Climate Change and Extreme Events in Northeast Atlantic and Azores Islands Region

• Published in: Climate
• Main Authors: Carvalho, Fernanda Silva, Meirelles, Maria Gabriela, Henriques, Diamantino, Porteiro, João, Navarro, Patrícia, Vasconcelos, Helena Cristina
• Other Authors: LIBPhys-UNL, DF – Departamento de Física
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: adaptation; Azores; climate change; CMIP6; spatial planning and management; SSP; Atmospheric Science; SDG 13 - Climate Action; SDG 15 - Life on Land; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/163991; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11120238

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Funding: This research received no external funding. In small island regions, the influence of climate change assumes particular relevance. In the Azores archipelago, made up of nine islands, the geographical circumstances, oceanic condition, territorial dispersion, land use model and other physiographic constraints reinforce and enhance the vulnerability of the islands to changes in current weather patterns. Coupled Model Intercomparison Phase 6 (CMIP6) projections are used for the northeast Atlantic region to evaluate daily extreme climate events in large scale for the Azores region. Results shows changes in the annual maximum number of consecutive dry days, the annual number of wet days, and especially in the annual number of tropical nights. Despite limitations due to the lack of spatial detail, the large-scale framework suggests changes that may be enhanced by topography, particularly with respect to precipitation. The conclusions point to the need to establish standard rules in the processes of design, reviewing and/or amending territorial management instruments at the municipal scale in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with the goal of adapting to a different climate from the recent past. publishersversion published