The COVID-19 letters

A small project to inform the public on the latest earth observation research focused on COVID-19.

There has never been a better time to understand the impact of traffic and travel on air quality. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided researchers with an unparalleled opportunity to study changes in air pollution. With government-enforced lockdowns, large populations of people have been unable to drive, travel or otherwise leave their homes, resulting in a tangible reduction in traffic-related emissions. This has resulted in extensive research being conducted on the changes in air quality as observed by satellite remote sensing instruments.

The relationship between human behaviour, COVID-19 and air quality is a complicated one. It is not enough to simply compare air pollution concentrations during the pandemic to previous years - we must account for wind speed, solar radiation, boundary layer height, and more. Furthermore, we have to account for an inherent reduction in air pollution concentrations that have resulted from changing technologies; i.e. cars are becoming more efficient, electric, and altogether reducing emissions. On the other hand, how do we account for the emissions from cleaning products, which also increased air pollution? What role has global warming played in this pandemic? These are important questions that continue to be researched.

Over the next couple weeks, I will be creating short reviews of the latest research across the world that looks at the impact of COVID-19 on air quality and public health. Subscribe to stay up to date with this research.