that in various regions across the United States, especially in the American West, USDM drought classes have occurred more frequently than predefined thresholds suggest they should be, meaning climate changes are apparent in the USDM itself.
“The essential problem is that climate change alters the baseline conditions used for monitoring,” Li said. “We wanted to explore whether emerging trends in temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and runoff are making it difficult to interpret the USDM, a weekly map that tracks drought intensity at a national scale.”
Li hopes to develop a framework that brings scientists and stakeholders together to co-produce improved drought monitoring and management strategies in a changing climate.
Li will be honored for the award at the annual CSG Business Meeting in Detroit March 26.