Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak on NO2 Pollution Assessed Using TROPOMI and OMI Observations

Title

Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak on NO2 Pollution Assessed Using TROPOMI and OMI Observations

 Author

Bauwens, M. (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB))
Compernolle, S. (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB))
Stavrakou, T. (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB))
Müller, J. F. (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB))
van Gent, J. (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB))
Eskes, H. (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
Levelt, Pieternel Felicitas (TU Delft Atmospheric Remote Sensing; Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
van der A, R. (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
Veefkind, j. Pepijn (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI)) ORCID 0000-0003-0336-6406

 Date

2020

 Abstract

Spaceborne NO2 column observations from two high-resolution instruments, Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on board Sentinel-5 Precursor and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on Aura, reveal unprecedented NO2 decreases over China, South Korea, western Europe, and the United States as a result of public health measures enforced to contain the coronavirus disease outbreak (Covid-19) in January–April 2020. The average NO2 column drop over all Chinese cities amounts to −40% relative to the same period in 2019 and reaches up to a factor of ~2 at heavily hit cities, for example, Wuhan, Jinan, while the decreases in western Europe and the United States are also significant (−20% to −38%). In contrast with this, although Iran is also strongly affected by the disease, the observations do not show evidence of lower emissions, reflecting more limited health measures.


 Subject

air quality
coronavirus outbreak
emissions
lockdown
satellite NO

 To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4fd05780-4ded-4af3-94b0-387ab10a6d8c

 DOI

https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087978

 ISSN

0094-8276

 Source

Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (11)

 Part of collection

Institutional Repository

 Document type

journal article

 Rights

© 2020 M. Bauwens, S. Compernolle, T. Stavrakou, J. F. Müller, J. van Gent, H. Eskes, Pieternel Felicitas Levelt, R. van der A, j. Pepijn Veefkind, More Authors
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