Impact Of Movement Control Order (MCO) Of Covid-19 Pandemic on Aerosol Optical Depth Over Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Recently in 2020, the spread of the Virus COVID-19 leads the government of Malaysia to enforce for a Movement Control Order (MCO) in order to curb the pendamic. Thus, this study aims to analyse aerosol optical depth from MODIS aerosol product over Peninsular Malaysia before and during the MCO. Data before MCO shows a higher AOD concentration in major part of the eastern coast of the peninsular. This might be due mostly to the long range transport of agricultural or biomass burning season that occur in the Mekong sub-region area as reported by ASEAN Specialised Metrological Centre brought to eastern part of the Peninsular with the Northeast Monsoon wind. Both data before and during MCO managed to capture high AOD concentrations in the Greater Kuala Lumpur as well as area southern of the state of Perak confirming that the resuspension of urban, dust, and open biomass burning aerosols from local sources are dominant in this area. As of quantification of the AOD concentration, The highest reduction was at Temerloh, with -40.3% (0.67-0.4), while the lowest reduction was at Bandaraya Melaka with -4.6% (0.43-0.41). Highest increment of AOD during was detected in Sri Manjung, with value of 56.1% and Kulim Hightech as well as Alor Setar not far behind with, 55.1% and 54.8% respectively. It can be clearly seen that Northern and Central Region contribute to the increase of AOD while the Eastern Region contributes to the reduction of AOD for the study area during this MCO. The overall total AOD average is 0.413 before the MCO and 0.432 during the MCO giving a total increment of 4.6%.