NASA’s Satellite Images Show China’s Pollution Cleared Due To Coronavirus
Image via Shutterstock
Satellite images by NASA and the European Space Agency show how pollution has significantly cleared in China as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
As COVID-19 spreads across China and the world, businesses have ceased operations and travel restrictions have been imposed on the nation.
The pollution levels in China were tracked using the monitoring satellites by the space agencies over the past two months, and the difference in concentration of nitrogen dioxide—gas emitted by motor vehicles and industrial companies—is revealed in two maps below.
The first map shows high levels of gas over Beijing and Shanghai in the first weeks of January, before confinements were in place. In the second map depicting the last three weeks of February, almost no nitrogen dioxide can be seen after the lockdown was imposed in Wuhan and Hubei.
Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA, was appalled to see such a “dramatic drop-off” for the first time. The drop-in levels also coincided with Lunar New Year celebrations across China from late January to early February.
Liu added that the reduction rate is more drastic, and there hasn’t been an increase after the Lunar New Year celebrations.
NASA and ESA pollution monitoring satellites have detected significant decreases in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) over China. There is evidence that the change is at least partly related to the economic slowdown following the outbreak of coronavirus https://t.co/6LynSRr3pA pic.twitter.com/Z9ij3w9BAX
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) February 29, 2020
China's air pollution dropped dramatically after coronavirus lockdown. The resulting factory closures and fall in motor traffic has meant a sustained drop in noxious NO2.
— Ms. J. ⁂ (@Aero_Jenna) March 2, 2020
The data came from the @ESA's Sentinel-5 satellite, and similar data came from @NASA's Aura satellite. pic.twitter.com/L9ckpC3VZu
[via BBC, opening image via Shutterstock]
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