Monitoring Work Resumption of Wuhan in the COVID-19 Epidemic Using Daily Nighttime Light

Abstract

This study analyzes the characteristics of nighttime light (NTL) radiance variation, aiming to demonstrate the possibility of using NTL to monitor work resumption and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on economic activities in Wuhan, China. The results show that NTL radiance generally decreased during the epidemic. Despite the fact that increased NTL radiance was observed after lifting the lockdown, it was still lower than normal, indicating that socioeconomic activities have been largely resumed but the production scale has not been fully restored, and the decrease in nitrogen dioxide concentration verified this phenomenon. We find that central urban areas and distant suburban areas present different modes of NTL radiance variation. We further observed a decrease in NTL radiance from different urban functional areas, including industrial parks, airports, business districts, loop lines, and residential area, that corresponds to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on both industrial production and the service sector.