What do we do in the Climate team?
We study the climate and try to predict it.
We study long-term and short-term climate variations and analyse their causes in different parts of the planet, with a special focus on the Iberian Peninsula. Besides, we also work to predict what these variations will be like.
Over the last years, we have analysed climate change projections for the Peninsula using a regional climate model with high spatial resolution. In this way, we have studied the potential evolution of droughts and hydrologic flows in different potential future scenarios. Currently, we are doing simulations at very high resolution for the Sierra Nevada area, and they will provide in-depth knowledge about the impacts of climate change on the area.
This is what droughts will be like in the future
According to the estimations provided by our models, the following effects are expected by the end of the century.
This is what droughts will be like in the future
According to the estimations provided by our models, the following effects are expected by the end of the century.
Descubre como la salud de los ríos empeora debido a la actividad humana.
Desde su nacimiento en la cabecera de los valles glaciares de Sierra Nevada, el estado de los ríos empeora debido a la actividad humana.
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How will the climate vary in the Iberian Peninsula?
Temperature and precipitation could vary and increase the risk of droughts.
According to climate change projections, the Iberian Peninsula may probably suffer significant changes in its climate, including an increase in the drought events, if the greenhouse gas emissions increase sharply. Precipitations could decline by the end of this century, and temperatures could remarkably increase. This climatic trend would probably come along with changes in evapotranspiration, and with a reduction in the content of soil moisture (as less water would be available). River flows would decline, moderately in the north and sharply in the south. The increase in temperatures will most probably occur even if greenhouse gas emissions are more restrictive, and even in such cases significant reductions of precipitations will happen, particularly in the eastern half of the Iberian Peninsula.
What benefits do these studies provide?
Climate predictions are a remarkable tool for the socio-economic management of countries.
Our research will allow us to learn more about the impacts of climate change in our region, through the study of the changes expected in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (droughts, floods, heat waves, etc.). Therefore, our results are essential for the design of strategies to adapt to climate change, and for the management of water.
The water stress faced by the Iberian Peninsula affects totally different sectors, such as tourism, biodiversity conservation or agriculture, which highlights the need to develop tools for the management and planning of water resources.
Data generated by the team
Learn more about the data we are generating- Data validation of ClimaNevada.
- Climate simulations (21 variables, 2000-2020).
- Climate projections (21 variables, 20 years).
- Awareness of climate change in Sierra Nevada.
