Study traces how an El Niño changed the pollution map
A new study published in Atmospheric Pollution Research suggests that El Niño and La Niña cycles significantly influence air quality patterns in India by altering atmospheric circulation. The research highlights how these climate phenomena can shift pollution transport pathways, causing unexpected spikes or drops in PM2.5 levels across different regions.
Why it matters
Understanding the link between ENSO cycles and air quality is crucial for policymakers to better predict and manage seasonal pollution crises in India.
The winter of 2022-23 was remarkably clean in north India with PM2.5 levels down by up to 30% from the average of the previous three years, while peninsular India was considerably dirtier, with average PM2.5 levels in Mumbai spiking by 45%. The next winter (2023-24), the pattern dramatically reversed: PM2.5 spiralled in the North, while falling sharply in peninsular India.What changed within a span of a year? The big difference, as per a new study, was that 2022-23 was a La Niña year, while El Niño prevailed in the subsequent winter.Coming ahead of India’s peak pollution season, the paper, titled ‘Air quality in flux: The baffling ENSO transition in India’, published in Atmospheric Pollution Research journal Thursday, found that La Niña/El Niño conditions altered atmospheric circulation, PM2.5 transport pathways and weather conditions that determine whether pollution disperses or gets trapped.That atmospheric conditions regulate pollution levels was always known.
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