Loretta J Mickley
Biographic Data
| ID | 7991904 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Loretta J Mickley |
| GIVEN NAMES | Loretta J |
| FAMILY NAME | Mickley |
| SIGNATURE | MICKLEY L J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Harvard University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7859-3470 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Advancing new metrics for wildfire smoke exposure: Case study in Alaska to bridge public health, climate adaptation, and fire management
Wildfire activity is increasing globally due to climate change, with implications for air quality and public health. Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) from wildfire smoke contributes to cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality, adverse birth outcomes, mental health stressors, and disruptions to food security and traditional livelihoods. However, quantifying health risks remains difficult due to sparse monitoring, challenges in isolating wildfire…
Contribution of biomass burning to black carbon deposition on Andean glaciers: Consequences for radiative forcing
Andean glaciers have melted rapidly since the 1960s. While some melting is likely due to anthropogenic climate change driven by increasing greenhouse gases, deposition of light-absorbing particles such as black carbon (BC) may also play a role. We hypothesize that BC from fires in the Amazon Basin and elsewhere may be deposited on Andean glaciers, reducing the surface albedo and inducing further melting. Here we investigate the role of BC deposit…
A new approach for determining optimal placement of PM 2.5 air quality sensors: Case study for the contiguous United States
Considerable financial resources are allocated for measuring ambient air pollution in the United States, yet the locations for these monitoring sites may not be optimized to capture the full extent of current pollution variability. Prior research on best sensor placement for monitoring fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution is scarce: most studies do not span areas larger than a medium-sized city or examine timescales longer than 1 week. Her…
Exposure of agricultural workers in California to wildfire smoke under past and future climate conditions
Wildfire activity in the western U.S. has increased in frequency and severity in recent decades. Wildfire smoke emissions contribute to elevated fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations that are dangerous to public health. Due to the outdoor and physically demanding nature of their work, agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke pollution. In this study, we quantify the potential exposure of agricultural workers i…
Global search for temporal shifts in fire activity: Potential human influence on southwest Russia and north Australia fire seasons
Decadal trends in fire activity can reveal important human and climate-driven influences across a multitude of landscapes from croplands to savannas. We use 16 years of daily satellite observations from 2003 to 2018 to search globally for stationary temporal shifts in fire activity during the primary burning season. We focus on southwest Russia and north Australia as case study regions; both regions experienced nearly 40 d shifts over a 16 year p…
Air pollution from wildfires and human health vulnerability in Alaskan communities under climate change
Alaskan wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe, but very little is known regarding exposure to wildfire smoke, a risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. We estimated long-term, present-day and future exposure to wildfire-related fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) across Alaska for the general population and subpopulations to assess vulnerability using observed data for the present day (1997-2010), modelled estimates for …
Detection of delay in post-monsoon agricultural burning across Punjab, India: Potential drivers and consequences for air quality
Since the Green Revolution in the mid-1960s, a widespread transition to a rice–wheat rotation in the Indian state of Punjab has led to steady increases in crop yield and production. After harvest of the summer monsoon rice crop, the burning of excess crop residue in Punjab from October to November allows for rapid preparation of fields for sowing of the winter wheat crop. Here we use daily satellite remote sensing data to show that the timing of …
Air pollution accountability of energy transitions: The relative importance of point source emissions and wind fields in exposure changes
Recent studies have sought epidemiological evidence of the effectiveness of energy transitions. Such evidence often relies on so-called "natural experiments," wherein environmental and/or health outcomes are assessed before, during, and after the transition of interest. Often, these studies attribute air pollution exposure changes-either modeled or measured-directly to the transition. We formalize a framework for separating the fractions of a giv…
Drought-sensitivity of fine dust in the US Southwest: Implications for air quality and public health under future climate change
We investigate the present-day sensitivity of fine dust levels in the US Southwest to regional drought conditions and use the observed relationships to assess future changes in fine dust levels and associated health impacts under climate change. Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis reveals that the most dominant mode of fine dust interannual variability for each season consists of a pattern of large-scale co-variability across the Southwest. Th…
Quantifying the influence of agricultural fires in northwest India on urban air pollution in Delhi, India
Since at least the 1980s, many farmers in northwest India have switched to mechanized combine harvesting to boost efficiency. This harvesting technique leaves abundant crop residue on the fields, which farmers typically burn to prepare their fields for subsequent planting. A key question is to what extent the large quantity of smoke emitted by these fires contributes to the already severe pollution in Delhi and across other parts of the heavily p…
Evidence of 1991–2013 decrease of biogenic secondary organic aerosol in response to SO 2 emission controls
Air quality policy to decrease fine particulate matter mass concentrations (PM 2.5 ) in the US has mainly targeted sulfate aerosol through controls on sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions. Organic aerosol (OA) instead of sulfate is now the dominant component of total PM 2.5 . Long-term surface observations (1991-2013) in the Southeast US in summer show parallel decreases in sulfate (2.8-4.0% a -1 ) and OA (1.6-1.9% a -1 ). Decline of anthropogenic OA…
Future respiratory hospital admissions from wildfire smoke under climate change in the Western US
Background. Wildfires are anticipated to be more frequent and intense under climate change. As a result, wildfires may emit more air pollutants that can harm health in communities in the future. The health impacts of wildfire smoke under climate change are largely unknown. Methods. We linked projections of future levels of fine particulate matter (PM _2.5 ) specifically from wildfire smoke under the A1B climate change scenario using the GEOS-Chem…
Public health impacts of the severe haze in Equatorial Asia in September–October 2015: Demonstration of a new framework for informing fire management strategies to reduce downwind smoke exposure
In September–October 2015, El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions set the stage for massive fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), leading to persistently hazardous levels of smoke pollution across much of Equatorial Asia. Here we quantify the emission sources and health impacts of this haze episode and compare the sources and impacts to an event of similar magnitude occurring under similar meteorological conditions in …
Fire emissions and regional air quality impacts from fires in oil palm, timber, and logging concessions in Indonesia
Fires associated with agricultural and plantation development in Indonesia impact ecosystem services and release emissions into the atmosphere that degrade regional air quality and contribute to greenhouse gas concentrations. In this study, we estimate the relative contributions of the oil palm, timber (for wood pulp and paper), and logging industries in Sumatra and Kalimantan to land cover change, fire activity, and regional population exposure …
Regional air quality impacts of future fire emissions in Sumatra and Kalimantan
Fire emissions associated with land cover change and land management contribute to the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants, which can affect regional air quality and climate. Mitigating these impacts requires a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between fires and different land cover change trajectories and land management strategies. We develop future fire emissions inventories from 2010–2030 for Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indones…
Anthropogenic emissions of highly reactive volatile organic compounds in eastern Texas inferred from oversampling of satellite (OMI) measurements of HCHO columns
Satellite observations of formaldehyde (HCHO) columns provide top-down constraints on emissions of highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs). This approach has been used previously in the US to estimate isoprene emissions from vegetation, but application to anthropogenic emissions has been stymied by lack of a discernable HCHO signal. Here we show that temporal oversampling of HCHO data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for 200…
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Anthropogenic emissions of highly reactive volatile organic compounds in eastern Texas inferred from oversampling of satellite (OMI) measurements of HCHO columns
Satellite observations of formaldehyde (HCHO) columns provide top-down constraints on emissions of highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs). This approach has been used previously in the US to estimate isoprene emissions from vegetation, but application to anthropogenic emissions has been stymied by lack of a discernable HCHO signal. Here we show that temporal oversampling of HCHO data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for 200…
Fire emissions and regional air quality impacts from fires in oil palm, timber, and logging concessions in Indonesia
Fires associated with agricultural and plantation development in Indonesia impact ecosystem services and release emissions into the atmosphere that degrade regional air quality and contribute to greenhouse gas concentrations. In this study, we estimate the relative contributions of the oil palm, timber (for wood pulp and paper), and logging industries in Sumatra and Kalimantan to land cover change, fire activity, and regional population exposure …
Regional air quality impacts of future fire emissions in Sumatra and Kalimantan
Fire emissions associated with land cover change and land management contribute to the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants, which can affect regional air quality and climate. Mitigating these impacts requires a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between fires and different land cover change trajectories and land management strategies. We develop future fire emissions inventories from 2010–2030 for Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indones…
Future respiratory hospital admissions from wildfire smoke under climate change in the Western US
Background. Wildfires are anticipated to be more frequent and intense under climate change. As a result, wildfires may emit more air pollutants that can harm health in communities in the future. The health impacts of wildfire smoke under climate change are largely unknown. Methods. We linked projections of future levels of fine particulate matter (PM _2.5 ) specifically from wildfire smoke under the A1B climate change scenario using the GEOS-Chem…
Public health impacts of the severe haze in Equatorial Asia in September–October 2015: Demonstration of a new framework for informing fire management strategies to reduce downwind smoke exposure
In September–October 2015, El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions set the stage for massive fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), leading to persistently hazardous levels of smoke pollution across much of Equatorial Asia. Here we quantify the emission sources and health impacts of this haze episode and compare the sources and impacts to an event of similar magnitude occurring under similar meteorological conditions in …
Evidence of 1991–2013 decrease of biogenic secondary organic aerosol in response to SO 2 emission controls
Air quality policy to decrease fine particulate matter mass concentrations (PM 2.5 ) in the US has mainly targeted sulfate aerosol through controls on sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions. Organic aerosol (OA) instead of sulfate is now the dominant component of total PM 2.5 . Long-term surface observations (1991-2013) in the Southeast US in summer show parallel decreases in sulfate (2.8-4.0% a -1 ) and OA (1.6-1.9% a -1 ). Decline of anthropogenic OA…
Drought-sensitivity of fine dust in the US Southwest: Implications for air quality and public health under future climate change
We investigate the present-day sensitivity of fine dust levels in the US Southwest to regional drought conditions and use the observed relationships to assess future changes in fine dust levels and associated health impacts under climate change. Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis reveals that the most dominant mode of fine dust interannual variability for each season consists of a pattern of large-scale co-variability across the Southwest. Th…
Quantifying the influence of agricultural fires in northwest India on urban air pollution in Delhi, India
Since at least the 1980s, many farmers in northwest India have switched to mechanized combine harvesting to boost efficiency. This harvesting technique leaves abundant crop residue on the fields, which farmers typically burn to prepare their fields for subsequent planting. A key question is to what extent the large quantity of smoke emitted by these fires contributes to the already severe pollution in Delhi and across other parts of the heavily p…
Air pollution accountability of energy transitions: The relative importance of point source emissions and wind fields in exposure changes
Recent studies have sought epidemiological evidence of the effectiveness of energy transitions. Such evidence often relies on so-called "natural experiments," wherein environmental and/or health outcomes are assessed before, during, and after the transition of interest. Often, these studies attribute air pollution exposure changes-either modeled or measured-directly to the transition. We formalize a framework for separating the fractions of a giv…
Air pollution from wildfires and human health vulnerability in Alaskan communities under climate change
Alaskan wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe, but very little is known regarding exposure to wildfire smoke, a risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. We estimated long-term, present-day and future exposure to wildfire-related fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) across Alaska for the general population and subpopulations to assess vulnerability using observed data for the present day (1997-2010), modelled estimates for …
Detection of delay in post-monsoon agricultural burning across Punjab, India: Potential drivers and consequences for air quality
Since the Green Revolution in the mid-1960s, a widespread transition to a rice–wheat rotation in the Indian state of Punjab has led to steady increases in crop yield and production. After harvest of the summer monsoon rice crop, the burning of excess crop residue in Punjab from October to November allows for rapid preparation of fields for sowing of the winter wheat crop. Here we use daily satellite remote sensing data to show that the timing of …
Global search for temporal shifts in fire activity: Potential human influence on southwest Russia and north Australia fire seasons
Decadal trends in fire activity can reveal important human and climate-driven influences across a multitude of landscapes from croplands to savannas. We use 16 years of daily satellite observations from 2003 to 2018 to search globally for stationary temporal shifts in fire activity during the primary burning season. We focus on southwest Russia and north Australia as case study regions; both regions experienced nearly 40 d shifts over a 16 year p…
A new approach for determining optimal placement of PM 2.5 air quality sensors: Case study for the contiguous United States
Considerable financial resources are allocated for measuring ambient air pollution in the United States, yet the locations for these monitoring sites may not be optimized to capture the full extent of current pollution variability. Prior research on best sensor placement for monitoring fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution is scarce: most studies do not span areas larger than a medium-sized city or examine timescales longer than 1 week. Her…
Exposure of agricultural workers in California to wildfire smoke under past and future climate conditions
Wildfire activity in the western U.S. has increased in frequency and severity in recent decades. Wildfire smoke emissions contribute to elevated fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations that are dangerous to public health. Due to the outdoor and physically demanding nature of their work, agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke pollution. In this study, we quantify the potential exposure of agricultural workers i…
Contribution of biomass burning to black carbon deposition on Andean glaciers: Consequences for radiative forcing
Andean glaciers have melted rapidly since the 1960s. While some melting is likely due to anthropogenic climate change driven by increasing greenhouse gases, deposition of light-absorbing particles such as black carbon (BC) may also play a role. We hypothesize that BC from fires in the Amazon Basin and elsewhere may be deposited on Andean glaciers, reducing the surface albedo and inducing further melting. Here we investigate the role of BC deposit…
Advancing new metrics for wildfire smoke exposure: Case study in Alaska to bridge public health, climate adaptation, and fire management
Wildfire activity is increasing globally due to climate change, with implications for air quality and public health. Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) from wildfire smoke contributes to cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality, adverse birth outcomes, mental health stressors, and disruptions to food security and traditional livelihoods. However, quantifying health risks remains difficult due to sparse monitoring, challenges in isolating wildfire…
Environmental Science (16 works) · Geography (15 works) · Meteorology (13 works) · Fire effects on ecosystems (10 works) · Air quality index (8 works) · Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols (8 works) · Climate change (8 works) · Geology (8 works) · Air pollution (7 works) · Ecology (7 works)