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When the world went into lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, emission of pollutants into the atmosphere plummeted.

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A team of international researchers led by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory charted the drop in emissions

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and how it impacted global air pollution and the climate system.

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The study found that levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which react  to form surface-level ozone, globally decreased by 15%.

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This drop in NOx resulted in a 2% global drop of ozone near Earth's surface.

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Ozone high in the upper atmosphere protects us from destructive solar radiation.

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But when it's closer to the ground, ozone is harmful to human health.

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While a 2% drop may seem small, this drop in ozone, which occurred over 8 months,

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would take 15 years to achieve under even aggressive emission control scenarios.

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Ozone depends on a number of factors and not just NOx emissions alone,

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which is why the team pulled together a variety of air quality measurements

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and combined them with a computer model to understand what happened.

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This map, created using measurements of atmospheric gases from NASA and European Space Agency Earth-observing satellites,

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shows where ozone reductions occurred worldwide.

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The results of the study imply that both NOx emissions and ozone near Earth's surface will climb again as the global economy opens up.

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However, the study provides a unique glimpse into a future with better global air quality. This future could be achieved with

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sustainable measures that could improve both human health and climate.