Go Back
Here’s how to help Mississippi tornado survivors. Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

51°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

51°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

News & Features AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Business Climate Health Recreation Sports Travel

News / Weather News

NASA images show amazing reduction in pollution over China believed to be linked to coronavirus outbreak

Published Mar 5, 2020 10:40 PM EDT

Copied
Live Coverage For all things weather, 24 hours a day.

As travel reductions increase in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., some positive environmental aspects are beginning to appear in other parts of the world.

Scientists have recorded a massive reduction in pollution over China during the last two months, which is believed to be a result of measures taken to stop the coronavirus outbreak.

A pair of images captured by NASA and European Space Agency pollution monitoring satellites reveal a significant change in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the air over the country between Jan. 1 and Feb. 25.

The first image, depicting the period from Jan. 1-20, features large pockets of orange and red, which represent a high density of NO2 over metropolitan areas like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Scientists believe the reduction in pollution over China was largely a result of measures taken to control the outbreak of the coronavirus. (Photo/NASA)

But the second image, showing the period from Feb. 10-25, reveals the majority of this pollution had disappeared completely.

The timeline for the improvement in air quality coincides with when health and government officials in China acknowledged the threat of coronavirus and put Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, on lockdown.

NO2 is emitted by motor vehicles, power plants and industrial facilities - and the quarantine placed on the city shut most of these things down, likely leading to the improved air quality. 

According to NASA, the reduction in NO2 pollution was first apparent near Wuhan but eventually spread across the country. 

People wearing masks, play in a park in Hong Kong, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

“This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event,” said Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

The drop in nitrogen dioxide in 2020 also coincided with Lunar New Year celebrations in China and much of Asia, experts said. During this celebration, businesses and factories will often close from the last week in January into early February.

While previous observations from NASA have shown a dip in pollution during this period, it is typically followed by a return to normal levels later in the month.

“There is always this general slowdown around this time of the year,” said Barry Lefer, an air quality scientist at NASA. 

A traffic policeman adjusts his mask on a street in Beijing, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

However, the images captured by the satellites this year don't show a return to normal levels, as expected.

This failure to rebound likely means the reduction in pollution is due to measures taken to control the virus.

“This year, the reduction rate is more significant than in past years and it has lasted longer,” Liu said. “I am not surprised because many cities nationwide have taken measures to minimize spread of the virus.”

China continues to host more cases of the virus than any other country globally. More than 3,300 people have died and nearly 98,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus globally, according to John Hopkins University. About 3.4% of the coronavirus cases have been deadly.

Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

Severe Weather

Survivors left reeling after deadly Mississippi tornadoes

Mar. 27, 2023
Severe Weather

Georgia tornado leaves several injured

Mar. 27, 2023
Weather News

California farms grapple with flooding damages

Mar. 27, 2023
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

News & Features

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Top Stories

Severe Weather

Next outburst of severe weather to threaten Dallas to Chicago

7 hours ago

Severe Weather

Threats of severe weather, flash flooding persist for the Southeast

3 hours ago

Severe Weather

Jaw-dropping before-and-after satellite images of Mississippi tornado

5 hours ago

Winter Weather

New storm to bring heavy rain, strong winds, snow to California

7 hours ago

Weather News

How to help Mississippi tornado survivors

10 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Severe Weather

Tigers escape Georgia zoo as tornado strikes Troup County

10 hours ago

Health

Philadelphians panic-bought water after alerted to chemical spill

7 hours ago

Climate

One species of Antarctica's penguins offers poignant lesson

12 hours ago

AccuWeather Weather News NASA images show amazing reduction in pollution over China believed to be linked to coronavirus outbreak
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK