Atmospheric changes observed during April 2015 Nepal earthquake

A massive earthquake shook Nepal on 25 April 2015, with a moment magnitude of 7.9 Mw, its hypocenter at a depth of 10 km. Atmospheric changes that precede an earthquake might offer the hope of early warning and evacuation. Although the existence of such precursory signals is highly controversial, an attempt has been made to investigate the atmospheric changes from two months prior, to five months following this deadly earthquake. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and columnar ozone were found to be higher by 40% and 6% respectively prior to the occurrence of the earthquake. The UV aerosol index (UVI), AOD and columnar NO2 increased, while columnar ozone and sea level pressure dropped following the earthquake.