Zheng-Hua Li

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Research Interest

My current research investigates high-resolution paleoclimate variability and seasonality in southeastern United States using complementary multiple paleoclimate proxies from various terrestrial archives including speleothems, tree rings, soil organic matter, and organic molecular compounds.  I particularly focus my interest on the paleoclimate reconstruction in certain time windows, e.g., middle Holocene Warm Period, the transition of the last glacial to Holocene, as well as abrupt climate events, e.g., the Y.D., the 8.2ka, and the climate-human interaction. I have initialized to utilize tree-ring isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O and δ²H) to detect mountain glacial meltwater signals in the Wind River Range of Wyoming (WRR) which hosts seven of the 10 largest glaciers in the continental United States. This study aims to understand climate change impacts on glacier volume variability and stream discharge, and assess the lifetime of these glacials. Isotopic and elemental characteristics of human bone, teeth and hair have been demonstrated as useful biomarkers for forensic anthropologists and criminal investigators. These biomarkers trace locations and movements of the individuals and aid in the identification of human remains.  As a collaborative research, I have been conducting multiple isotopes (carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen) and trace elements study in modern human bone, teeth and hair from the William Bass Donated Skeletal Collection (WBDSC), the Maxwell Museum Documented Skeletal Collection and the Texas State University-San Marcos Forensic Research Facility. The fulfillment of this project will provide forensic anthropologists and criminal investigators a comparative database to trace locations and movements of the individuals and aid in the identification of human remains for forensic anthropologists and criminal investigators. In addition, I have been actively involved in K-12 education to promote science awareness for our local community schools by working a numbers of local high school and middle teachers and students to carry out various science projects in the Stable Isotope Lab.

Research Projects (ongoing)

Li, Zheng-Hua (PI/PD), Steve G. Driese (co-PI), Sally P. Horn (co-PI). Pleistocene-Holocene climate variability of the southern Appalachian region, southeastern U.S. ($390,918, NSF, Oct.1, 2009-Sept.30, 2012)

Herrmann, N. P., (PI), Zheng-Hua Li (co-PI). Isotopic and elemental analysis of the William Bass Donated Skeletal Collection and other modern donated collections. ($687,424, NIJ, Jan.1, 2009-Dec.31, 2011)

Publications

Driese, S.G., Zheng-Hua Li, and McKay, L.D. 2008. Evidence for high-frequency mid-Holocene climate changes derived from two soil profiles along an alluvial floodplain catena, southeastern Tennessee, USA: Quaternary Research, v. 69, p. 276-291.

Driese, S.G., K.H. Orvis, S. P. Horn, Zheng-Hua Li, D.S. Jennings. 2007. Paleosol evidence for Quaternary uplift and for climate and ecosystem changes in the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology , doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.11.013.

Li, Zheng-Hua, Steven W. Leavitt , Claudia I. Mora, Rong-Mo Liu. 2005. Influence of earlywood-latewood size and isotope differences on long-term tree-ring δ¹³C trends. Chemical Geology, Volume 216, Issues 3-4 , Pages 191-201 .

 Driese, Steven G, Zheng-Hua Liand Sally P. Horn, 2005. Late Pleistocene and Holocene climate and geomorphic histories as interpreted from a 23,000 14C yr B.P. paleosol and floodplain soils, southeastern West Virginia, USA. Quaternary Research. Volume 63, pp136-149.  

Driese, S.G., G. M. Ashley, Zheng-Hua Li., V.C. Hover and B. Owen, 2004. Possible Late Holocene equatorial palaeoclimate record based upon soils spanning the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age, Loboi Plain, Kenya. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. Volume 213, Issues 3-4 , Pages 231-250

Contact Information

Zheng-Hua Li
Research Faculty
Stable Isotope Geochemistry and Climate Change

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
1412 Circle Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-1410

Phone: (865) 974-9622
Fax: (865) 974-2368
Email: zli@utk.edu