School of Energy and Environment

Prof. Tanghua LI

PhD in Geophysics, University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Assistant Professor
(Joint appointment with Department of Data Science)

Prof. Tanghua Li has joined City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) as an Assistant Professor, with a joint appointment in the Department of Data Science (DS) and the School of Energy and Environment (SEE). He obtained his PhD in Geophysics from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and then joined Nanyang Technological University (NTU), where he was a Senior Research Fellow before joining CityUHK. Prof. Li has published over 35 peer-reviewed papers and delivered more than 10 invited talks at international conferences and leading academic institutions. He also serves on the Springer Nature Editorial Board and as the Secretary of the Ocean Sciences Section within the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS).

Research Interests

Prof. Li’s research focuses on climate and sea-level change across various spatial and temporal scales, such as the interactions among ice sheets, the ocean, and the solid Earth (i.e., Glacial Isostatic Adjustment, GIA) and their lasting impacts on the Earth system. He applies physics-based numerical models and statistical approaches to uncover the mechanisms driving sea-level change. His work integrates geological proxy data, ground-based instrumental measurements, and satellite observations to constrain these models and improve our understanding of vertical land motion, sea-level projections, and associated coastal hazards. Additionally, he is interested in interdisciplinary studies of climate and sea-level change impacts, aiming to understand how coastlines, ecosystems, and coastal communities have responded – and will respond to past, present, and future sea-level change. His key research interests include:

  • Dynamic responses of the solid Earth to external loading (e.g., ice sheets, sediments, buildings)
  • Mechanisms driving relative sea-level change
  • Sea-level change impacts
  • 3-dimensional (i.e., 3D) Earth rheological structure
  • Ice sheet reconstruction and GIA model development
  • Geoscience data, data mining, and AI for climate and sea level

Positions Available

Prof. Li is recruiting talented graduate students, research assistants/associates, and postdoctoral fellows to join his group. Candidates should have good communication skills in English and experience in data analysis, scientific programming (e.g., Python, Fortran, MATLAB), and academic writing.

PhD candidates:
Potential graduate students are welcome to contact Prof. Li at Tanghua.LI@cityu.edu.hk with their CV, transcripts, and publications (if applicable). Candidates with a strong background in physics, math, numerical simulation, or data mining are preferred. Please visit here for information on applying for graduate studies and postgraduate studentship at CityUHK, and refer to the English proficiency requirements of SEE (here) and DS(here). Applicants will have to go through a centralized admission process through CityUHK with Prof. Li’s recommendation. Outstanding candidates are highly recommended to apply for  Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS).

Postdoctoral Fellows:
Candidates should have first-author peer-reviewed scientific publications and be capable of conducting independent research under the supervision of Prof. Li. Candidates are expected to demonstrate strong motivation, high resilience, and productivity, with good oral and written communication skills in English. Competitive salary and benefits will be offered, along with funding to support academic visits and attendance at international conferences.

Interested applicants are invited to submit their CV and a one-page cover letter to Prof. Li at Tanghua.LI@cityu.edu.hk. The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until all positions are filled.

City University of Hong Kong is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to the principle of diversity. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, especially applicants who will enhance the diversity of our staff.

Selected Publications

  1. Li, T.*, Handoko, E.Y., Peng, D., Xu, J., Samanta, D., Ng, T., Switzer, A.D., & Horton, B.P. An assessment of seasonal and extreme sea-level variability in the Indonesian Seas derived from new tide-gauge records. In revision in Geoscience Letters.
  2. Li, T.* Sea-level change in Asia since the Last Glacial Maximum (book chapter). In: Advancements in coastal hazards research in Asia: Identifying hazards, managing risk (in review).
  3. Ramos, R.D.,Li, T., Morgan, K.M. Paleorecords inform the limits of Indo Pacific coral reef survival amidst accelerating sea-level rise. In revision inNature Communications. 
  4. Qin, Y., Li, T., Nordsvan, A.R., Lin, Y., Peng, D., Yu, H., Tian, L., Nahm, W.H., Mukherjee, U., McKenzie, R., Khan, N.S. Anthropogenic land-use changes rival natural drivers in contemporary sea-level across the Bohai and Yellow Seas. In revision in Communications Earth & Environment.
  5. Tan, F., Khan, N.S.,Li, T., Brain, M.J., Dommain, R., Upton, M., Ramdzan, K.N., Shaw, T., Majewski, J., Joyse, K., Chan, N., Wee, S., Wee, B., Yu, H., Gischler, E., Engelhart, S.E., Switzer, A., Fann, T.Y., Horton, B.P. Mangrove archive tracks ~8200 yrs of relative sea-level rise in Belize, Central America. In revision in Communications Earth & Environment.
  6. Brandes, C., Steffen, H., Steffen, R., Li, T. Wu, P. Effects of the last Quaternary glacial forebulge on vertical land movement, sea-level change, and lithospheric stresses. Reviews of Geophysics,63, e2024RG000852. org/10.1029/2024RG000852
  7. Li, T.*, García-Artola, A.,Shaw, T.A., Peng, D., Walker, J.S.., Cearreta, A. & Horton, B.P., 2024. Vertical land motion component is underestimated in sea-level projections from northern Spain.Scientific Reports 14, 31302.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82692-1
  8. Chua, C.T., Otake, T.,Li, T., Cheng, A.C., Qiu, Q., Li, L., Suppasri, A., Imamura, F. and Switzer, A.D., 2024. An approach to assessing tsunami risk to the global port network under rising sea levels. npj Natural Hazards, 1(1), pp.1-13. org/10.1038/s44304-024-00039-2
  9. Li, T.*, Chua, S., Tan, F., Khan, N. S., Shaw, T., Majewski, J., Meltzner, A., Switzer, A.D., Wu, P. & Horton, B.P., 2023. Glacial Isostatic Adjustment modelling of the mid-Holocene sea-level highstand of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 319, 108332. org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108332
  10. Shaw, T.A.,Li, T., Ng, T., Cahill, N., Chua, S., Majewski, J.M., Nathan, Y., Garner, G.G., Kopp, R.E., Hanebuth, T.J., Switzer, A.D. and Horton, B.P., 2023. Deglacial perspectives of future sea level for Singapore.Communications Earth & Environment, 4(1), p.204. org/10.1038/s43247-023-00868-5
  11. Kim, H.L.,Li, T., Kalsi, N.,Nguyen, H.T., Shaw, T.A., Ang, K.C., Cheng, K.C., Ratan, A., Peltier, W.R., Samanta, D., Pratapneni, M., Schuster, S.C. and Horton, B.P, 2023. Prehistoric human migration between Sundaland and South Asia was driven by sea-level rise. Communications Biology 6, 150.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04510-0
  12. Li, T.*, Khan, N.S., Baranskaya, A.V., Shaw, T.A., Peltier, W.R., Stuhne, G.R., Wu, P. and Horton, B.P., 2022. Influence of 3D Earth Structure on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment in the Russian Arctic.Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth,127(3), p.e2021JB023631. org/10.1029/2021JB023631
  13. Li, T.*, Wu, P., Wang, H., Steffen, H., Khan, N.S., Engelhart, S.E., Vacchi, M., Shaw, T.A., Peltier, W.R. and Horton, B.P., 2020. Uncertainties of glacial isostatic adjustment model predictions in North America associated with 3D structure.Geophysical Research Letters,47(10), p.e2020GL087944.org/10.1029/2020GL087944
  14. Li, T.*and Wu, P., 2019. Laterally heterogeneous lithosphere, asthenosphere and sub-lithospheric properties under Laurentia and Fennoscandia from Glacial Isostatic Adjustment.Geophysical Journal International, 216(3), pp.1633-1647. org/10.1093/gji/ggy475
  15. Li, T., Wu, P., Wang, H., Jia, L. and Steffen, H., 2018. Hydrology signal from GRACE gravity data in the Nelson River basin, Canada: a comparison of two approaches.Earth, Planets and Space,70(1), pp.1-13. org/10.1186/s40623-018-0804-x
  16. Li, T., Wu, P., Steffen, H. and Wang, H., 2018. In search of laterally heterogeneous viscosity models of glacial isostatic adjustment with the ICE-6G_C global ice history model.Geophysical Journal International,214(2), pp.1191-1205. org/10.1093/gji/ggy181

Photo_LI Tanghua_b
Contact Information
Office: YEUNG-B5428
Phone: +(852)-3442-7099
Fax: +(852)-3442-0688
Email: tanghua.li@cityu.edu.hk
Web: https://sites.google.com/view/tanghuali/home
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tanghua-Li?ev=hdr_xprf
Google Scholar:
 https://scholar.google.com.sg/citations?user=vw_y3CEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanghua-li-a671bb266
Research Interests
  • Dynamic responses of the solid Earth to external loading (e.g., ice sheets, sediments, buildings)
  • Mechanisms driving relative sea-level change
  • Sea-level change impacts
  • 3-dimensional (i.e., 3D) Earth rheological structure
  • Ice sheet reconstruction and GIA model development
  • Geoscience data, data mining, and AI for climate and sea level

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