TORONTO -- New images from the European Space Agency show a decrease in air pollution over northern Italy amid the country鈥檚 coronavirus lockdown.
An animation of satellite data from the ESA鈥檚 Copernicus satellite collected between January 1 and March 11 shows a decrease in emissions across Europe, particularly over Italy, as COVID-19 prompted lockdowns and reduced activity.
As of March 14, Italy reported more than 17,660 COVID-19 patients, the largest outbreak of confirmed cases reported outside of China. Lockdowns started in Italy in late February.
鈥淭he decline in nitrogen dioxide emissions over the Po Valley in northern Italy is particularly evident,鈥 said
鈥淎lthough there could be slight variations in the data due to cloud cover and changing weather, we are very confident that the reduction in emissions that we can see coincides with the lockdown in Italy, causing less traffic and industrial activities.鈥
The data was collected by the satellite鈥檚 Tropomi instrument, which maps air pollutants around the globe.
鈥淭ropomi is the most accurate instrument today that measures air pollution from space,鈥 said Josef Aschbacher, ESA鈥檚 director of earth observation programs.
鈥淭hese measurements, globally available thanks to the free and open data policy, provide crucial information for citizens and decision makers."
