Limited Regional Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Changes Despite Unprecedented Decline in Nitrogen Oxide Pollution During the February 2020 COVID-19 Shutdown in China

Details

• Journal Title:
  Geophysical Research Letters
• Personal Author:
  Diamond, Michael S. ; Wood, Robert
• NOAA Program & Office:
  CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences)
• Description:
  Following the emergence of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China instituted shutdown measures starting in late January and continuing into February 2020 to arrest the spread of disease. This resulted in a sharp economic contraction unparalleled in recent Chinese history. Satellite retrievals show that nitrogen dioxide pollution declined by an unprecedented amount (~50% regionally) from its expected unperturbed value, but regional-scale column aerosol loadings and cloud microphysical properties were not detectably affected. The disparate impact is tied to differential economic impacts of the shutdown, in which transportation, a disproportionate source of nitrogen oxide emissions, underwent drastic declines (~90% reductions in passenger traffic), whereas industry and power generation, responsible for >90% of particulate emissions, were relatively less affected (~20% reductions in electricity and thermal power generation). A combination of anomalously warm and humid meteorological conditions and complex chemical interactions further decreased nitrogen dioxide concentrations but likely enhanced secondary aerosol formation.
• Keywords:
  Aerosol Cloud COVID-19 Emissions Pollution
• Source:
  Geophysical Research Letters, 47, e2020GL088913
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088913
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  China
• Rights Information:
  Other
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:4eb06ef3bf2d9a705a7700bf59afb676368b7e6c4ff4cdac478a6b8edd4602bb
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/31860/noaa_31860_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.74 MB ]