DOCSLIB.ORG

Irish Climate Futures: Data for Decision-Making Report No

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Irish Climate Futures: Data for Decision-Making Report No EPA Research Report 277 Irish Climate Futures: Data for Decision-making Report No. 277 Authors: Conor Murphy, Claran Broderick, Tom K.R. Matthews, Simon Noone and Ciara Ryan Irish Climate Futures: Data for Decision-making Identified Pressures Authors: Conor Murphy, Ciaran Broderick, Tom K.R. Matthews, The realisation of a climate-resilient Ireland over the coming decades depends on decisions taken at all scales to adapt to climate change. Good decisions depend on the type and quality of information used Simon Noone and Ciara Ryan to inform planning. Building resilience requires the diversification of the types of information used to understand past and future climate variability and change, and improved insight into the plausible range of changing conditions that will need to be addressed. Informed Policy The need to adapt to climate change means that there is a demand from a variety of different users and sectors for actionable climate information. For instance, in the Irish context, guidance is provided for sectors and local authorities in developing and implementing adaptation plans. In particular, climate information is required to (1) assess the current adaptation baseline, which involves identifying extremes in the historical record and examining the vulnerabilities and impacts of these; (2) assess future climate risks; and (3) identify, assess and prioritise adaptation options. A key challenge to undertaking these tasks is identifying the kinds of climate data that are required for the development and implementation of adaptation planning. This challenge is explored and aspects are addressed as part of this research. Outputs from this work have been used to inform the Citizen’s Assembly deliberations on climate change, the National Adaptation Framework and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action. Developed Solutions This work draws together long-term, quality-assured records of precipitation and historical droughts that extend back to the 1700s. These records can be used to interrogate vulnerability to climate extremes in adaptation planning in a range of water-sensitive sectors. In addition, a Climate Futures framework is proposed that allows climate model information to be tailored for different user needs, ranging from basic research users to intermediate and advanced research users. To aid in the communication of risks from past and future climate change, recent seasonal extremes are used as climate change analogues and an assessment is provided of how these extremes have become more likely over the past century and are likely to become even more frequent in the coming decades. Finally, changes in rainfall extremes are assessed using output from the CORDEX ensemble of regional climate models. EPA Research: McCumiskey House, Richiew, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14. www.epa.ie Phone: 01 268 0100 www.epa.ie Twitter: @EPAResearchNews EPA Research Webpages Email: [email protected] www.epa.ie/researchandeducation/research/ EPA-ReportCover-277-May19-v1.indd 2 31/05/2019 09:37 EPA-ReportCover-277-May19-v1.indd 1 31/05/2019 09:37 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Monitoring, Analysing and Reporting on the The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for Environment protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset • Monitoring air quality and implementing the EU Clean Air for for the people of Ireland. We are committed to protecting people Europe (CAFÉ) Directive. and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation and • Independent reporting to inform decision making by national pollution. and local government (e.g. periodic reporting on the State of Ireland’s Environment and Indicator Reports). The work of the EPA can be divided into three main areas: Regulating Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Preparing Ireland’s greenhouse gas inventories and projections. Regulation: We implement effective regulation and environmental • Implementing the Emissions Trading Directive, for over 100 of compliance systems to deliver good environmental outcomes and the largest producers of carbon dioxide in Ireland. target those who don’t comply. Knowledge: We provide high quality, targeted and timely Environmental Research and Development environmental data, information and assessment to inform • Funding environmental research to identify pressures, inform decision making at all levels. policy and provide solutions in the areas of climate, water and sustainability. Advocacy: We work with others to advocate for a clean, productive and well protected environment and for sustainable Strategic Environmental Assessment environmental behaviour. • Assessing the impact of proposed plans and programmes on the Irish environment (e.g. major development plans). Our Responsibilities Radiological Protection Licensing • Monitoring radiation levels, assessing exposure of people in We regulate the following activities so that they do not endanger Ireland to ionising radiation. human health or harm the environment: • Assisting in developing national plans for emergencies arising • waste facilities (e.g. landfills, incinerators, waste transfer from nuclear accidents. stations); • Monitoring developments abroad relating to nuclear • large scale industrial activities (e.g. pharmaceutical, cement installations and radiological safety. manufacturing, power plants); • Providing, or overseeing the provision of, specialist radiation • intensive agriculture (e.g. pigs, poultry); protection services. • the contained use and controlled release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs); Guidance, Accessible Information and Education • sources of ionising radiation (e.g. x-ray and radiotherapy • Providing advice and guidance to industry and the public on equipment, industrial sources); environmental and radiological protection topics. • large petrol storage facilities; • Providing timely and easily accessible environmental • waste water discharges; information to encourage public participation in environmental • dumping at sea activities. decision-making (e.g. My Local Environment, Radon Maps). • Advising Government on matters relating to radiological safety National Environmental Enforcement and emergency response. • Conducting an annual programme of audits and inspections of • Developing a National Hazardous Waste Management Plan to EPA licensed facilities. prevent and manage hazardous waste. • Overseeing local authorities’ environmental protection responsibilities. Awareness Raising and Behavioural Change • Supervising the supply of drinking water by public water • Generating greater environmental awareness and influencing suppliers. positive behavioural change by supporting businesses, • Working with local authorities and other agencies to tackle communities and householders to become more resource environmental crime by co-ordinating a national enforcement efficient. network, targeting offenders and overseeing remediation. • Promoting radon testing in homes and workplaces and • Enforcing Regulations such as Waste Electrical and Electronic encouraging remediation where necessary. Equipment (WEEE), Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and substances that deplete the ozone layer. Management and structure of the EPA • Prosecuting those who flout environmental law and damage the The EPA is managed by a full time Board, consisting of a Director environment. General and five Directors. The work is carried out across five Offices: Water Management • Office of Environmental Sustainability • Monitoring and reporting on the quality of rivers, lakes, • Office of Environmental Enforcement transitional and coastal waters of Ireland and groundwaters; • Office of Evidence and Assessment measuring water levels and river flows. • Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring • National coordination and oversight of the Water Framework • Office of Communications and Corporate Services Directive. The EPA is assisted by an Advisory Committee of twelve members • Monitoring and reporting on Bathing Water Quality. who meet regularly to discuss issues of concern and provide advice to the Board. EPA RESEARCH PROGRAMME 2014–2020 Irish Climate Futures: Data for Decision-making (2014-CCRP-MS-16) EPA Research Report Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency by Maynooth University Authors: Conor Murphy, Ciaran Broderick, Tom K.R. Matthews, Simon Noone and Ciara Ryan ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland Telephone: +353 53 916 0600 Fax: +353 53 916 0699 Email: [email protected] Website: www.epa.ie © Environmental Protection Agency 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is published as part of the EPA Research Programme 2014–2020. The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. It is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research. The authors would like to acknowledge the expert input of many people, including members of the project steering committee, namely Margaret Desmond, Philip O’Brien and Professor Robert Wilby of Loughborough University for their advice throughout. Professor Christel Prudhomme of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Professor Peter Thorne of ICARUS, Maynooth University, together with Mary Curley and Seamus Walsh of Met Éireann, also offered valuable feedback. Thanks are also extended to Karen O’Regan for assistance with editing and Margaret Desmond and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 451Research- a Highly Attractive Location
    IRELAND A Highly Attractive Location for Hosting Digital Assets 360° Research Report SPECIAL REPORT OCTOBER 2013 451 RESEARCH: SPECIAL REPORT © 2013 451 RESEARCH, LLC AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT 451 RESEARCH 451 Research is a leading global analyst and data company focused on the business of enterprise IT innovation. Clients of the company — at end-user, service-provider, vendor and investor organizations — rely on 451 Research’s insight through a range of syndicated research and advisory services to support both strategic and tactical decision-making. ABOUT 451 ADVISORS 451 Advisors provides consulting services to enterprises, service providers and IT vendors, enabling them to successfully navigate the Digital Infrastructure evolution. There is a global sea change under way in IT. Digital infrastructure – the totality of datacenter facilities, IT assets, and service providers employed by enterprises to deliver business value – is being transformed. IT demand is skyrocketing, while tolerance for inefficiency is plummeting. Traditional lines between facilities and IT are blurring. The edge-to-core landscape is simultaneously erupting and being reshaped. Enterprises of all sizes need to adapt to remain competitive – and even to survive. Third-party service providers are playing an increasingly flexible and vital role, enabled by advancements in technology and the evolution of business models. IT vendors and service providers need to understand this changing landscape to remain relevant and capitalize on new opportunities. 451 Advisors addresses the gap between traditional research and management consulting through unique methodologies, proprietary tools, and a complementary base of independent analyst insight and data-driven market intelligence. 451 Research leverages a team of seasoned consulting professionals with the expertise and experience to address the strategic, planning and research challenges associated with the Digital Infrastructure evolution.
    [Show full text]
  • A Life Cycle Assessment Approach on Swedish and Irish Beef Production
    Life Cycle Analysis – HT161 December 2016 A life cycle assessment approach on Swedish and Irish beef production Group 1 - Emma Lidell, Elvira Molin, Arash Sajadi & Emily Theokritoff 0 AG2800 Life cycle assessment Lidell, Molin, Sajadi, Theokritoff Summary This life CyCle assessment has been ConduCted to identify and Compare the environmental impacts arising from the Swedish and Irish beef produCtion systems. It is a Cradle to gate study with the funCtional unit of 1 kg of dressed weight. Several proCesses suCh as the slaughterhouse and retail in both Ireland and Sweden have been excluded since they are similar and CanCel each other out. The focus of the study has been on feed, farming and transportation during the beef production. Since this is an attributional LCA, data ColleCtion mainly Consists of average data from different online sources. Smaller differenCes in the Composition of feed were found for the two systems while a major difference between the two production systems is the lifespan of the Cattle. Based on studied literature, the average lifespan for Cattle in Sweden is 45 months while the Irish Cattle lifespan is 18 months. The impaCt Categories that have been assessed are: Climate Change, eutrophiCation, acidifiCation, land oCcupation and land transformation. In all the assessed impact categories, the Swedish beef produCtion system has a higher environmental impact than the Irish beef produCtion system, mainly due to the higher lifespan of the cattle. AcidifiCation, whiCh is the most signifiCant impact Category when analising the normalised results, differs greatly between the two systems. The Swedish beef system emits almost double the amount (1.3 kg) of SO2 Eq for 1 kg of dressed weight Compared to the Irish beef system (0.7 kg SO2 Eq/FU).
    [Show full text]
  • UCC Library and UCC Researchers Have Made This Item Openly Available
    UCC Library and UCC researchers have made this item openly available. Please let us know how this has helped you. Thanks! Title The historic record of cold spells in Ireland Author(s) Hickey, Kieran R. Publication date 2011 Original citation HICKEY, K. 2011. The historic record of cold spells in Ireland. Irish Geography, 44, 303-321. Type of publication Article (peer-reviewed) Link to publisher's http://irishgeography.ie/index.php/irishgeography/article/view/48 version http://dx.doi.org/10.2014/igj.v44i2.48 Access to the full text of the published version may require a subscription. Rights © 2011 Geographical Society of Ireland http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Item downloaded http://hdl.handle.net/10468/2526 from Downloaded on 2021-10-04T01:15:21Z Irish Geography Vol. 44, Nos. 2Á3, JulyÁNovember 2011, 303Á321 The historic record of cold spells in Ireland Kieran Hickey* Department of Geography, National University of Ireland, Galway This paper assesses the long historical climatological record of cold spells in Ireland stretching back to the 1st millennium BC. Over this time period cold spells in Ireland can be linked to solar output variations and volcanic activity both in Iceland and elsewhere. This provides a context for an exploration of the two most recent cold spells which affected Ireland in 2009Á2010 and in late 2010 and were the two worst weather disasters in recent Irish history. These latter events are examined in this context and the role of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and declining Arctic sea-ice levels are also considered. These recent events with detailed instrumental temperature records also enable a re-evaluation of the historic records of cold spells in Ireland.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabatino-Etal-NH2016-Modelling
    Nat Hazards DOI 10.1007/s11069-016-2506-7 ORIGINAL PAPER Modelling sea level surges in the Firth of Clyde, a fjordic embayment in south-west Scotland 1 2 Alessandro D. Sabatino • Rory B. O’Hara Murray • 3 1 1 Alan Hills • Douglas C. Speirs • Michael R. Heath Received: 14 January 2016 / Accepted: 24 July 2016 Ó The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Storm surges are an abnormal enhancement of the water level in response to weather perturbations. They have the capacity to cause damaging flooding of coastal regions, especially when they coincide with astronomical high spring tides. Some areas of the UK have suffered particularly damaging surge events, and the Firth of Clyde is a region with high risk due to its location and morphology. Here, we use a three-dimensional high spatial resolution hydrodynamic model to simulate the local bathymetric and morpho- logical enhancement of surge in the Clyde, and disaggregate the effects of far-field atmospheric pressure distribution and local scale wind forcing of surges. A climatological analysis, based on 30 years of data from Millport tide gauges, is also discussed. The results suggest that floods are not only caused by extreme surge events, but also by the coupling of spring high tides with moderate surges. Water level is also enhanced by a funnelling effect due to the bathymetry and the morphology of fjordic sealochs and the River Clyde Estuary. In a world of rising sea level, studying the propagation and the climatology of surges and high water events is fundamental.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change in Ireland
    Climate change in Ireland- recent trends in temperature and precipitation Laura McElwain and John Sweeney Department of Geography, National University of Ireland, Maynooth ABSTRACT This paper presents an assessment of indicators of climate change in Ireland over the past century. Trends are examined in order to determine the magnitude and direction of ongoing climate change. Although detection of a trend is difficult due to the influence of the North Atlantic Ocean, it is concluded that Irish cli- mate is following similar trajectories to those predicted by global climate mod- els. Climatic variables investigated included the key temperature and precipita- tion data series from the Irish synoptic station network. Analysis of the Irish mean temperature records indicates an increase similar to global trends, particu- larly with reference to early-twentieth century wanning and, more importantly, rapid warming in the 1990s. Similarly, analysis of precipitation change support the findings of the United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIPS) with evidence of a trend towards winter increases in the north-west of the coun- try and summer decreases in the south-east. Secondary climate indicators such as frequency of 'hot' and 'cold' days were found to reveal more variable trends. Key index words: climate change, trends, precipitation, trajectories. Introduction An increase in global surface temperature of 0.6 + 0.2°C has occurred since the late- nineteenth century (IPCC, 2001). Most of this warming has occurred during two main periods: 1910-1945 and 1976 to the present. During the present episode of rapid wanning, temperatures have increased at a rate of 0.15°C per decade (Jones et al., 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Lot 1 Box of Irish Railway Interest Photographs Etc. Estimate
    Purcell Auctioneers - Specialist Auction Of Irish Interest Books with dedicated section for Irish Railwayana Literature & Ephemera - Starts 13 Mar 2019 Lot 1 Box of Irish Railway Interest Photographs etc. Estimate: 40 - 60 Fees: 20% inc VAT for absentee bids, telephone bids and bidding in person 23.69% inc VAT for Live Bidding and Autobids Lot 2 Box of Irish Railway Interest Ephemera Estimate: 40 - 60 Fees: 20% inc VAT for absentee bids, telephone bids and bidding in person 23.69% inc VAT for Live Bidding and Autobids Lot 3 Box of Irish Railway Interest Ephemera Estimate: 30 - 50 Fees: 20% inc VAT for absentee bids, telephone bids and bidding in person 23.69% inc VAT for Live Bidding and Autobids Lot 4 Large Box of Mostly Non-Irish Railway Interest Books etc. Estimate: 20 - 40 Fees: 20% inc VAT for absentee bids, telephone bids and bidding in person 23.69% inc VAT for Live Bidding and Autobids Lot 5 Two Boxes of CIE Interest Ephemera, Ledgers etc. Estimate: 60 - 100 Fees: 20% inc VAT for absentee bids, telephone bids and bidding in person 23.69% inc VAT for Live Bidding and Autobids Lot 6 Irish Railwayana Scrap Book, tickets, correspondence, notices etc. Estimate: 50 - 100 Fees: 20% inc VAT for absentee bids, telephone bids and bidding in person 23.69% inc VAT for Live Bidding and Autobids Lot 7 Irish Railwayana Scrap Book, tickets, correspondence, notices etc. Estimate: 50 - 100 Fees: 20% inc VAT for absentee bids, telephone bids and bidding in person 23.69% inc VAT for Live Bidding and Autobids Lot 8 Irish Railwayana Scrap Book, County Donegal Railways, Northern Ireland Railways, Great Northern Railway Co.
    [Show full text]
  • Late-Glacial to Holocene Climate Variability in Western Ireland
    LATE-GLACIAL TO HOLOCENE CLIMATE VARIABILITY IN WESTERN IRELAND A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Department of Geological Sciences University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Aaron F. Diefendorf © Aaron F. Diefendorf, Spring 2005. All Rights Reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I, Aaron F. Diefendorf, agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by myself or Dr. William P. Patterson and in my absence and Dr. Pattersonʼs absence, by the Head of the Department of Geolgoical Sciences or the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to myself and to the University of Saskatchewan in any use which may be made of any material in my thesis titled Late-Glacial to Holocene Climate Variability in Western Ireland. Requests for permission to copy or to make any use of material in this thesis in whole or part shall be addressed to Aaron F. Diefendorf or to: Head of the Department of Geological Sciences University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2 Canada UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN College of Graduate Studies and Research ABSTRACT Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the DEGREE OF MASTER of SCIENCE by Aaron F.
    [Show full text]
  • 6.4 Climate Change Impacts on Habitats 124 6.4.1 Introduction 124
    Environmental RTDI Programme 2000–2006 CLIMATE CHANGE Scenarios & Impacts for Ireland (2000-LS-5.2.1-M1) Final Report Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency by Department of Geography, National University of Ireland, Maynooth Authors: John Sweeney, Tony Brereton, Clare Byrne, Rosemary Charlton, Chris Emblow, Rowan Fealy, Nicholas Holden, Mike Jones, Alison Donnelly, Sonja Moore, Patrick Purser, Ken Byrne, Edward Farrell, Eleanor Mayes, Dan Minchin, Jim Wilson and John Wilson ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland Telephone: +353-53-60600 Fax: +353-53-60699 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.epa.ie © Environmental Protection Agency 2003 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report has been prepared as part of the Environmental Research Technological Development and Innovation Programme under the Productive Sector Operational Programme 2000-2006. The programme is financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. It is administered on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Local Government by the Environmental Protection Agency which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research. DISCLAIMER Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this publication, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the author(s) accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this publication. All or part of this publication may be reproduced without further permission, provided the source is acknowledged.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Climate?
    Fun Facts for Older Primary Students What is climate? What is climate? Climate describes the long term variations of the atmosphere. It is based on historical weather records for a particular location. It tells us what the weather is like over a certain time frame, usually 30 years. Think about the climate of Ireland - how would you describe our seasons? What is the climate of Ireland? The dominant influence on Ireland's climate is the Atlantic Ocean. Ireland does not suffer from the extremes of temperature experienced by many other countries at the same latitude. The average annual temperature for Ireland is about 9 °C. However, there are slight climate variations even within our own country. For example, sunshine duration is highest in the southeast of the country. It is sometimes known as the sunny southeast! Average rainfall varies between about 800mm and 2,800mm per year. With south-westerly winds from the Atlantic dominating, rainfall figures are highest in the northwest, west and southwest of the country, especially over higher ground. How do we measure climate? We use data from our weather monitoring network and work out the averages over a given time period. HOWEVER, in the past there weren’t any meteorological weather stations, balloons or buoys to give us weather information. This means that we need to use a wide range of evidence to reconstruct the earth's climate. Ice Cores Scientists have studied ice from very old glaciers. Air bubbles trapped within these glaciers help to describe the climate from years ago. Tree rings Every year, a new layer of secondary growth is added to a tree trunk and every year this produces a new tree ring.
    [Show full text]
  • The Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Food Safety from an Island Of
    Climate - Change Ireland: The potential impacts of climate change on food safety from an island of Ireland perspective Climate - Change Ireland: The potential impacts of climate change on food safety from an island of Ireland perspective ISBN: Publication date: 2014 Foreword and acknowledgements safefood would like to thank Prof. Chris Elliott of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast and his colleagues who carried out this work. We would also like to acknowledge the advice and assistance of Dr Richard Gowen from the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast and Joe Silke, Marine Institute, Galway, including the provision of access to the marine institute database. Abbreviations DON Deoxynivalenol EFSA European Food Safety Authority EPA Environmental Protection Agency (Republic of Ireland) EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations FHB Fusarium head blight GTIS Global Trade Information Services HACCP Hazard analysis critical control point IoI Island of Ireland IPCC United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change NI Northern Ireland NIV Nivalenol UK United Kingdom Executive summary On the 11th of November 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a Summary for Policymakers of the Working Group I contribution to its Fifth Assessment Report, presenting the latest evidence for the Physical Science Basis of observed global warming. The thrust of this summary emphasised the increasing certainty of observed changes to the global climate and the contribution of anthropogenic drivers. The degree of certainty surrounding these observations and the precision of future climate prediction models have increased since the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report in 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • Modelling the Wind Climate of Ireland
    MODELLING THE WIND CLIMATE OF IRELAND H. P. FRANK and L. LANDBERG Risù National Laboratory, Wind Energy and Atmospheric Physics Department, Roskilde, Denmark (Received in ®nal form 4 July, 1997) Abstract. The wind climate of Ireland has been calculated using the Karlsruhe Atmospheric Mesoscale Model KAMM. The climatology is represented by 65 frequency classes of geostrophic wind that were selected as equiangular direction sectors and speed intervals with equal frequency in a sector. The results are compared with data from the European Wind Atlas which have been analyzed using the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program, WASP. The prediction of the areas of higher wind power is fair. Stations with low power are overpredicted. Key words: Wind resources, Numerical simulation, Mesoscale modelling 1. Introduction The best method to determine the wind energy potential of some location is to measure the wind on site for several years. However, as this takes a lot of time, one would like to calculate the wind power with atmospheric models. Although this is not as exact as direct measurements it is expected that favourable and unfavourable regions can be distinguished using numerical simulations. However, the surface wind is a quantity that is speci®c for each site. The roughness and shape of the terrain, shelter from nearby tree lines or buildings affect most measurements and make it dif®cult to transfer wind observations to another site. These local in¯uences are removed in a wind atlas in order to make it possible to compare the wind potential of different regions. Wind atlases have been made from measurements for many countries (Landberg et al., 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • Climate, Weather and Irish Agriculture Second Edition
    Climate, Weather and Irish Agriculture Second edition Editors: T. Keane & J.F. Collins Extensively updated An updated second edition of ‘Climate, Weather and Irish Agriculture’ was launched during 2004. The first edition of the volume was published in 1986 (General Editor, T. Keane), which has proved of great value to the agricultural, environmental, educational and scientific community of Ireland and elsewhere. The work has been extensively updated, new topics introduced, recent research included and a chapter added on impacts of climate change on temperate agriculture. The interrelationship of Irish weather and agriculture is comprehensively treated, taking cognisance of the research and great advances made in these disciplines over recent decades and of the new constraints imposed on agriculture by economic and environment considerations. Content and Subject Matter:- A work of some thirty leading Irish scientists and experts, the book consists of thirteen chapters incorporating four main strands: climate and weather, soil management, crop production including forestry and indoor climates, and animal production. The subject is presented in a convenient and effective format and covers agro-meteorological and environmental factors pertaining to Ireland but also generally relevant to all mid-latitude, temperate, humid climates. The book is well organized, easy to follow and an index provides for quick reference to any particular topic. Its 400 pages have many figures in colour. Whom Intended for:- This second edition should be especially beneficial to all involved in agriculture, hydrology, environment and climate impact studies. Readers with a scientific background will find the book particularly useful. The publication is an essential source book for agricultural and environmental graduates and students.
    [Show full text]