Climate Change and Impact on Renewable Energies in the Azores Strategic Visions for Sustainability

Meirelles, Maria G.; Carvalho, Fernanda; Porteiro, João; Henriques, Diamantino; Navarro, Patrícia; Vasconcelos, Helena Cristina

doi:10.3390/su142215174

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The Gulf Stream also influences the temperatures in the Azores (Carvalho et al, 2020; Meirelles et al, 2022). The Gulf Stream brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico along the eastern coast of North America before crossing the North Atlantic, divided into two branches: the North Atlantic Current, to the North of the Azores, and the Azores Current, to the South (Gould, 1985;Klein and Siedler, 1989).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic data comparison between mid-latitude Azores (North Atlantic) and Tristan da Cunha (South Atlantic) islands

RUSU

2023

Studia UBB Geographia

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"The Azores islands in the North Atlantic and the Tristan da Cunha islands in the South Atlantic are approximately located at the same latitude, stretching between 36 and 41 degrees North and South respectively. Nevertheless, there are important climatic differences between the two archipelagos. The average annual temperature is higher in the Azores by more than 3 degrees, while the amount of precipitation is higher in Tristan da Cunha by about 600 mm/year on average. The warmer climate of the Azores may be explained by several contributing factors, such as: the smaller distance to the nearest continental landmass – less than 1500 km, compared to more than 2700 km in the case of Tristan da Cunha; the land mass of the islands themselves, as the Azores are much larger; the location of the Azores in the area of the North Atlantic High, with more stable weather and a higher amount of sunshine hours compared to the Tristan da Cunha islands, where westerlies prevail; and, not in the least, the influence of the Gulf Stream in the case of the Azores. The larger amount of precipitation in the case of Tristan da Cunha islands is due to their location on the southern flank of the South Atlantic High, which causes a higher degree of cloudiness and therefore more precipitation. The altitude is also a factor, as both archipelagos feature volcanic mountains rising above 2000 metres, providing a barrier for the air masses and determining orographic precipitation, especially on the windward side of the islands. The climate has had an impact on the settlement and human life on the islands. The Azores were settled immediately after their discovery in the 15th century and there is a rich social and economic life ever since. By contrast, the small community on Tristan da Cunha main island was formed only in the 19th century and has endured many hardships. Keywords: climatic comparison, Azores, Tristan da Cunha, average temperature, precipitation."

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic data comparison between mid-latitude Azores (North Atlantic) and Tristan da Cunha (South Atlantic) islands

RUSU

2023

Studia UBB Geographia

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“…As current precipitations and temperatures are higher than most of our MAP and MAAT reconstructions in this archipelago (Figure 2; AEMET & IM, 2012), it is probable that weathering is enhanced in the present, and may further increase in the near future due to accelerated anthropogenic climate change. Indeed, the Azores are expected to have an increase in mean annual air temperatures with no major variations in annual precipitation, although climatic models forecast wetter winters and drier conditions from spring to autumn (e.g., Meirelles et al., 2022; Santos et al., 2004). This could have further implications for the stability of these volcanic islands, as intense precipitation can enhance riverine erosion (Hildenbrand, Gillot, & Marlin, 2008) and trigger landslides due to the hydration of clay‐rich horizons such as PSs (Bolla et al., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional Variations of the Azores High Across Glacial‐Interglacial Timescales

Hevia‐Cruz,

Sheldon,

Hildenbrand

et al. 2024

Paleoceanog and Paleoclimatol

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The late Quaternary paleoclimate of the North Atlantic region has been widely studied, but the local terrestrial response to broader climatic variations remains underexplored. The Azores Archipelago, influenced by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Azores High, is a strategic target to investigate such interactions. Here, paleosols developed in equilibrium with the atmosphere recorded environmental variations in their geochemistry, and volcanic units sealing those paleosols allow for their precise dating. Clay mineralogical transfer functions from paleosol geochemistry and geochronological data were used to track paleoclimatic and paleoecological changes in this region over the past 1.3 Myr. Mean annual precipitation and air temperature reconstructions range from 620 to 1,520 mm yr−1 and 14–26°C, with the latter tightly coupled with previous reconstructions of sea surface temperature. New K‐Ar ages evidence pulsed soil formation periods under weathering‐favorable wet and warm conditions, suggesting periods of a persistent negative NAO with a weakened or more southern Azores High after glacial Terminations I, II, IV, V, IX, and X. Our humidity province reconstructions indicate a prevailing moist to wet forest under cool temperate to subtropical conditions, with less variability than continental Europe. A rapid paleoecological shift occurred at ∼430 ka in São Miguel Island, probably associated with the high amplitude of Termination V. Paleoecological changes younger than 430 ka could be related to local, not large‐scale, climate changes. Average past precipitations were ∼170 mm yr−1 lower than in the present, which suggests that modern weathering rates are higher than observed in our record.

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“…These islands have a relatively recent origin and are spread over 500 km from east to west [4]. The warm Gulf Stream, acting as a thermal buffer, contributes to the moderate sea water temperatures in the Azores, which in turn influences its climate [5]. Despite its high latitude, the archipelago's climate is subtropical, with moderate temperatures, low insolation rates, regular and abundant rainfall, and vigorous winds [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Native Marine Macroalgae of the Azores: An Updated Inventory

Gabriel,

Ferreira,

Micael

et al. 2023

Diversity

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Non-native species (NNS) represent a threat to biodiversity, and their occurrence and distribution should be periodically updated and made easily available to researchers and policymakers. An updated inventory of macroalgal NNS currently present in the Azores was produced based on published reports. Data concerning the first report and the distribution in the archipelago are provided for each species, as well as their respective native ranges and possible vectors of introduction. The resulting list comprises 42 taxa, i.e., 8.05% of the marine flora presently reported in the Azores, with 16 new NNS recorded over the last decade. The most isolated islands of the Western Group presented lower numbers of NNS (4.25% and 6.25%). In contrast, the two islands with the most used marina for transatlantic recreational sailing presented higher numbers (12.90% and 16.87%). Shipping is the main introduction vector (68%), whereas most macroalgal NNS are originally from the Pacific Ocean (31%) and the Indo-Pacific (31%). The presence of 13 species is restricted to single islands, and no species is reported exclusively in the Western group. Asparagopsis armata is the only algal NNS reported from all islands of the Azores. Future work is proposed to support policymaking.

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Climate Change and Impact on Renewable Energies in the Azores Strategic Visions for Sustainability

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Climatic data comparison between mid-latitude Azores (North Atlantic) and Tristan da Cunha (South Atlantic) islands

Climatic data comparison between mid-latitude Azores (North Atlantic) and Tristan da Cunha (South Atlantic) islands

Regional Variations of the Azores High Across Glacial‐Interglacial Timescales

Non-Native Marine Macroalgae of the Azores: An Updated Inventory

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