ROME - Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite shows a heavy decline in air pollution over Italy as the nation went into lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, with the most noticeable decline visible across northern Italy, report the European Space Agency (ESA).

  The visual images depict fluctuations of nitrogen dioxide emissions across Europe from Jan. 1 until March 11 and use a 10 day moving average. The ‘Tropomi’ device on board the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite is used to map air pollutants around the globe.

  “The decline in nitrogen dioxide emissions over the Po Valley in northern Italy is particularly evident. Although 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,” according to ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission manager, Claus Zehner.

  The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with more than 125,000 current cases reported globally. In Italy, the number of coronavirus cases has been soared drastically. Italy is currently the country with the largest number of cases outside of China, whose extreme social distancing measures have also led to satellite imaging showing a marked drop in air pollution.

  The Sentinel-5 Precursor – also known as Sentinel-5P – is the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring the Italian atmosphere. The satellite carries the Tropomi instrument to map a multitude of trace gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and aerosols – all of which effects the air we breathe, our health, and our climate.

  Given the growing importance for the continuous monitoring of air quality, the upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 missions, as part of the EU’s Copernicus programme, will monitor key air quality trace gases and aerosols. These missions will provide information on air quality, stratospheric ozone and solar radiation, as well as climate monitoring.

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