2023.01–Present: Tenured Full Professor, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University
2020.02–2022.12: Tenured Associate Professor, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University
2017.07–2020.01: Associate Professor (Tenure-track), Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University
2014.12–2017.06: Assistant Professor, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University
2011.09–2014.11: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas at Austin, United States
Remote sensing hydrology, cryospheric hydrology, watershed hydrology, and artificial intelligence in water science, including:
(1) Gravity satellite–based retrieval of groundwater storage changes
(2) Multisource remote sensing of surface water dynamics (extent, level, discharge, storage, and ice thickness)
(3) Cryospheric hydrology and prediction in ungauged basins (PUB)
(4) Physics–data–knowledge-driven AI models and their applications in water resources
[1] 2026–2030: Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Major Project – Intelligent regulation and digital twin of inter-basin water transfer systems (PI)
[2] 2024–2028: NSFC Young Scientists Fund (A) – Remote sensing hydrology (PI)
[3] 2021–2025: National Key R&D Program – Groundwater storage change inversion and ecological impact assessment (PI)
[4] 2021–2024: NSFC General Program – Groundwater dynamics in the North China Plain under climate change and water diversion (PI)
[5] 2019–2024: Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition – Water storage change analysis (PI)
2024‒Present: Editor, Water Resources Research
2026‒Present: Committee Member, AGU Hydrology Mid-Career Award Committee
2023‒Present: Associate Editor, Remote Sensing of Environment
2015–Present: Associate Editor, Journal of Hydrology
2018–Present: Editorial Board Member, Science China Technological Sciences
2023–Present: Committee Member, Chinese Hydraulic Engineering Society
2026: Tsinghua University Annual Breakthrough Achievement (Top 10)
2025: AGU Hydrology Mid-Career Award
2024: Dayu Water Science and Technology Award (First Prize, Rank 1)
2023: Natural Science Award (Second Prize, Rank 1), Ministry of Education (China)
2022: China Youth Science and Technology Award
2022: Liu Guangwen Young Scientist Award
2019: AGU Hydrology Early Career Award
2019: Li Xiaowen Remote Sensing Science Award
Multiple awards for teaching and doctoral supervision excellence
As of March 2026:
• 140+ publications, including 120+ SCI-indexed papers
• 7 first/corresponding-author papers in Nature, Nature family, and Science Advances
• ~13,800 citations, H-index: 61
• Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2021–2025)
• 28 granted invention patents (China & USA)
• Research widely applied in governmental and industrial sectors
Selected Publications:
[1] Li, L., Long, D., Wang, Y. et al. Global dominance of seasonality in shaping lake-surface-extent dynamics. Nature, 642, 361–368 (2025)
[2] Long, D., Xu, Y., Cui, Y. et al. Unprecedented large-scale aquifer recovery through human intervention. Nature Communications, 16, 7296 (2025)
[3] Fang, C., Long, D., Huang, Q. et al. Satellite altimetry reveals intensifying global river water level variability. Nature Communications, (2025)
[4] Hong, Z.K., Long, D., Shan, K.Y. et al. Declining ocean greenness and phytoplankton blooms in low to mid-latitudes under a warming climate. Science Advances, 11, eadx4857 (2025)
[5] Li, X.Y., Long, D., Scanlon, B.R., et al. Climate change threatens terrestrial water storage over the Tibetan Plateau. Nature Climate Change, 12, 801‒807 (2022)
[6] Wu, Y., Long, D., Lall, U. et al. Reconstructed eight-century streamflow in the Tibetan Plateau reveals contrasting regional variability and strong nonstationarity. Nature Communications, 13, 6416 (2022)
[7] Long, D., Yang, W., Scanlon, B.R. et al. South-to-North Water Diversion stabilizing Beijing’s groundwater levels. Nature Communications, 11, 3665 (2020)
[8] Dong, L., Long, D., Zhang, C. et al. Shifting agricultural land use and its unintended water consumption in the North China Plain, Science Bulletin, 69, 3968–3977 (2024)
[9] Yang, W.T., Long, D., Scanlon, B.R. et al. Human intervention will stabilize groundwater storage across the North China Plain. Water Resources Research, 58, e2021WR030884 (2022)
[10] Long, D., Yan, L., Bai, L. et al. Generation of MODIS-like land surface temperatures under all-weather conditions based on a data fusion approach. Remote Sensing of Environment, 246, 111863 (2020)
[11] Long, D., Li, X.Y., Wu, Y.N. et al. Spatial disparity in runoff variability between Southwestern China's River Basin headwaters during 1981-2020. Chinese Science Bulletin, 69, 3821–3830 (2024) (Chinese)
[12] Long, D., Yang, W., Sun, Z. et al. GRACE satellite-based estimation of groundwater storage changes and water balance analysis for the Haihe River Basin. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 54, 255–267 (2023) (Chinese)
[13] Zhang, C., Long, D., Cui, Y. et al. Applications of remote sensing retrieval of evapotranspiration in irrigation water management: A review. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 54, 1087–1098 (2023) (Chinese)
[14] Long, D., Li, X., Li, X. et al. Remote sensing retrieval of water storage changes and underlying climatic mechanisms over the Tibetan Plateau during 2000—2020. Advances in Water Science, 33, 375–389 (2022) (Chinese)
[15] Long, D., Han, Z. & Wang, Y. Projection of future droughts across the Lancang-Mekong River under a changing environment. Advances in Water Science, 33, 766–779 (2022) (Chinese)
Department of 