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Dominance of Natural Aerosols Over India In Pre-Monsoon: Inferences From the Lockdown Effects


Affiliations
1 National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Hyderabad 500 037, India
 

Changes in absorbing and composite aerosols over India during the first phase of lockdown are examined, using multi-satellite observations. While MODIS shows –16.17  1.35% reduction in AOD over the Indian landmass, OMI shows a decrease of –22.4  1.36% (–26.2  1.17%) in AOD (AAOD). Considerable fraction of this AOD difference is contributed by the changes in aerosols at higher altitudes. While reduc-tion in AOD of –38.05  1.06% (–39.4  1.12), –23.02  2.63% (–17.08  2.12) and –18.98  2.86% (–28.38  2.39%) is observed over IGP, Northwest and Southern Peninsula respectively from MODIS (OMI), enhance-ment in AOD of 5.16  2.44% (6.82  2.86%) is seen over Centralwest India. Reduction in absorbing aero-sols over IGP is –39.18  1.25%, whereas that over Southern Peninsula is –33.1  2.03%. These changes are significantly contributed by the changes in dust aerosols, in addition to the decrease in anthropogenic aerosols. Though there is a reduction in aerosol load-ing, compared to previous years, gradual increase in AOD and AAOD is seen even during the lockdown period due to strengthening of dust transport. More-over, the reduction in total (absorbing) aerosol load-ing over India during the lockdown phase is only 20% (26%), with significant contribution from higher alti-tudes, even in the absence of major anthropogenic sources. These results show the dominance of natural aerosols over India during pre-monsoon.

Keywords

Absorbing Aerosols, Anthropogenic Aero-sols, COVID-19, Dust, Forest Fire, Lockdown, Natural Aero-sols.
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  • Dominance of Natural Aerosols Over India In Pre-Monsoon: Inferences From the Lockdown Effects

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Authors

S. S. Prijith
National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Hyderabad 500 037, India
J. Srinivasulu
National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Hyderabad 500 037, India
M. V. R. Sesha Sai
National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Hyderabad 500 037, India

Abstract


Changes in absorbing and composite aerosols over India during the first phase of lockdown are examined, using multi-satellite observations. While MODIS shows –16.17  1.35% reduction in AOD over the Indian landmass, OMI shows a decrease of –22.4  1.36% (–26.2  1.17%) in AOD (AAOD). Considerable fraction of this AOD difference is contributed by the changes in aerosols at higher altitudes. While reduc-tion in AOD of –38.05  1.06% (–39.4  1.12), –23.02  2.63% (–17.08  2.12) and –18.98  2.86% (–28.38  2.39%) is observed over IGP, Northwest and Southern Peninsula respectively from MODIS (OMI), enhance-ment in AOD of 5.16  2.44% (6.82  2.86%) is seen over Centralwest India. Reduction in absorbing aero-sols over IGP is –39.18  1.25%, whereas that over Southern Peninsula is –33.1  2.03%. These changes are significantly contributed by the changes in dust aerosols, in addition to the decrease in anthropogenic aerosols. Though there is a reduction in aerosol load-ing, compared to previous years, gradual increase in AOD and AAOD is seen even during the lockdown period due to strengthening of dust transport. More-over, the reduction in total (absorbing) aerosol load-ing over India during the lockdown phase is only 20% (26%), with significant contribution from higher alti-tudes, even in the absence of major anthropogenic sources. These results show the dominance of natural aerosols over India during pre-monsoon.

Keywords


Absorbing Aerosols, Anthropogenic Aero-sols, COVID-19, Dust, Forest Fire, Lockdown, Natural Aero-sols.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv120%2Fi2%2F352-359