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 J. Mickley’s CV
Professional experience
Harvard University. Senior Research Fellow, 2011-present
Harvard University. Research associate, 1999-2011; Postdoctoral fellow, 1996-1999
Main research topics:
- Influence of wildfires and agricultural fires on air quality.
- Effects of climate change on wildfire activity and smoke exposure.
- Response of PM2.5 and ozone to meteorological variability and climate change.
- Impacts of changing aerosol load on regional climate.
- Effects of climate change on the chemical composition of the troposphere.
- Oxidation capacity and aerosol radiative forcing in paleo and preindustrial atmospheres.
Education
PhD Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 1996
- PhD thesis: Analysis of HALOE satellite measurements of stratospheric ozone and other trace gases.
MS Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1990
- MS research: Ab initio calculations to determine molecular structure and vibrational force fields of biopolymers.
Honors and fellowships
- Science Scholars Fellowship, Bunting Institute (now Radcliffe Institute), 1998-1999
- Participant in ACCESS IV (Atmospheric Chemistry Colloquium for Emerging Senior Scientists), Boston College, 1997
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Climate and Global Change, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1996-1998
- Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship, University of Chicago, 1990-1992
- Special Merit Award for Teaching Freshman Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1989
- University Fellowship, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1988-1989
- Honors College, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1987-1988
Students and postdocs advised or coadvised
Current postdoc
Xu Feng, Fires and smoke exposure in Australia and western United States.
Past PhD students and postdocs
Ploy Pattanun Achakulwisut, PhD 2017, now on UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Team.
Eimy Bonilla, PhD 2022, now at EPA and Howard University.
Tom Breider, postdoc, 2011-2016, now in industry.
Daniel Cusworth, PhD 2018, now at Carbon Mapper.
Rynda Hudman, postdoc, 2007-2008, now at EPA.
Shannon Koplitz, PhD 2016, now at EPA.
Eric Leibensperger, PhD 2011, now faculty at Ithaca College.
Yang Li, postdoc, 2017-2020, now faculty at Baylor University.
Pengfei Liu, postdoc, 2017-2020, now faculty at Georgia Tech.
Makoto Kelp, PhD 2023, now NOAA postdoc at Stanford, soon to be professor at U Utah.
Tianjia Tina Liu, PhD 2022, now NOAA postdoc at UC Irvine, soon to be professor at U British Columbia.
Jonathan Moch, PhD 2020, Postdoc 2020-2022, now AAAS fellow in the State Department.
Lee Murray, PhD 2013, now faculty at University of Rochester.
Justin Parrella, PhD 2012, now in industry.
Amos Tai, PhD 2012, now faculty at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Lu Shen, PhD 2017, now faculty at Peking University.
Rachel Silvern, now program officer at National Academy of Sciences.
Shiliang Wu, PhD 2007, postdoc 2007-2008, now faculty at Michigan Tech.
Xu Yue, postdoc, 2010-2012, now faculty at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.
Lei Zhu, PhD 2016, now faculty at Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen.
Recent undergraduates
Miah Caine (Harvard)
Tina Chen (Harvard)
Karina Chung (Harvard)
Tim Fargiano (Harvard)
Samuel Lin (Harvard)
Alison Mangano (De Anza Community College, Cornell)
Frances Marie Panday (U Maryland)
Maggie Schultz (Harvard)
Kent Toshima (Harvard)
Maggie Vallejo (Harvard)
Selected synergistic activities
- Board Member, Conservation Law Foundation, 2019-present.
- Co-organizer, Summer Program on Earth and Environmental Research (SPHEER), an NSF-funded REU program at Harvard, 2023-present.
- Chair, Greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires: Toward improved monitoring, modeling, and management, planning committee for NAS, 2023.
- Coauthor, Chapter 14, Air Quality, in Fifth National Climate Assessment, 2021-2023.
- Lead author, Effects on Climate, Section 13.3 in the Integrated Science Assessment of Particulate Matter, EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment, 2020.
- Reviewer on NAS panel for the Climate Science Special Report, U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2016-2017.
- Member, Board on Atmospheric Biogeosciences, American Meteorological Society, 2010-2013.
- Coauthor, Role of tropospheric ozone in climate change and UV-B shielding effects (Chapter 10), Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants, EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment, 2013.
- Co-chair, GEOS-Chem chemistry-climate working group, and member, GEOS-Chem steering committee, 2011-2013.
Selected Recent Publications
* = Paper whose first author was advised by LJM. Complete list of publications. See also Google Scholar page.
* 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, Health impacts of smoke exposure in South America: Increased risk for populations in the Amazonian Indigenous territories, Environmental Research: Health, 1, 21007, 2023. 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
* Bonilla, E. X., L. J. Mickley, E. G. Beaudon, L. G. Thompson, W. E. Rodriguez, R. C. Encarnación, C. A. Whicker, M. G. Flanner, C. G. Schmitt, and P. Ginot, Contribution of biomass burning to black carbon deposition on Andean glaciers: Consequences for radiative forcing. Environmental Research Letters, 18 (2), 024031, 2023. Contribution of biomass burning to black carbon deposition on Andean glaciers: Consequences for radiative forcing PDF
* Liu, T., L. J. Mickley, P. N. Patel, R. Guatam, M. Jain, S. Singh, Balwinder-Singh, R. S. DeFries, and M. E. Marlier, Cascading delays in the monsoon rice growing season and postmonsoon agricultural fires likely exacerbate air pollution in north India. Journal of Geophysical Research, 127 (24), 2022. 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
* Christiansen, A., L. J. Mickley, J. Liu, L. D. Oman, and L. Hu, Multidecadal increases in global tropospheric ozone derived from ozonesonde and surface site observations: Can models reproduce ozone trends? Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 22 (22), 14751-14782, 2022. Multidecadal increases in global tropospheric ozone derived from ozonesonde and surface site observations: Can models reproduce ozone trends? PDF Multidecadal increases in global tropospheric ozone derived from ozonesonde and surface site observations: Can models reproduce ozone trends? Supplement
* Kelp, M. M., S. Lin, J. Nathan Kutz, and L. J. Mickley, A new approach for determining optimal placement of PM2.5 air quality sensors: Case study for the contiguous United States, Env. Res. Let., 17, 2022. 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
* 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, J. Geophys. Res., in press, 2022. 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
Vohra, K, E. A. Marais, W. J. Bloss, J. Schwartz, L. J. Mickley, M. van Damme, L. Clarisse, and P.-F. Coheur, Rapid rise in premature mortality due to anthropogenic air pollution in fast-growing tropical cities from 2005 to 2018, Sci. Adv., 8, 2022 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, Excess of COVID-19 cases and deaths due to fine particulate matter exposure during the 2020 wildfires in the United States, Sci. Adv., 7, 2021. 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
* Liu, P., J.O. Kaplan, L.J. Mickley, Y. Li, N.J. Chellman, M.M. Arienzo, J.K. Kodros, J.R. Pierce, M. Sigl, J. Freitag, R. Mulvaney, M.A.J. Curran, and J.R. McConnell, Improved estimates of biomass burning reduce the magnitude of aerosol radiative forcing in the Southern Hemisphere, Sci. Adv., 7, 2021 Improved estimates of biomass burning reduce the magnitude of aerosol radiative forcing in the Southern Hemisphere PDF Improved estimates of biomass burning reduce the magnitude of aerosol radiative forcing in the Southern Hemisphere Supplement
Vohra, K., A. Vodonos, J. Schwartz, E. Marais, M.P. Sulprizio, and L.J. Mickley, Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem, Environmental Research, in press, 2021. Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem PDF Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem Supplement Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem Comment
Gunthe, S.S., P. Liu, U. Panda, S.S. Raj, A. Sharma, E. Derbyshire, E. Reyes-Villegas, J. Allan, Y. Chen, X. Wang, S. Song, M.L. Pohker, L. Shi, Y. Wang, S.M. Kommula, T. Liu, R. Ravikrishna, G. McFiggans, L.J. Mickley, S.T. Martin, U. Poschl, M.O. Andreae, and H Coe, Enhanced aerosol particle growth sustained by high continental chlorine emission in India, Nat. Geosci., 2021. Enhanced aerosol particle growth sustained by high continental chlorine emission in India PDF
* Liu, T., L.J. Mickley, R. Gautam, M.K. Singh, R.S. DeFries, and M.E. Marlier, Detection of delay in post-monsoon agricultural burning across Punjab, India: Potential drivers and consequences for air quality, Environ. Res. Lett., 16, 014014, 2021. Detection of delay in post-monsoon agricultural burning across Punjab, India: Potential drivers and consequences for air quality PDF
Selected Presentations
Recent biomass burning in the Amazon Basin: Consequences for snow albedo in the Andes and for regional air quality and human health, seminar series of the Americas Working Group from the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) initiative, October 12, 2023. pubTitle PDF
Fire and smoke on a changing planet: Chemistry-climate interactions and consequences for air quality, Gordon Conference on Atmospheric Chemistry, Sunday River, Maine, August 2, 2023. Fire and smoke on a changing planet: Chemistry-climate interactions and consequences for air quality PDF
Climate, wildfires, and smoke: Effects of a changing climate on smoke exposure and health, SEAS Nexus, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, May 10, 2023. Climate, wildfires, and smoke: Effects of a changing climate on smoke exposure and health PDF
Challenges in modeling emissions from fires in the past, present-day, and future, International Aerosol Modeling Algorithms (IAMA) conference, December 9, 2021. Challenges in modeling emissions from fires in the past, present-day, and future PDF
Fire in a changing world: (1) Improved estimates of radiative forcing due to preindustrial fires in the Southern Hemisphere and (2) Projections of future fire in the western United States, NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory seminar series, April 29, 2021. Fire in a changing world: (1) Improved estimates of radiative forcing due to preindustrial fires in the Southern Hemisphere and (2) Projections of future fire in the western United States PDF
Trends in fire activity in three regions on three continents: Implications for radiative forcing and air quality, Frontiers in Atmospheric Chemistry seminar series, February 19, 2021. Trends in fire activity in three regions on three continents: Implications for radiative forcing and air quality PDF
Trends in smoke and dust in response to 21st century climate and land use change and Overlooked contribution of hydroxymethane sulfonate (HMS) to wintertime PM2.5 in the US. EPA Scientific Advisory meeting, January 26, 2021. Trends in smoke and dust in response to 21st century climate and land use change and Overlooked contribution of hydroxymethane sulfonate (HMS) to wintertime PM2.5 in the US PDF
Trends in wildfires and agricultural fires over different timescales: Implications for radiative forcing and air quality, BASC Symposium, Berkeley, February 7, 2020. Trends in wildfires and agricultural fires over different timescales: Implications for radiative forcing and air quality PDF
The climate change penalty on US air quality: New perspectives from statistical models, EPA annual meeting on Air quality in a changing world, Research Triangle Park, NC, April 5, 2017. The climate change penalty on US air quality: New perspectives from statistical models PDF
What controls the variability of springtime fine dust in the western United States? Implications for the recent dust increase in the Southwest, EPA annual meeting on Air quality in a changing world, Research Triangle Park, NC, April 5, 2017. What controls the variability of springtime fine dust in the western United States? Implications for the recent dust increase in the Southwest PDF
Public health impacts of the severe haze in Equatorial Asia in September-October 2015: A new tool for fire management to reduce downwind smoke exposure, Columbia University South Asia Global Center and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, February 4, 2016. Public health impacts of the severe haze in Equatorial Asia in September-October 2015: A new tool for fire management to reduce downwind smoke exposure PDF
Selected media coverage
See News page for coverage in 2023-2024.
2021. Loretta is included in Reuter’s Hot List of 1000 climate scientists and is ranked second among climate scientists at Harvard.
2021. Collaboration with Francesca Dominici leads to a Collabofation with Francesca Dominicipaper linking smoke exposure to the incidence of Covid-19 in the western US. Media accounts include the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the National Geographic.
2021. Loretta speaks on a panel for KQED, the public radio station in San Francisco. Previously she had contributed to reporting on climate and wildfires for Colorado Public Radio and Voice of America.
2021. Our study on the air quality and health implications of fossil fuel burning draws attention from around the world: The Guardioa, The Korea Times and Marketplace. The research was led by former Harvard postdoc Eloise Marais.
2020. In its coverage of fires in the West, the New York Times cites Coco Liu’s papers linking wildfire and health, including the health of elderly blacks.
2019. Led by former postdoc Eloise Marais, New research quantifies the potential consequences of future development in Africa on air quality, and the Guardian takes note.
2017. Loretta serves on a review panel for the National Academy of Sciences, and the outcome is noticed.
2016. Shannon Koplitz’s new paper on the health impacts from the massive 2015 haze event in Equatorial Asia is out and receives attention from around teh world: the BBC, the New Yorkl Times, The Guardian. The study is named one of the top papers in ERL for that year.
2016. Our paper predicting increased frequency of “smokewaves” from wildfires in the western U.S. due to climate change gets press from NASA Earth Observatory and Climate Central.
2016. Lu Shen devises a more robust method to predict ozone episodes in the future climate, and his paper receives media attention from NBC News, The Nation, and CapRadio.
2015. Lei Zhu is in the news for his work using satellite data to infer large emissions of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds from the petrochemical industry near Houston, Texas.
2014. Eric Leibensperger’s paper on the U.S. warming hole receives renewed attention in the aftermath of the Third National Climate Assessment.
2013. Xu Yue’s new paper on climate change, wildfires, and future air quality in the western United States is in the news from News Scientist and The National Geographic.
2012. Our research on the US warming hole is featured as the Image of the Day on NASA’s Earth Observatory website.
2012. Our study showing the impact of changing aerosols on regional climate in the eastern United States draws attention at the New York Times and NASA.
2010. A joint project with Stonybrook that investigated the impact of kudzu invasionin the Southeast US on soil NOx emissions and surface ozone got press from the LA Times, the BBC and CS Monitor.
2009. The EPA releases their landmark endangerment finding that CO2 and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. Our research is cited in the accompanying Technical Support Document. [May 2017 update: This EPA website has been scrubbed.]
2009. Dominick Spracklen is in the news for our work on future wildfires and air quality.
2005. We get press for our research on the impact of climate change on stagnation frequency and smog.
Selected outreach
2021-2023. LJM initiates and leads effort to propose new NSF-REU site in Harvard’s Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences. SPHEER launched in summer 2023 (Summer Program at Harvard in Earth and Environmental Research: Investigating a changing planet across multiple timescales).
2020, 2018, and previously. LJM is named an “accessible expert” for media on the nonprofit news website Climate Central.
2020. Grad student Tianjia (Tina) Liu creates FIRECAM, an app on Google Earth Engine that allows users to compare fire emission inventories across the globe.
2019. LJM contributes to Our warming planet: Topics in climate dynamics, a monthly series of presentations sponsored by the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast, compiled to honor the lifetime achievement of NASA scientist David Rind.
2019. We develop the SMOKE policy tool, an app in Google Earth Engine that allows users to test the health implications of different peat preservation scenarios in Indonesia.
2018. Together with Susan Anenberg, we publish a piece in the Conversation on the impacts of dust on health in the future atmosphere.
2017. Lu Shen creates an interactive online tool for tracking U.S. ozone trends and variability in summer.
2017. LJM and Jonathan Moch contribute to “Toxic Air Alert,” a story on China’s air quality by Andrew Klein in ScienceWorld, a magazine for schoolchildren.
2017. Beyond denial: Climate change, air quality, and health. Talk at Conservation Law Foundation, Boston, MA, 18 April 2017.
2016. Fire and smoke in Equatorial Asia: How the mix of weather and human activity can lead to environmental catastrophe. Talk at Talcott Mountain Science Center and Academy, Avon, CT, 10 March, 2016.
2014. Publication in EM, a journal for environmental managers: Mickley, L.J., A.M. Fiore, and D.K. Henze, Interactions between climate change and U.S. air quality, EM, February, 30-34, 2014.
2005. Pollution-climate connections. Guest contribution for realclimate.org.
