Ozone (O3) is a key oxidant and pollutant in the lower atmosphere. Significant increases in surface O3 have been reported in many cities during the COVID-19 lockdown. Here we conduct comprehensive observation and modeling analyses of surface O3 across China for periods before and during the lockdown. We find that daytime O3 decreased in the subtropical south, in contrast to increases in most other regions. Meteorological changes and emission reductions both contributed to the O3 changes, with a larger impact from the former especially in central China. The southward-shifted wind with increased temperature, enhanced planetary boundary layer height, decreased cloud fraction and precipitation favored the O3 increase in north and central China, while the northward-shifted wind with decreased temperature and then biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions, increased cloud fraction and precipitation reduced O3 in south China. As for the emission reduction, the drop in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission contributed to O3 increases in populated regions, whereas the reduction in VOCs contributed to O3 decreases across the country. Due to a decreasing level of NOx saturation from north to south, the emission reduction in NOx (46%) and VOC (32%) contributed to net O3 increases in north China; the opposite effects of NOx decrease (49%) and VOC decrease (24%) balanced out in central China, whereas the comparable decreases (45-55%) in the two precursors contributed to net O3 declines in south China. Our study highlights the complex dependence of O3 on its precursors and the importance of meteorology in the short-term O3 variability.
How to cite: Liu, Y., Wang, T., Stavrakou, T., Elguindi, N., Doumbia, T., Granier, C., Bouarar, I., Gaubert, B., and Brasseur, G. P.: Diverse response of surface ozone to COVID-19 lockdown in China, EMS Annual Meeting 2021, online, 6–10 Sep 2021, EMS2021-436, https://doi.org/10.5194/ems2021-436, 2021.
