M. M. Mukelabai
Papers
3
Total Citations
763
H-Index
3
About
M. M. Mukelabai is a leading authority on the optical properties of biomass burning aerosols in southern Africa, a region that constitutes the world’s largest source of such emissions. His foundational work, including the Zambian International Biomass Burning Emissions Experiment (ZIBBEE), provided the first detailed characterization of aerosol physical and optical properties in a savanna ecosystem, with that 2001 paper garnering over 260 citations. Mukelabai’s research is central to understanding how these particles influence climate and air quality. His most cited work (over 300 citations) from the SAFARI 2000 campaign established critical baseline measurements of column-integrated aerosol optical properties across the region using AERONET sun-sky radiometers. A major contribution is his discovery of a distinct seasonal trend in single scattering albedo at the Mongu, Zambia, site—a key finding from a 15-year AERONET dataset that has profound implications for improving satellite retrieval algorithms and refining emission estimates. This work, published in 2013 and cited nearly 200 times, directly challenges assumptions about aerosol radiative forcing in the region, making Mukelabai’s insights indispensable for climate modelers and remote sensing scientists.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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