ERL graphic iopscience_header.jpgLETTER o THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ISOPEN ACCESSNegative ozone anomalies at a high mountain site in northern Italy during 2020: a possible role of COVID-19 lockdowns?Paolo Cristofanelli1, Jgor Arduni2, Federico Serva3, Francescopiero Calzolari1, Paolo Bonasoni1, Maurizio Busetto1, Michela Maione1,2, Michael Sprenger4, Pamela Trisolino1 and Davide Putero5Published 2 July 2021 o © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing LtdEnvironmental Research Letters, Volume 16, Number 7Citation Paolo Cristofanelli et al 2021 Environ. Res. Lett. 16 074029DownloadArticle PDF DownloadArticle ePubFiguresReferencesDownload PDFDownload ePub219 Total downloadsTurn on MathJaxShare this articleShare this content via emailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+Share on MendeleyHide article informationAuthor e-mailsp.cristofanelli@isac.cnr.itAuthor affiliations1 CNR-ISAC, National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Via Gobetti 101, Bologna, IT 40129, Italy2 University of Urbino, Faculty of Science and Technologies, Piazza Rinascimento 6, Urbino, IT 61029, Italy3 CNR-ISMAR, National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Marine Sciences, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Roma, IT 00133, Italy4 ETH Zürich, Environmental Systems Sciences, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich, CH 8092, Switzerland5 CNR-ISAC, National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Corso Fiume 4, Torino, IT 10133, ItalyORCID iDsPaolo Cristofanelli https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5666-9131Jgor Arduni https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5199-3853Federico Serva https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7118-0817Francescopiero Calzolari https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4535-9626Paolo Bonasoni https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8812-5291Maurizio Busetto https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1115-6564Michela Maione https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2622-5772Michael Sprenger https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9317-8822Pamela Trisolino https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1786-5310Davide Putero https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9721-1036DatesReceived 16 March 2021Accepted 15 June 2021Published 2 July 2021Check for updates using CrossmarkPeer review informationMethod: Single-anonymousRevisions: 1Screened for originality? YesDOIhttps://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac0b6aBuy this article in printJournal RSSSign up for new issue notificationsCreate citation alertAbstractSeveral studies investigated the possible impacts of the restriction measures related to the containment of the spread of the COrona VIrus Disease (COVID-19) to atmospheric ozone (O3) at global, regional, and local scales during 2020. O3 is a secondary pollutant with adverse effects on population health and ecosystems and with negative impacts on climate, acting as greenhouse gas. Most of these studies focused on spring 2020 (i.e. March-May) and on observations in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), mostly in the vicinity of urban agglomerates. Here, we analyzed the variability of O3 above the PBL of northern Italy in 2020 by using continuous observations carried out at a high mountain WMO/GAW global station in Italy (Mt. Cimone-CMN; 44°12' N, 10°42' E, 2165 m a.s.l.). Low O3 monthly anomalies were observed during spring (MAM) and summer (JJA), when periods of low O3 intertwined with periods with higher O3, within climatological ranges. A similar variability was observed for O3 precursors like NO2 and 15 anthropogenic non-methane volatile organic carbons, but the systematic O3 anomalies were not reflected in these variables. The analysis of meteorological variables and diel O3 cycles did not suggest major changes in the vertical transport related to the thermal circulation system in the mountain area. The analysis of five days back-trajectories suggested that the observed O3 anomalies cannot be explained by differences in the synoptic-scale circulation with respect to the previous years alone. On the other hand, the characterization of two transport patterns (i.e. air masses from the regional PBL or from the free troposphere) and the analysis of back-trajectories suggested an important contribution of transport from the continental PBL during the periods with the lowest O3 at CMN. When proxies of air mass transport from the regional PBL are considered, a lower NOx content was pointed out with respect to the previous years, suggesting a lower O3 production in a NOx-limited atmosphere. Our study suggested for the first time that, during MAM and JJA 2020, the reduced anthropogenic emissions related to the COVID-19 restrictions lowered the amount of this short-lived climate forcer/pollutant at remote locations above the PBL over northern Italy. This work suggests the importance of limiting anthropogenic precursor emissions for decreasing the O3 amount at remote locations and in upper atmospheric layers.
Negative ozone anomalies at a high mountain site in northern Italy during 2020: a possible role of COVID-19 lockdowns?
Paolo Cristofanelli;Federico Serva;Francescopiero Calzolari;Paolo Bonasoni;Maurizio Busetto;Michela Maione;Pamela Trisolino;Davide Putero
2021
Abstract
ERL graphic iopscience_header.jpgLETTER o THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ISOPEN ACCESSNegative ozone anomalies at a high mountain site in northern Italy during 2020: a possible role of COVID-19 lockdowns?Paolo Cristofanelli1, Jgor Arduni2, Federico Serva3, Francescopiero Calzolari1, Paolo Bonasoni1, Maurizio Busetto1, Michela Maione1,2, Michael Sprenger4, Pamela Trisolino1 and Davide Putero5Published 2 July 2021 o © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing LtdEnvironmental Research Letters, Volume 16, Number 7Citation Paolo Cristofanelli et al 2021 Environ. Res. Lett. 16 074029DownloadArticle PDF DownloadArticle ePubFiguresReferencesDownload PDFDownload ePub219 Total downloadsTurn on MathJaxShare this articleShare this content via emailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+Share on MendeleyHide article informationAuthor e-mailsp.cristofanelli@isac.cnr.itAuthor affiliations1 CNR-ISAC, National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Via Gobetti 101, Bologna, IT 40129, Italy2 University of Urbino, Faculty of Science and Technologies, Piazza Rinascimento 6, Urbino, IT 61029, Italy3 CNR-ISMAR, National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Marine Sciences, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Roma, IT 00133, Italy4 ETH Zürich, Environmental Systems Sciences, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich, CH 8092, Switzerland5 CNR-ISAC, National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Corso Fiume 4, Torino, IT 10133, ItalyORCID iDsPaolo Cristofanelli https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5666-9131Jgor Arduni https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5199-3853Federico Serva https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7118-0817Francescopiero Calzolari https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4535-9626Paolo Bonasoni https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8812-5291Maurizio Busetto https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1115-6564Michela Maione https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2622-5772Michael Sprenger https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9317-8822Pamela Trisolino https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1786-5310Davide Putero https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9721-1036DatesReceived 16 March 2021Accepted 15 June 2021Published 2 July 2021Check for updates using CrossmarkPeer review informationMethod: Single-anonymousRevisions: 1Screened for originality? YesDOIhttps://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac0b6aBuy this article in printJournal RSSSign up for new issue notificationsCreate citation alertAbstractSeveral studies investigated the possible impacts of the restriction measures related to the containment of the spread of the COrona VIrus Disease (COVID-19) to atmospheric ozone (O3) at global, regional, and local scales during 2020. O3 is a secondary pollutant with adverse effects on population health and ecosystems and with negative impacts on climate, acting as greenhouse gas. Most of these studies focused on spring 2020 (i.e. March-May) and on observations in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), mostly in the vicinity of urban agglomerates. Here, we analyzed the variability of O3 above the PBL of northern Italy in 2020 by using continuous observations carried out at a high mountain WMO/GAW global station in Italy (Mt. Cimone-CMN; 44°12' N, 10°42' E, 2165 m a.s.l.). Low O3 monthly anomalies were observed during spring (MAM) and summer (JJA), when periods of low O3 intertwined with periods with higher O3, within climatological ranges. A similar variability was observed for O3 precursors like NO2 and 15 anthropogenic non-methane volatile organic carbons, but the systematic O3 anomalies were not reflected in these variables. The analysis of meteorological variables and diel O3 cycles did not suggest major changes in the vertical transport related to the thermal circulation system in the mountain area. The analysis of five days back-trajectories suggested that the observed O3 anomalies cannot be explained by differences in the synoptic-scale circulation with respect to the previous years alone. On the other hand, the characterization of two transport patterns (i.e. air masses from the regional PBL or from the free troposphere) and the analysis of back-trajectories suggested an important contribution of transport from the continental PBL during the periods with the lowest O3 at CMN. When proxies of air mass transport from the regional PBL are considered, a lower NOx content was pointed out with respect to the previous years, suggesting a lower O3 production in a NOx-limited atmosphere. Our study suggested for the first time that, during MAM and JJA 2020, the reduced anthropogenic emissions related to the COVID-19 restrictions lowered the amount of this short-lived climate forcer/pollutant at remote locations above the PBL over northern Italy. This work suggests the importance of limiting anthropogenic precursor emissions for decreasing the O3 amount at remote locations and in upper atmospheric layers.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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