Response of surface ozone concentration to emission reduction and meteorology during the COVID‐19 lockdown in Europe

• DOI: 10.1002/met.1990
• Publication Date: 2021-05-09T01:19:47Z
• Authors: Adrien Deroubaix; Guy Brasseur; Benjamin Gaubert; Inga Labuhn; Laurent Menut; Guillaume Siour; Paolo Tuccella
• Keywords: Nitrogen dioxide

Abstract The lockdown period (March–May 2020) during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Europe led to a reduction anthropogenic emissions of primary pollutants. For three‐quarters over 1,100 available monitoring stations, average nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) concentrations decreased by at least 2.7 μg·m −3 (or 25%) compared with recorded same previous seven years. This was not specific urban or rural areas because relative similar magnitude both areas. ozone (O 3 response differed spatially, positive anomalies Northern and negative Southwestern Europe. Reduced cloudiness related enhanced radiation played significant role increase surface O shifting photochemical partitioning between NO toward more . level total oxidant x = + remained unchanged, except where it decreased. Several episodes lasting few days high oxidants were observed results illustrate complexity atmospheric unprecedented emission