NO2 concentrations during the lockdown in Munich
I have recently heard people uttering disappointment regarding the rather small effect they have observed at official measurement stations in Munich during the time of the lockdown due to the coronavirus. Looking at the raw hourly measurement traces at different locations in and around Munich, we can see a very clear drop during the initial phase of the lockdown, with concentrations coming up again after that. So we decided to take a deeper look. We considered impacts from weather conditions, season-specific influences as well as mobility behaviour.
In conclusion, we do see a substantial reduction in daily NO2 concentrations associated with the lockdown, down to roughly 55% of the concentrations we would usually expect to see at high traffic locations in the centre of the city and down to roughly 70% at locations outside of the city centre. In the countryside, we see no change in the background concentration of NO2.
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