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Sekiya T, Miyazaki K, Eskes H, Bowman K, Sudo K, Kanaya Y, Takigawa M. The worldwide COVID-19 lockdown impacts on global secondary inorganic aerosols and radiative budget. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh2688. [PMID: 37506199 PMCID: PMC10381952 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Global lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to air pollutant emission reductions. While the COVID-19 lockdown impacts on both trace gas and total particulate pollutants have been widely investigated, secondary aerosol formation from trace gases remains unclear. To that end, we quantify the COVID-19 lockdown impacts on NOx and SO2 emissions and sulfate-nitrate-ammonium aerosols using multiconstituent satellite data assimilation and model simulations. We find that anthropogenic emissions over major polluted regions were reduced by 19 to 25% for NOx and 14 to 20% for SO2 during April 2020. These emission reductions led to 8 to 21% decreases in sulfate and nitrate aerosols over highly polluted areas, corresponding to >34% of the observed aerosol optical depth declines and a global aerosol radiative forcing of +0.14 watts per square meter relative to business-as-usual scenario. These results point to the critical importance of secondary aerosol pollutants in quantifying climate impacts of future mitigation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Sekiya
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Miyazaki
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute for Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Henk Eskes
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), De Bilt, Netherlands
| | - Kevin Bowman
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute for Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kengo Sudo
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yugo Kanaya
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masayuki Takigawa
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
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2
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Tudor C. Ozone pollution in London and Edinburgh: spatiotemporal characteristics, trends, transport and the impact of COVID-19 control measures. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11384. [PMID: 36397774 PMCID: PMC9650992 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution remains the most serious environmental health issue in the United Kingdom while also carrying non-trivial economic costs. The COVID-19 lockdown periods reduced anthropogenic emissions and offered unique conditions for air pollution research. This study sources fine-granularity geo-spatial air quality and meteorological data for the capital cities of two UK countries (i.e. England's capital London and Scotland's capital Edinburgh) from the UK Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN) spanning 2016–2022 to assess long-term trends in several criteria pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO) and the changes in ozone pollution during the pandemic period. Unlike other studies conducted thus far, this research integrates several tools in trend estimation, including the Mann-Kendall test, the Theil-Sen estimator with bootstrap resampling, and the generalized additive model (GAM). Moreover, several investigations, including cluster trajectory analysis, pollution rose plots, and potential source contribution function (PSCF), are also employed to identify potential origin sources for air masses carrying precursors and estimate their contributions to ozone concentrations at receptor sites and downwind areas. The main findings reveal that most of the criteria pollutants show a decreasing trend in both geographies over the seven-year period, except for O3, which presents a significant ascending trend in London and a milder ascending trend in Edinburgh. However, O3 concentrations have significantly decreased during the year 2020 in both urban areas, despite registering sharp increases during the first lockdown period. In turn, these findings indicate on one hand that the O3 generation process is in the VOC-limited regime in both UK urban areas and, on the other hand, confirm previous findings that, when stretching the analysis period, diminishing ozone levels can lead to NOx reduction even in VOC-controlled geographies. Trajectory analysis reveals that northern Europe, particularly Norway and Sweden, is a principal ozone pollution source for Edinburgh, whereas, for London, mainland Europe (i.e., the Benelux countries) is another significant source. The results have important policy implications, revealing that effective and efficient NOx abatement measures spur ozone pollution in the short-term, but the increase can be transient. Moreover, policymakers in London and Edinburgh should consider that both local and transboundary sources contribute to local ozone pollution.
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Qadeer A, Anis M, Ajmal Z, Kirsten KL, Usman M, Khosa RR, Liu M, Jiang X, Zhao X. Sustainable development goals under threat? Multidimensional impact of COVID-19 on our planet and society outweigh short term global pollution reduction. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2022; 83:103962. [PMID: 35634350 PMCID: PMC9124372 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2022.103962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call on all nations to accomplish 17 broad global development goals by 2030. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a challenging period in human history, causing large-scale impacts on society and the environment as governments shift priorities and divert funding in response to this pandemic. Through a literature survey and data acquirement from various international organizations (e.g. United Nations and European Space Agency), this manuscript is intended to provide critical insights into the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the SDGs. We briefly describe this pandemic's positive and short-term effects on the environment, followed by a critical evaluation of its potential long-term impacts on the environment, society, and the SDGs. On the basis of COVID-19 effects, the SDGs are classified into three categories: directly-affected SDGs, indirectly-affected SDGs, and a stand-alone category. The COVID-19-induced lockdowns and restrictions resulted in a short-term decline in environmental pollution and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, providing valuable data for climate advocates and researchers. These positive impacts were essentially temporary due to the synchronized global response to the pandemic. The halted focus on the progress of the SDGs greatly impacts the global green transition to a healthy and sustainable world. COVID-19 threatens to impede the progress toward a prosperous, environment-friendly, and sustainable global development in multiple ways. These multi-dimensional threats have been critically evaluated, along with a description of potential solutions to curtail the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the SDGs. Considering the limited data regarding the impacts of the pandemic on the SDGs, diverse collaborative studies at the regional and global levels are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Qadeer
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, National Engineering Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing, China
| | - M Anis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Superior University Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Zeeshan Ajmal
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Kelly L Kirsten
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Muhammad Usman
- PEIE Research Chair for the Development of Industrial Estates and Free Zones, Center for Environmental Studies and Research, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud 123, Muscat, Oman
| | - Rivoningo R Khosa
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- TAMS Department, iThemba LABS, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mengyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xia Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, National Engineering Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing, China
| | - Xingru Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, National Engineering Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing, China
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Yu X, Zhang H, Xie B, Wang Z, Zhao S, Zhao D. Effective Radiative Forcings Due To Anthropogenic Emission Changes Under Covid-19 and Post-Pandemic Recovery Scenarios. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2022; 127:e2021JD036251. [PMID: 35600238 PMCID: PMC9111337 DOI: 10.1029/2021jd036251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
With the continuation of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the impacts of this catastrophe on anthropogenic emissions are no longer limited to its early stage. This study quantitatively estimates effective radiative forcings (ERFs) due to anthropogenic well-mixed greenhouse gases (WMGHGs) and aerosols for the period 2020-2050 under the three latest Covid-19 economic-recovery scenarios using an aerosol-climate model. The results indicate that reductions in both WMGHG and aerosol emissions under the Covid-19 green recoveries lead to increases ranging from 0 to 0.3 W m-2 in global annual mean anthropogenic ERF over the period 2020-2050 relative to the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 2-4.5 scenario (the baseline case). These positive ERFs are mainly attributed to the rapid and dramatic decreases in atmospheric aerosol content that increase net shortwave radiative flux at the top of atmosphere via weakening the direct aerosol effect and low cloud cover. At the regional scale, reductions in aerosols contribute to positive ERFs throughout the Northern Hemisphere, while the decreased WMGHGs dominate negative ERFs over the areas away from aerosol pollution, such as the Southern Hemisphere oceans. This drives a strong interhemispheric contrast of ERFs. In contrast, the increased anthropogenic emissions under the fossil-fueled recovery scenario lead to an increase of 0.3 W m-2 in global annual mean ERF in 2050 compared with the baseline case, primarily due to the contribution of WMGHG ERFs. The regional ERF changes are highly dependent on local cloud radiative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochao Yu
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- State Key Laboratory of Severe WeatherChinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Severe WeatherChinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesBeijingChina
- Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological DisastersNanjing University of Information Science and TechnologyNanjingChina
| | - Bing Xie
- Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological DisastersNanjing University of Information Science and TechnologyNanjingChina
- Laboratory for Climate Studies of China Meteorological AdministrationNational Climate CenterChina Meteorological AdministrationBeijingChina
| | - Zhili Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather and Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry of CMAChinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shuyun Zhao
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceSchool of Environment StudiesChina University of GeosciencesWuhanChina
| | - Defeng Zhao
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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5
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Chang K, Cooper OR, Gaudel A, Allaart M, Ancellet G, Clark H, Godin‐Beekmann S, Leblanc T, Van Malderen R, Nédélec P, Petropavlovskikh I, Steinbrecht W, Stübi R, Tarasick DW, Torres C. Impact of the COVID‐19 Economic Downturn on Tropospheric Ozone Trends: An Uncertainty Weighted Data Synthesis for Quantifying Regional Anomalies Above Western North America and Europe. AGU ADVANCES 2022; 3:e2021AV000542. [PMCID: PMC9111294 DOI: 10.1029/2021av000542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
This study quantifies the association between the COVID‐19 economic downturn and 2020 tropospheric ozone anomalies above Europe and western North America, and their impact on long‐term trends. Anomaly detection for an atmospheric time series is usually carried out by identifying potentially aberrant data points relative to climatological values. However, detecting ozone anomalies from sparsely sampled ozonesonde profiles (once per week at most sites) is challenging due to ozone's high temporal variability. We first demonstrate the challenges for summarizing regional trends based on independent time series from multiple nearby ozone profiling stations. We then propose a novel regional‐scale anomaly detection framework based on generalized additive mixed models, which accounts for the sampling frequency and inherent data uncertainty associated with each vertical profile data set, measured by ozonesondes, lidar or commercial aircraft. This method produces a long‐term monthly time series with high vertical resolution that reports ozone anomalies from the surface to the middle‐stratosphere under a unified framework, which can be used to quantify the regional‐scale ozone anomalies during the COVID‐19 economic downturn. By incorporating extensive commercial aircraft data and frequently sampled ozonesonde profiles above Europe, we show that the complex interannual variability of ozone can be adequately captured by our modeling approach. The results show that free tropospheric ozone negative anomalies in 2020 are the most profound since the benchmark year of 1994 for both Europe and western North America, and positive trends over 1994–2019 are diminished in both regions by the 2020 anomalies. 2020 is the only year that both Europe and western North America show strong negative tropospheric ozone anomalies since 1994 Positive free tropospheric ozone trends above Europe and western North America since 1994 are diminished by the 2020 anomalies Data integration of multiple time series provides a better understanding of ozone variability compared to individual records
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai‐Lan Chang
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- NOAA Chemical Sciences LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | - Owen R. Cooper
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- NOAA Chemical Sciences LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | - Audrey Gaudel
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- NOAA Chemical Sciences LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | - Marc Allaart
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological InstituteDe BiltThe Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Thierry Leblanc
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyWrightwoodCAUSA
| | | | - Philippe Nédélec
- Laboratoire d’AérologieCNRS and Université de Toulouse IIIToulouseFrance
| | - Irina Petropavlovskikh
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- NOAA Global Monitoring LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - René Stübi
- Federal Office of Meteorology and ClimatologyMeteoSwissPayerneSwitzerland
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6
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Fiedler S, Wyser K, Rogelj J, van Noije T. Radiative effects of reduced aerosol emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic and the future recovery. ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 2021; 264:105866. [PMID: 34602689 PMCID: PMC8462062 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2021.105866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic in 2020 caused an abrupt change in the emission of anthropogenic aerosols and their precursors. We estimate the associated change in the aerosol radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere and the surface. To that end, we perform new simulations with the CMIP6 global climate model EC-Earth3. The simulations use the here newly created data for the anthropogenic aerosol optical properties and an associated effect on clouds from the simple plumes parameterization (MACv2-SP), based on revised SO2 and NH3 emission scenarios. Our results highlight the small impact of the pandemic on the global aerosol radiative forcing in 2020 compared to the CMIP6 scenario SSP2-4.5 of the order of +0.04 Wm-2, which is small compared to the natural year-to-year variability in the radiation budget. Natural variability also limits the ability to detect a meaningful regional difference in the anthropogenic aerosol radiative effects. We identify the best chances to find a significant change in radiation at the surface during cloud-free conditions for regions that were strongly polluted in the past years. The post-pandemic recovery scenarios indicate a spread in the aerosol forcing of -0.68 to -0.38 Wm-2 for 2050 relative to the pre-industrial, which translates to a difference of +0.05 to -0.25 Wm-2 compared to the 2050 baseline from SSP2-4.5. This spread falls within the present-day uncertainty in aerosol radiative forcing and the CMIP6 spread in aerosol forcing at the end of the 21st century. We release the new MACv2-SP data for studies on the climate response to the pandemic and the recovery scenarios. Our 2050 forcing estimates suggest that sustained aerosol emission reductions during the post-pandemic recovery cause a stronger climate response than in 2020, i.e., there is a delayed influence of the pandemic on climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Fiedler
- University of Cologne, Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology, Cologne, Germany
- Hans-Ertel-Centre for Weather Research, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics, Bonn/Cologne, Germany
| | - Klaus Wyser
- Rossby Centre, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Sweden
| | - Joeri Rogelj
- Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Twan van Noije
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, Netherlands
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7
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Parida BR, Bar S, Kaskaoutis D, Pandey AC, Polade SD, Goswami S. Impact of COVID-19 induced lockdown on land surface temperature, aerosol, and urban heat in Europe and North America. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2021; 75:103336. [PMID: 34513574 PMCID: PMC8418702 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2021.103336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) has posed a serious threat to human beings, society, and economic activities all over the world. Worldwide rigorous containment measures for limiting the spread of the virus have several beneficial environmental implications due to decreased anthropogenic emissions and air pollutants, which provide a unique opportunity to understand and quantify the human impact on atmospheric environment. In the present study, the associated changes in Land Surface Temperature (LST), aerosol, and atmospheric water vapor content were investigated over highly COVID-19 impacted areas, namely, Europe and North America. The key findings revealed a large-scale negative standardized LST anomaly during nighttime across Europe (-0.11 °C to -2.6 °C), USA (-0.70 °C) and Canada (-0.27 °C) in March-May of the pandemic year 2020 compared to the mean of 2015-2019, which can be partly ascribed to the lockdown effect. The reduced LST was corroborated with the negative anomaly of air temperature measured at meteorological stations (i.e. -0.46 °C to -0.96 °C). A larger decrease in nighttime LST was also seen in urban areas (by ∼1-2 °C) compared to rural landscapes, which suggests a weakness of the urban heat island effect during the lockdown period due to large decrease in absorbing aerosols and air pollutants. On the contrary, daytime LST increased over most parts of Europe due to less attenuation of solar radiation by atmospheric aerosols. Synoptic meteorological variability and several surface-related factors may mask these changes and significantly affect the variations in LST, aerosols and water vapor content. The changes in LST may be a temporary phenomenon during the lockdown but provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the effects of various forcing controlling factors in urban microclimate and a strong evidence base for potential environmental benefits through urban planning and policy implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikash Ranjan Parida
- Department of Geoinformatics, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi 835205, India
| | - Somnath Bar
- Department of Geoinformatics, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi 835205, India
| | - Dimitris Kaskaoutis
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Palaia Penteli, 15236 Athens, Greece
- Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, 71003 Crete, Greece
| | - Arvind Chandra Pandey
- Department of Geoinformatics, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi 835205, India
| | | | - Santonu Goswami
- Earth and Climate Science Area, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Hyderabad 500037, India
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8
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Balamurugan V, Chen J, Qu Z, Bi X, Gensheimer J, Shekhar A, Bhattacharjee S, Keutsch FN. Tropospheric NO 2 and O 3 Response to COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions at the National and Urban Scales in Germany. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2021; 126:e2021JD035440. [PMID: 34926104 PMCID: PMC8667658 DOI: 10.1029/2021jd035440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study estimates the influence of anthropogenic emission reductions on nitrogen dioxide (N O 2 ) and ozone ( O 3 ) concentration changes in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic period using in-situ surface and Sentinel-5 Precursor TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) satellite column measurements and GEOS-Chem model simulations. We show that reductions in anthropogenic emissions in eight German metropolitan areas reduced mean in-situ (& column)N O 2 concentrations by 23 % (& 16 % ) between March 21 and June 30, 2020 after accounting for meteorology, whereas the corresponding mean in-situ O 3 concentration increased by 4 % between March 21 and May 31, 2020, and decreased by 3 % in June 2020, compared to 2019. In the winter and spring, the degree ofN O X saturation of ozone production is stronger than in the summer. This implies that future reductions inN O X emissions in these metropolitan areas are likely to increase ozone pollution during winter and spring if appropriate mitigation measures are not implemented. TROPOMIN O 2 concentrations decreased nationwide during the stricter lockdown period after accounting for meteorology with the exception of North-West Germany which can be attributed to enhancedN O X emissions from agricultural soils.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jia Chen
- Environmental Sensing and ModelingTechnical University of Munich (TUM)MunichGermany
| | - Zhen Qu
- School of Engineering and Applied ScienceHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
| | - Xiao Bi
- Environmental Sensing and ModelingTechnical University of Munich (TUM)MunichGermany
| | - Johannes Gensheimer
- Environmental Sensing and ModelingTechnical University of Munich (TUM)MunichGermany
| | - Ankit Shekhar
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Frank N. Keutsch
- School of Engineering and Applied ScienceHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
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9
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East Asian climate response to COVID-19 lockdown measures in China. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16852. [PMID: 34413343 PMCID: PMC8376968 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96007-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions of public life and imposed lockdown measures in 2020 resulted in considerable reductions of anthropogenic aerosol emissions. It still remains unclear how the associated short-term changes in atmospheric chemistry influenced weather and climate on regional scales. To understand the underlying physical mechanisms, we conduct ensemble aerosol perturbation experiments with the Community Earth System Model, version 2. In the simulations reduced anthropogenic aerosol emissions in February generate anomalous surface warming and warm-moist air advection which promotes low-level cloud formation over China. Although the simulated response is weak, it is detectable in some areas, in qualitative agreement with the observations. The negative dynamical cloud feedback offsets the effect from reduced cloud condensation nuclei. Additional perturbation experiments with strongly amplified air pollution over China reveal a nonlinear sensitivity of regional atmospheric conditions to chemical/radiative perturbations. COVID-19-related changes in anthropogenic aerosol emissions provide an excellent testbed to elucidate the interaction between air pollution and climate.
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10
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Abeysekera I, Li F, Lu Y. Financial disclosure quality and sustainability disclosure quality. A case in China. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250884. [PMID: 34048431 PMCID: PMC8162600 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper empirically examines whether there is an association between financial reporting disclosure quality and sustainability disclosure quality of the top 100 socially reputed Chinese listed firms. The paper computed financial disclosure quality by empirically combining earning qualities of accrual, persistence, predictability, and smoothness. Using content analysis and survey questionnaire research methods, it calculated sustainability quality by combining disclosure quantity (through quantitative weightings), disclosure type (through qualitative weightings), and disclosure item importance (through qualitative weightings) of economic, social, and environmental disclosures made in annual and sustainability reports, ascertained using the Global Reporting Initiative sustainability framework. The study finds that sustainability disclosure in the current period is sufficiently associated with financial disclosure quality of the current period and future period. Consistent with stakeholder theory, firms with a social reputation are perceived as trustworthy by stakeholders and shareholders. The findings lead to a cultural stakeholder theory where underlying values of societal culture create a condition supporting mutual stakeholder relationships between firm and various stakeholders. Demonstrating trustworthiness through disclosures can help boost consumer confidence and foreign trade relations for Chinese firms. The Chinese government can design innovative schemes to reward and promote trustworthiness in firms, such as regulating base-point reductions in interest rates on borrowing or raising funds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Abeysekera
- Discipline of Accounting and Finance, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Feng Li
- Discipline of Accounting, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Yingjun Lu
- School of Accounting, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, Shanghai, China
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11
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Jones CD, Hickman JE, Rumbold ST, Walton J, Lamboll RD, Skeie RB, Fiedler S, Forster PM, Rogelj J, Abe M, Botzet M, Calvin K, Cassou C, Cole JN, Davini P, Deushi M, Dix M, Fyfe JC, Gillett NP, Ilyina T, Kawamiya M, Kelley M, Kharin S, Koshiro T, Li H, Mackallah C, Müller WA, Nabat P, van Noije T, Nolan P, Ohgaito R, Olivié D, Oshima N, Parodi J, Reerink TJ, Ren L, Romanou A, Séférian R, Tang Y, Timmreck C, Tjiputra J, Tourigny E, Tsigaridis K, Wang H, Wu M, Wyser K, Yang S, Yang Y, Ziehn T. The Climate Response to Emissions Reductions Due to COVID-19: Initial Results From CovidMIP. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2021; 48:e2020GL091883. [PMID: 34149115 PMCID: PMC8206678 DOI: 10.1029/2020gl091883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Many nations responded to the corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by restricting travel and other activities during 2020, resulting in temporarily reduced emissions of CO2, other greenhouse gases and ozone and aerosol precursors. We present the initial results from a coordinated Intercomparison, CovidMIP, of Earth system model simulations which assess the impact on climate of these emissions reductions. 12 models performed multiple initial-condition ensembles to produce over 300 simulations spanning both initial condition and model structural uncertainty. We find model consensus on reduced aerosol amounts (particularly over southern and eastern Asia) and associated increases in surface shortwave radiation levels. However, any impact on near-surface temperature or rainfall during 2020-2024 is extremely small and is not detectable in this initial analysis. Regional analyses on a finer scale, and closer attention to extremes (especially linked to changes in atmospheric composition and air quality) are required to test the impact of COVID-19-related emission reductions on near-term climate.
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12
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Gaubert B, Bouarar I, Doumbia T, Liu Y, Stavrakou T, Deroubaix A, Darras S, Elguindi N, Granier C, Lacey F, Müller J, Shi X, Tilmes S, Wang T, Brasseur GP. Global Changes in Secondary Atmospheric Pollutants During the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2021; 126:e2020JD034213. [PMID: 34230871 PMCID: PMC8250227 DOI: 10.1029/2020jd034213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We use the global Community Earth System Model to investigate the response of secondary pollutants (ozone O3, secondary organic aerosols SOA) in different parts of the world in response to modified emissions of primary pollutants during the COVID-19 pandemic. We quantify the respective effects of the reductions in NOx and in volatile organic carbon (VOC) emissions, which, in most cases, affect oxidants in opposite ways. Using model simulations, we show that the level of NOx has been reduced by typically 40% in China during February 2020 and by similar amounts in many areas of Europe and North America in mid-March to mid-April 2020, in good agreement with space and surface observations. We show that, relative to a situation in which the emission reductions are ignored and despite the calculated increase in hydroxyl and peroxy radicals, the ozone concentration increased only in a few NOx-saturated regions (northern China, northern Europe, and the US) during the winter months of the pandemic when the titration of this molecule by NOx was reduced. In other regions, where ozone is NOx-controlled, the concentration of ozone decreased. SOA concentrations decrease in response to the concurrent reduction in the NOx and VOC emissions. The model also shows that atmospheric meteorological anomalies produced substantial variations in the concentrations of chemical species during the pandemic. In Europe, for example, a large fraction of the ozone increase in February 2020 was associated with meteorological anomalies, while in the North China Plain, enhanced ozone concentrations resulted primarily from reduced emissions of primary pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Gaubert
- National Center for Atmospheric ResearchAtmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | - Idir Bouarar
- Environmental Modeling GroupMax Planck Institute for MeteorologyHamburgGermany
| | | | - Yiming Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
| | | | - Adrien Deroubaix
- Environmental Modeling GroupMax Planck Institute for MeteorologyHamburgGermany
| | | | | | - Claire Granier
- Laboratoire d’AérologieUniversité de ToulouseCNRSUPSFrance
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory/CIRESUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Forrest Lacey
- National Center for Atmospheric ResearchAtmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Xiaoqin Shi
- Environmental Modeling GroupMax Planck Institute for MeteorologyHamburgGermany
| | - Simone Tilmes
- National Center for Atmospheric ResearchAtmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
| | - Guy P. Brasseur
- National Center for Atmospheric ResearchAtmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
- Environmental Modeling GroupMax Planck Institute for MeteorologyHamburgGermany
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
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13
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Steinbrecht W, Kubistin D, Plass‐Dülmer C, Davies J, Tarasick DW, von der Gathen P, Deckelmann H, Jepsen N, Kivi R, Lyall N, Palm M, Notholt J, Kois B, Oelsner P, Allaart M, Piters A, Gill M, Van Malderen R, Delcloo AW, Sussmann R, Mahieu E, Servais C, Romanens G, Stübi R, Ancellet G, Godin‐Beekmann S, Yamanouchi S, Strong K, Johnson B, Cullis P, Petropavlovskikh I, Hannigan JW, Hernandez J, Diaz Rodriguez A, Nakano T, Chouza F, Leblanc T, Torres C, Garcia O, Röhling AN, Schneider M, Blumenstock T, Tully M, Paton‐Walsh C, Jones N, Querel R, Strahan S, Stauffer RM, Thompson AM, Inness A, Engelen R, Chang K, Cooper OR. COVID-19 Crisis Reduces Free Tropospheric Ozone Across the Northern Hemisphere. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2021; 48:e2020GL091987. [PMID: 33785974 PMCID: PMC7995013 DOI: 10.1029/2020gl091987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Throughout spring and summer 2020, ozone stations in the northern extratropics recorded unusually low ozone in the free troposphere. From April to August, and from 1 to 8 kilometers altitude, ozone was on average 7% (≈4 nmol/mol) below the 2000-2020 climatological mean. Such low ozone, over several months, and at so many stations, has not been observed in any previous year since at least 2000. Atmospheric composition analyses from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service and simulations from the NASA GMI model indicate that the large 2020 springtime ozone depletion in the Arctic stratosphere contributed less than one-quarter of the observed tropospheric anomaly. The observed anomaly is consistent with recent chemistry-climate model simulations, which assume emissions reductions similar to those caused by the COVID-19 crisis. COVID-19 related emissions reductions appear to be the major cause for the observed reduced free tropospheric ozone in 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Peter von der Gathen
- Alfred Wegener InstitutHelmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und MeeresforschungPotsdamGermany
| | - Holger Deckelmann
- Alfred Wegener InstitutHelmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und MeeresforschungPotsdamGermany
| | - Nis Jepsen
- Danish Meteorological InstituteCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Rigel Kivi
- Finnish Meteorological InstituteSodankyläFinland
| | | | | | | | - Bogumil Kois
- Institute of Meteorology and Water ManagementLegionowoPoland
| | | | - Marc Allaart
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological InstituteDeBiltThe Netherlands
| | - Ankie Piters
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological InstituteDeBiltThe Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Ralf Sussmann
- Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyIMK‐IFUGarmisch‐PartenkirchenGermany
| | - Emmanuel Mahieu
- Institute of Astrophysics and GeophysicsUniversity of LiègeLiègeBelgium
| | - Christian Servais
- Institute of Astrophysics and GeophysicsUniversity of LiègeLiègeBelgium
| | - Gonzague Romanens
- Federal Office of Meteorology and ClimatologyMeteoSwissPayerneSwitzerland
| | - Rene Stübi
- Federal Office of Meteorology and ClimatologyMeteoSwissPayerneSwitzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Cullis
- NOAA ESRL Global Monitoring LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)University of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Irina Petropavlovskikh
- NOAA ESRL Global Monitoring LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)University of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | | | | | | | | | - Fernando Chouza
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyTable Mountain FacilityWrightwoodCAUSA
| | - Thierry Leblanc
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyTable Mountain FacilityWrightwoodCAUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Clare Paton‐Walsh
- Centre for Atmospheric ChemistryUniversity of WollongongWollongongAustralia
| | - Nicholas Jones
- Centre for Atmospheric ChemistryUniversity of WollongongWollongongAustralia
| | - Richard Querel
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric ResearchLauderNew Zealand
| | - Susan Strahan
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterEarth Sciences DivisionGreenbeltMDUSA
- Universities Space Research AssociationColumbiaMDUSA
| | - Ryan M. Stauffer
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterEarth Sciences DivisionGreenbeltMDUSA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary CenterUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMDUSA
| | - Anne M. Thompson
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterEarth Sciences DivisionGreenbeltMDUSA
| | - Antje Inness
- European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather ForecastsReadingUK
| | | | - Kai‐Lan Chang
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)University of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- NOAA Chemical Sciences LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
| | - Owen R. Cooper
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)University of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
- NOAA Chemical Sciences LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
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14
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Assessment of the COVID-19 Lockdown Effects on Spectral Aerosol Scattering and Absorption Properties in Athens, Greece. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12020231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is evolving into one of the worst pandemics in recent history, claiming a death toll of over 1.5 million as of December 2020. In an attempt to limit the expansion of the pandemic in its initial phase, nearly all countries imposed restriction measures, which resulted in an unprecedented reduction of air pollution. This study aims to assess the impact of the lockdown effects due to COVID-19 on in situ measured aerosol properties, namely spectral-scattering (bsca) and absorption (babs) coefficients, black carbon (BC) concentrations, single-scattering albedo (SSA), scattering and absorption Ångström exponents (SAE, AAE) in Athens, Greece. Moreover, a comparison is performed with the regional background site of Finokalia, Crete, for a better assessment of the urban impact on observed differences. The study examines pre-lockdown (1–22 March 2020), lockdown (23 March–3 May 2020) and post-lockdown (4–31 May 2020) periods, while the aerosol properties are also compared with a 3–4 year preceding period (2016/2017–2019). Comparison of meteorological parameters in Athens, between the lockdown period and respective days in previous years, showed only marginal variation, which is not deemed sufficient in order to justify the notable changes in aerosol concentrations and optical properties. The largest reduction during the lockdown period was observed for babs compared to the pre-lockdown (−39%) and to the same period in previous years (−36%). This was intensified during the morning traffic hours (−60%), reflecting the large decrease in vehicular emissions. Furthermore, AAE increased during the lockdown period due to reduced emissions from fossil-fuel combustion, while a smaller (−21%) decrease was observed for bsca along with slight increases (6%) in SAE and SSA values, indicating that scattering aerosol properties were less affected by the decrease in vehicular emissions, as they are more dependent on regional sources and atmospheric processing. Nighttime BC emissions related to residential wood-burning were slightly increased during the lockdown period, with respect to previous-year means. On the contrary, aerosol and pollution changes during the lockdown period at Finokalia were low and highly sensitive to natural sources and processes.
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