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Fast Climate Responses to Aerosol Emission Reductions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl089788· OSTI ID:1686086
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  1. Nanjing Univ. of Information Science and Technology (China)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Atmospheric Science and Global Change Div. (ASGC)
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The reduced human activities and associated decreases in aerosol emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to affect climate. Assuming emission changes during lockdown, back-to-work and post-lockdown stages of COVID-19, climate model simulations show a surface warming over continental regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In January–March, there was an anomalous warming of 0.05–0.15 K in eastern China, and the surface temperature increase was 0.04–0.07 K in Europe, eastern United States, and South Asia in March–May. The longer the emission reductions undergo, the warmer the climate would become. The emission reductions explain the observed temperature increases of 10–40% over eastern China relative to 2019. A southward shift of the ITCZ is also seen in the simulations. This study provides an insight into the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global and regional climate and implications for immediate actions to mitigate fast global warming.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Key Research and Development Program of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth and Environmental Systems Science Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1686086
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA--154256
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 47; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Figures / Tables (4)

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