Hemispheric-wide climate response to regional COVID-19-related aerosol emission reductions: the prominent role of atmospheric  circulation adjustments

Fahrenbach, Nora L. S.; Bollasina, Massimo A.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-877-2023

Articles | Volume 23, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-877-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-877-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 2

Research article

|

19 Jan 2023

Research article |

| 19 Jan 2023

Hemispheric-wide climate response to regional COVID-19-related aerosol emission reductions: the prominent role of atmospheric circulation adjustments

Nora L. S. Fahrenbach and Massimo A. Bollasina

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-877-2023-supplement

Data sets

ERA5 monthly averaged data on pressure levels from 1959 to present H. Hersbach, B. Bell, P. Berrisford, G. Biavati, A. Horányi, J. Muñoz Sabater, J. Nicolas, C. Peubey, R. Radu, I. Rozum, D. Schepers, A. Simmons, C. Soci, D. Dee, and J.-N. Thépaut https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.6860a573

Emissions changes in 2020 due to Covid-19 (v4.0) P. M. Forster, R. D. Lamboll, and J. Rogelj https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3957826

Precipitation Driver Response Model Intercomparison Project data sets 2013-2021 T. Andrews, O. Boucher, D. Fläschner, M. Kasoar, V. Kharin, A. Kirkevåg, J.-F. Lamarque, G. Myhre, J. Mülmenstädt, D. J. L. Oliviè, B. Samset, M. Sandstad, D. Shawki, D. Shindell, P. Stier, T. Takemura, A. Voulgarakis, A., and Watson-Parris https://doi.org/10.26050/WDCC/PDRMIP_2012-2021

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Short summary

We studied the monthly-scale climate response to COVID-19 aerosol emission reductions during January–May 2020 using climate models. Our results show global temperature and rainfall anomalies driven by circulation changes. The climate patterns reverse polarity from JF to MAM due to a shift in the main SO₂ reduction region from China to India. This real-life example of rapid climate adjustments to abrupt, regional aerosol emission reduction has large implications for future climate projections.