
Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group – Harvard University
ACMG Mickley Subgroup
Group Leaders Daniel J. Jacob and Loretta J. Mickley

Loretta J. Mickley
Senior Research Fellow
John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard University
29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
phone: 617-496-5635
mickley at fas dot harvard dot edu
mickley at seas dot harvard dot edu
Loretta Mickley co-leads the Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group at Harvard. Her research focuses on chemistry-climate interactions in the troposphere. Key topics include:
- Impacts of wildfire smoke on human health and regional climate.
- Effects of climate change on air quality and implications for human health.
- Influence of aerosol trends on regional climate.
- Oxidation capacity and fire activity in preindustrial and paleo atmospheres.

Selected recent publications. See also Publications page.
Liu, T., F. M. Panday, M. C. Caine, M. Kelp, D. C. Pendergrass, L.J. Mickley, E. A. Ellicott, M. E. Marlier, R. Ahmadov, and E. P. James (2024). Is the smoke aloft? Caveats regarding the use of the Hazard Mapping System (HMS) smoke product as a proxy for surface smoke presence across the United States. Int. J. of Wildland Fire, 33. Publisher’s Version PDF Supplement
Feng, X., L. J. Mickley, M. L. Bell, T. Liu, J. A. Fisher, and M. val Martin (2024). Improved estimates of smoke exposure during Australia fire seasons: Importance of quantifying plume injection heights. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2985–3007. Publisher’s Version PDF Supplement
Moch, J. M., L. J. Mickley, S. D. Eastham, E. W. Lundgren, V. Shah, J. J. Buonocore, J. Y. S. Pang, M. Sediq, and A. P. K. Tai (2023). Overlooked long-term atmospheric chemical feedbacks alter the impact of solar geoengineering: Implications for tropospheric oxidative capacity. AGU Advances, 4. Publisher’s Version PDF Editors highlights Supplement
Kelp, M. M., M. C. Carroll, T. Liu, R. M. Yantosca, H. E. Hockenberry, and L. J. Mickley (2023). Prescribed burns as a tool to mitigate future wildfire smoke exposure: Lessons for states and rural environmental justice communities. Earth’s Future, 11, e2022EF003468. “Prescribed burns as a tool to mitigate future wildfire smoke exposure: Lessons for states and rural environmental justice communities Publisher’s Version “Prescribed burns as a tool to mitigate future wildfire smoke exposure: Lessons for states and rural environmental justice communities Article “Prescribed burns as a tool to mitigate future wildfire smoke exposure: Lessons for states and rural environmental justice communities Supplement
Bonilla, E. X., L. J. Mickley, G. Raheja, S. D. Eastham, J.J. Buonocore, A. Alencar, L. Verchot, D. M. Westervelt, and M.C. Castro (2023). Health impacts of smoke exposure in South America: Increased risk for populations in the Amazonian Indigenous territories. Environmental Research: Health, 1, 021007. Health impacts of smoke exposure in South America: Increased risk for populations in the Amazonian Indigenous territories PDF Health impacts of smoke exposure in South America: Increased risk for populations in the Amazonian Indigenous territories Supplement
Liu, T., L. J. Mickley, P. N. Patel, R. Gautam, M. Jain, S. Singh, Balwinder-Singh, R. S. DeFries, and M. E. Marlier (2022). Cascading delays in the monsoon rice growing season and postmonsoon agricultural fires likely exacerbate air pollution in north India. JGR-Atmospheres, 127, e2022JD036790. Cascading delays in the monsoon rice growing season and postmonsoon agricultural fires likely exacerbate air pollution in north India PDF Cascading delays in the monsoon rice growing season and postmonsoon agricultural fires likely exacerbate air pollution in north India Supplement
Kelp, M. M., S. Lin, J. N. Kutz, and L. J. Mickley (2022). A new approach for determining optimal placement of PM2.5 air quality sensors: Case study for the contiguous United States. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 034034. A new approach for determining optimal placement of PM2.5 air quality sensors: Case study for the contiguous United States PDF A new approach for determining optimal placement of PM2.5 air quality sensors: Case study for the contiguous United States Supplement
Bonilla, E. X., L. J. Mickley, E. G. Beaudon, L. G. Thompson, W.E. Rodriguez, R. Cruz Encarnación, C. A. Whicker, M. G. Flanner, C. G. Schmitt, and P. Ginot (2023). Contribution of biomass burning to black carbon deposition on Andean glaciers: Consequences for radiative forcing. Environmental Research Letters, 18, 024031. “Contribution of biomass burning to black carbon deposition on Andean glaciers: Consequences for radiative forcing Publisher’s Version
Moch, J. M., L. J. Mickley, C. A. Keller, H. Bian, E. W. Lundgren, S. Zhai, and D. J. Jacob. Aerosol-radiation interactions in China in winter: Competing effects of reduced shortwave radiation and cloud-snowfall-albedo feedbacks under rapidly changing emissions. Journal of Geophysical Research, 127 (9), e2021JD035442. Aerosol-radiation interactions in China in winter: Competing effects of reduced shortwave radiation and cloud-snowfall-albedo feedbacks under rapidly changing emissions PDF Aerosol-radiation interactions in China in winter: Competing effects of reduced shortwave radiation and cloud-snowfall-albedo feedbacks under rapidly changing emissions Supplement
Liu, P., J. O. Kaplan, L.J. Mickley, Y. Li, N. J. Chellman, M. M. Arienzo, J. K. Kodros, J. F. Pierce, M. Sigl, J. Freitag, R. Mulvaney, M. A. J. Curran, and J. R. McConnell (2021) Improved estimates of preindustrial biomass burning reduce the magnitude of aerosol climate forcing in the Southern Hemisphere. Science Advances, 7, eabc1379. Improved estimates of preindustrial biomass burning reduce the magnitude of aerosol climate forcing in the Southern Hemisphere PDF Improved estimates of preindustrial biomass burning reduce the magnitude of aerosol climate forcing in the Southern Hemisphere Supplement
Vohra, K., E. A. Marais, W. J. Bliss, J. Schwartz, L. J. Mickley, M. Van Damme, L. Clarisse, and P.-F. Coheur (2022). Rapid rise in premature mortality due to anthropogenic air pollution in fast-growing tropical cities from 2005 to 2018. Science Advances, 8. Rapid rise in premature mortality due to anthropogenic air pollution in fast-growing tropical cities from 2005 to 2018 PDF Rapid rise in premature mortality due to anthropogenic air pollution in fast-growing tropical cities from 2005 to 2018 Supplement
Zhou, X., K. Josey, L. Kamareddine, M. C. Caine, T. Liu, L. J. Mickley, M. Cooper, and F. Dominici. 2021. Excess of COVID-19 cases and deaths due to fine particulate matter exposure during the 2020 wildfires in the United States. Science Advances, 7, eabi8789. Excess of COVID-19 cases and deaths due to fine particulate matter exposure during the 2020 wildfires in the United States PDF Excess of COVID-19 cases and deaths due to fine particulate matter exposure during the 2020 wildfires in the United States Supplement