Tero Mielonen

About

Tero Mielonen is a leading atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on advancing satellite aerosol remote sensing, radiative forcing, and the characterization of light-absorbing aerosols. His most impactful work includes the development of the Bayesian Aerosol Retrieval (BAR) algorithm for MODIS, which simultaneously retrieves aerosol optical depth (AOD) over land by leveraging spatial correlations—a significant methodological improvement over traditional pixel-by-pixel approaches. He also co-authored a seminal review on evaluating pixel-level uncertainty estimates in satellite aerosol products (126 citations), providing a critical framework for the community. Mielonen’s contributions extend to quantifying the direct radiative effect of brown carbon over the Indo-Gangetic Plain, using AERONET measurements to reveal the substantial warming impact of these organic aerosols. His work has been instrumental in evaluating global model biases in biomass burning regions through satellite-based assessments, and in developing machine learning and radiative-transfer-based methods to reconstruct historical AOD from surface radiation data. With over 300 citations across his top papers, Mielonen’s research bridges algorithm innovation, uncertainty quantification, and climate-relevant aerosol science, making him a key figure in improving our understanding of aerosol impacts on climate and air quality.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A review and framework for the evaluation of pixel-level uncertainty estimates in satellite aerosol remote sensing

   126 citations · 2020
2. 2
   Bayesian aerosol retrieval algorithm for MODIS AOD retrieval over land

   43 citations · 2018
3. 3
   Retrieval of aerosol optical depth from surface solar radiation measurementsusing machine learning algorithms, non-linear regression and a radiativetransfer-based look-up table

   34 citations · 2016
4. 4
   Direct radiative effect by brown carbon over the Indo-Gangetic Plain

   34 citations · 2015
5. 5
   Satellite-based evaluation of AeroCom model bias in biomass burning regions

   20 citations · 2022
6. 6
   Discrimination of aerosol types over the Tehran city using 5 years (2011–2015) of MODIS collection 6 aerosol products

   17 citations · 2019
7. 7
   Effect of water vapor on the determination of aerosol direct radiative effect based on the AERONET fluxes

   12 citations · 2014
8. 8
   A review and framework for the evaluation of pixel-level uncertainty estimates in satellite aerosol remote sensing

   10 citations · 2019
9. 9
   Bayesian Dark Target Algorithm for MODIS AOD retrieval over land

   2 citations · 2017
10. 10
    Measurement-based direct radiative effect by brown carbon over Indo-Gangetic Plain

    2 citations · 2015

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links