loading page

Rapid growth and high cloud forming potential of anthropogenic sulfate aerosol during the Covid lockdown in India: Changes in the production and properties of cloud con-densation nuclei (CCN) during heavily polluted compared to relatively cleaner condi-tions
  • +24
  • Aishwarya Singh,
  • Subha S Raj,
  • Upasana Panda,
  • Snehitha Kommula,
  • Christi Jose,
  • Tianjia Liu,
  • Shan Huang,
  • Basudev Swain,
  • Mira L. Pöhlker,
  • Ernesto Reyes Villegas,
  • Narendra Ojha,
  • Aditya Vaishya,
  • Alessandro Bigi,
  • Ravikrishna R,
  • Qiao Zhu,
  • Liuhua Shi,
  • James Allen,
  • Scot T. Martin,
  • Gordon McFiggans,
  • Meinrat O. Andreae,
  • Ulrich Poschl,
  • Hugh Coe,
  • Federico Bianchi,
  • Hang Su,
  • Vijay P. Kanawade,
  • Pengfei Liu,
  • Sachin S Gunthe
Aishwarya Singh
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Author Profile
Subha S Raj
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Author Profile
Upasana Panda
CSIR Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology
Author Profile
Snehitha Kommula
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Author Profile
Christi Jose
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Author Profile
Tianjia Liu
Harvard University
Author Profile
Shan Huang
Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, Guangdong, China
Author Profile
Basudev Swain
Institute of Environmental Physics, Department of Physics, University of Bremen
Author Profile
Mira L. Pöhlker
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Author Profile
Ernesto Reyes Villegas
University of Manchester
Author Profile
Narendra Ojha
Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)
Author Profile
Aditya Vaishya
National University of Ireland, Galway
Author Profile
Alessandro Bigi
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Author Profile
Ravikrishna R
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Author Profile
Qiao Zhu
Emory University
Author Profile
Liuhua Shi
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Author Profile
James Allen
University of Manchester
Author Profile
Scot T. Martin
Harvard University
Author Profile
Gordon McFiggans
University of Manchester
Author Profile
Meinrat O. Andreae
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Author Profile
Ulrich Poschl
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Author Profile
Hugh Coe
University of Manchester
Author Profile
Federico Bianchi
University of Helsinki
Author Profile
Hang Su
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Author Profile
Vijay P. Kanawade
University of Hyderabad
Author Profile
Pengfei Liu
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
Author Profile
Sachin S Gunthe
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India.

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile

Abstract

Covid lockdown presented an important opportunity to study relatively cleaner conditions in India. The complex factors of power production, industry, and transportation could be more carefully dissected because of the extreme reduction in the influence of the latter two emission sources. Measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity and other chemical properties of atmospheric aerosols showed that newly formed aerosol particles were produced in the SO2 plume from a large coal-fired power plant, contrary to normal conditions of heavy pollution. The sulfate-rich particles had high CCN activity and number concentration, indicating high cloud-forming potential. Examining the sensitivity of CCN properties under relatively clean conditions over India provides important new constraints on the perturbations of past and future climate forcing by anthropogenic emissions. Because most sensitive regime of aerosol climate forcing on cloud development is the midpoint of relatively clean conditions afforded by the Covid lockdown between background and polluted conditions.