Projects

Recently Submited International Projects

PRIMASSURA. Predictive Impact Assessment of climate-related events in Urban Areas. Submited to Horizon 2020
Clima urbano e alterações climáticas. Orientações para o ordenamento do território em Moçambique (MOZUCC). Submited to CIICLAA.

Ongoing Research Projects

2012-2014 – KLIMHIST: Reconstruction and model simulations of past climate in Portugal using documentary and early instrumental sources (17th-19th century) (PTDC/AAC-CLI/119078/2010)

Climatic variability from the beginning of regular meteorological observations is now acknowledged. Nevertheless, there are several spatial and temporal knowledge gaps concerning climate change, particularly related to pre-instrumental era.

This project will concentrate on documentary evidence and early instrumental data from 1645 to 1900. The objectives and expected outcomes are the following:

1. Contributing to the creation of a long-term history of climate in Portugal by: producing databases of documentary evidence and of instrumental data since 1645, a period of natural climate variability that includes the Maunder Minimum and the Dalton Minimum ; systematically searching for the first simultaneous documentary and instrumental data and reconstructing time series for Portugal; analysing simulated multi-decadal trends over Portugal generated by climate models; comparing our results with those obtained from dendroclimatology and from geothermal studies regarding Portugal.

2. Help completing the spatial coverage of past European climate, as the data gap over SW Europe is often mentioned in several studies: by disseminating data and model outputs to the scientific community; through the interaction with our consultants, all of them with active research in the historical climatology of Europe.

3. Validating reconstructed series using climate models and proxy data.

4. Studying extreme events of the past, their impacts and the vulnerability of societies to weather during the last 350 years, in order to understand how they have changed in time and compare them with current analogues.

At the interface of climatology and environmental history, Klimhist will be developed by a multidisciplinary team. Coordinated by the head of the CLiMA research unit, Maria João Alcoforado, (Centre for Geographical Studies/ University of Lisbon), the project will be carried out in collaboration with the Centre of History and Science Philosophy (University of Évora), the Faculty of Letters (University of Porto) and the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real).

2011-2014 - CLIMATEGENE: Consequences of past and present climate changes on the patterns of biodiversity of peat-reach environments: from genes to communities (PTDC/AACAMB/111349/2009)

Glacial refugia are often linked to the the persistence of different genetic lineages during Terciary or Quaternary climate fluctuations and thus of high genetic diversity and differentiation. Recent research proved that regional Mediterranean hotspots include an extremely high number of glacial refugia. Identification of refugia may be critical in spatial planning policies and conservation strategies, as they constitute significant reservoirs of threatened genetic diversity. The Iberian Peninsula has the highest number of refugia. This project might prove the validity of these areas as refugia, particularly for turfophilous plants. In Portugal several peatland areas with isolated populations of species with temperate optimum We have been pinpointed, namely in Estremadura, along the mouth of the Sado River and along coastal Alentejo, which may constitute such refugia. To understand the palaeobiogeographic effects of Quaternary climate changes, upon plant species occurring in a specific community, peatrich environments, we will use a combination of different approaches: (1) morphological and phytosociological information, (2) palaeobotanical and palynological information and (3) phylogeographic analyses, using genetic data, of several populations of four turfophilous species populations. This multiple approach will give us a comprehensive picture of the history of these environments, the relationship among southern peninsular refugia and Central European populations, and of the genetic diversity structure, population structure and gene flow among the populations of the four target species. Several important questions are to be put, such as where is location of glacial refugia of wetland species; whether the Pyrenees played the role of a biogeographical barrier in the separation of genetically differentiated populations; where were the migration routes used by these peatland species, especially in SW Europe; what were the consequences of Quartenary climate change upon European peatland communities; and finally what are the future evolutive scenarios concerning recent and prospective climate changes.

Completed Research Projects

2010/2014- SECOA Solution for Environmental Contrasts in Coastal Areas (Portuguese WP1)

(FP7-ENV-2009-1 Collaborative Project – Specific International Cooperation Action), (Project n°: 244251

FP7- ENV.2009.2.1.5.1).

Global change, human mobility and urban growth, can be considered as the relevant elements affecting the management and development of coastal areas the world over. The increasing number of persons, houses and enterprises in urban coastal areas determines the pressure on the coastal environment, and its natural and cultural resources. There is a permanent increase in water and soil consumption; a generation of water, air and soil pollution; a waste creation; and there is increased urban carrying capacity demand. There is a competition that generates contrasts in the use of natural resources from all the stakeholders involved in the urban context, i.e. residents, commuters, tourists, and enterprises. The ever changing coastal natural environments affected by climate change are further complicating the situation, often in the direction of negative consequences. The problem is how to manage those contrasts through sustainable urban planning, consisting of environmental protection, economic development, and social cohesion. (http://www.projectsecoa.eu)

2011-2012 - PEQAUT - Avaliação do Potencial Eólico, Qualidade do Ambiente Urbano e Turismo na Região de Cascais.

Conhecer o potencial dos recursos naturais para os transformar em proveito próprio, torna-se hoje um desígnio de qualquer região que se quer afirmar como região competitiva. A região de Cascais, “varrida” por ventos atlânticos, fortes e constantes, beneficia de condições excepcionais para aproveitar o recurso eólico e transformá-lo em energia “limpa”. Também as actividades de turismo e lazer de ar livre, que do vento tanto dependem (sobretudo as que estão ligadas à actividade náutica), podem beneficiar com o estudo aprofundado das suas características e sobretudo as modificações que se avizinham com as possíveis alterações climáticas. Limiares de conforto devido ao efeito mecânico do vento (Lopes et al, 2008), podem também ser testados nas actividades de ar livre.

Com este projecto propõe-se o estudo do potencial do vento (actual e futuro) em Cascais (inclusive em áreas urbanas), de modo a enriquecer o leque de opções da Matriz Energética do Concelho. A caracterização do potencial eólico como recurso turístico em actividades de lazer e ar livre e o futuro destas actividades face às alterações climáticas é outro dos objectivos principais deste projecto. O tratamento estatístico da informação climática, proveniente do Instituto de Meteorologia, em conjunto com outros tipos de informação providenciadas por comunidades locais (escolas de surf entre outras), servirão de base para avaliar o potencial eólico da região. A modelação com recurso a software “state of art” e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (para espacializar os resultados) será outra vertente metodológica a explorar para atingir os resultados esperados com esta parceria (IGOT-ULisboa e Câmara Municipal de Cascais).

2010-2013 - PROJECT RAIDEN: Lightning activity in Portugal: variability patterns and socio-economic impacts (RAIDEN/ PTDC/CTE-ATM/101931/2008) – On this project collaborates the Centre for Geographical Studies (University of Lisbon, principal institution), the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro) and the Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural Sciences (University of Évora).

The project is coordinated by Marcelo Fragoso (CliMA, CEG-UL). The research on this project aims to produce a climatology of thunderstorms activity in Portugal, developing the investigation on spatial patterns and temporal rhythms of lightning activity, considering different time scales, namely the interannual, seasonal and and diurnal cycles. Among other relevant issues of research, the RAIDEN project is also focused on the assessment of lightning related impacts on society, in Portugal.

2009-2010 - URBAN-NET: Project Urban tourism and Climate Change (URBAN/AUR/0003/2008 project integrated in the European URBAN-NET, which aims to articulate the Member States and Associated States in addressing issues of urban sustainability in Europe, under the aegis of the European Commission.

The project is being developed in parallel with the Ankara University and the University of Gothenburg. The Portuguese team is coordinated by Henrique Andrade (CliMA, CEG-UL). The implementation of interviews with various tourism stakeholders - market structure, institutional structure and decisio n-making structure of knowledge production - and tourists allows us to assess the environmental sensitivity and perceptions about Climate Change and take note of the mitigation and adaptation measures under way, proceeding to the results achieved by the three universities involved in research.

2005-2009 – URBKLIM: Climate and urban sustentability. Comfort perception and climatic risks (POCTI/GEO/61148/2004), funded by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) and coordinated by Maria João Alcoforado.

In this project researchers from the Center for Geographical Studies (CEG), from the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering and from the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Lisbon. have collaborated. The main aim of this project was to contribute to urban sustainability, seeking measures for urban planning and urban design, suitable for various places in Lisbon. The open areas with leisure use have been particularly taken into account. To achieve this, specific studies of perception and behavior of occupants of each of the study-cases sites were carried out, trying to establish correlations with physiological comfort indexes. Other aims were to adapt threshold levels of mechanical and thermal comfort used abroad to the Portuguese reality, determining the costs and benefits associated with different problems and solutions and to study the risk of strong wind conditions in certain areas, also in Lisbon. Tasks, activities and publications with the main conclusions are published in the UrbKlim website.

2001/2004 – CLIMLIS: climatic principles towards urban planning. Application to Lisbon (POCTI/34683/GEO/2000), funded by FCT, in this project coordinated by Maria João Alcoforado (CEG-UL), the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering and the Institute of Meteorology have also participated as co-researchers.

The aims of CLIMLIS were: the further study on Urban Climate and Bioclimatology in Lisbon, the training of young researchers, the practice of interdisciplinary work with other institutions and the application of results after a dialogue set with the competent authorities . Two PhD theses have been presented to the University of Lisbon and approved within the frame of this project: ‘Human bioclimate and air temperature in Lisbon’, by Henrique Andrade (Andrade, 2003) and ‘Climate Changes in Lisbon as a result of urban growth: the wind, island surface heat and energy balance’, by António Lopes (Lopes, 2003); a master thesis has begun, later defended at the New University of Lisbon (Faculty of Science and Technology), co-supervised by António Lopes – ‘Climate assessment for urban planning in Lisbon’ (Vasconcelos, 2006). The analysis of how the climatic information is incorporated in municipal masterplans (PDM) was initiated with this project and several climatic guidelines regarding planning in Lisbon were listed and made (http://pdm.cm-lisboa.pt/pdf/RPDMLisboa_avaliacao_climatica.pdf) available in the website of the Municipality of Lisbon. Some CLIMLIS results were published in various publications (2006 – Andrade, H.; Alcoforado, M.J.– Microclimatic variation of thermal comfort in a city-district of Lisbon (Telheiras). Night-time period. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, aceite em Janeiro de 2006; 2006 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Andrade, H.; Lopes, A.; Vasconcelos, J.; Vieira, R. – Observational studies on summer winds in Lisbon (Portugal) and their influence on daytime regional and urban thermal patterns. Merhavim, Journal of the Department of Geography and the Human Environment in Tel Aviv University, 6, pp.90-112; 2006 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Andrade, H. – Nocturnal urban heat island in Lisbon (Portugal): main features and modelling attempts. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 84, 1-3, pp.151-160; 2006 – Alcoforado, M.J.; Andrade, H.; Lopes, A.; Vasconcelos, J.; Vieira, R. - Contribuição para a sustentabilidade urbana: orientações climáticas para o planeamento e o ordenamento em Lisboa. Área de Investigação de Geo-Ecologia, Relatório n.o 3, CEG, forthcoming) and conferences (2006 – Alcoforado, M.J.; Andrade, H.; Lopes, A.; Vasconcelos, J.; Vieira, R. - Contribuição para a sustentabilidade urbana: orientações climáticas para o planeamento e o ordenamento em Lisboa. Área de Investigação de Geo-Ecologia, Relatório n.o 3, CEG, no prelo; 2004 – Alcoforado, M. J. (ed.) – Urban climate studies in Lisbon. Comunicações apresentadas por investigadores da Área de Investigação de Geo-Ecologia no 5.o Congresso Internacional de Clima Urbano (ICUC5). Área de Investigação de Geo-Ecologia, Relatório n.o 1, CEG, Lisboa, 72 p.; 2005 – Alcoforado, M.J. - Réflexions sur l’application de la climatologie urbaine à l’aménagement, in Brancucci, G. ed.- Climat urbain, ville et architecture, Actes du XVIII Colloque de l’Association Internationale de Climatologie, Genova, pp. 13-16; 2004 – Alcoforado, M. J. – O clima urbano e a sua abordagem no âmbito do projecto CLIMLIS. Resumos do Colóquio Clima e ambiente urbano, Lisboa, CEG, 12-13 Março, pp. 7-10) that include the conference Clima e Ambiente urbano Climate and Urban environment.

1999/2002 – ESTRELA: Geomorphologic and biophysical processes and landscape units in Mediterranean mountain environments. Application to Estrela mountain (POCTI/CTA/11153/1998), financed by FCT, in which Professor Doutor António de Brum Ferreira was the head researcher.

Participation of M. J. Alcoforado and Carla Mora in the Project. In this project, the two researchers worked on the study of climate, especially Carla Mora, who has pursued her doctoral dissertation on the local climates of the Estrela mountain, framed by this project (Mora, 2006). In addition, the climatological task of this project led to other publications (2001 – Mora, C.; Vieira, G.T; Alcoforado, M. J. – Minimum air temperatures in the Serra da Estrela. Finisterra - Revista Portuguesa de Geografia, XXXVI (71), Lisboa, pp. 49-60; 2000 – Mora, C.; Alcoforado, M. J. – Winter Air temperatures in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal. 4th Conference on Contemporary Topoclimatic Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, 27-30 Setembro, Varsóvia, p. 31; 2000 – Mora, C.; Alcoforado, M. J. – Metodologia aplicada na análise climática no âmbito do projecto ESTRELA. Jornadas sobre Clima e Aplicação, Bragança, 23-25 Janeiro, pp. 28-29) and other: Carla (Mora 2010; Mora, 2007 Mora & Alcoforado, 2004; Mora & Vieira, 2003; Vieira, Mora & Ramos, 2000).

1998 – Lisbon’s Human Bioclimatology that has resulted from a protocol ICCTI / INIDA, in the context of “Integrated Luso-German Action”.

During this project, the scientific relations between the Freiburg and Lisbon Universities were narrowed, allowing the financed training in Germany of A. Lopes and H. Andrade (then working in their doctoral theses).

1996/1998 - ADVICE: Annual to decadal variations in climate in Europe (CE ENV4-CT95-0129-PL951090). M. J. Alcoforado was the Portuguese responsible element in the European project ADVICE, led by the British University of Norwich.

A. Lopes and H. Andrade have also participated in this project. The main objective of this project was to do a comparative study of the climatic variability in Europe both in periods prior to human action (e. g. in the absence of greenhouse gases emissions) and in recent times. We have studied the periods from 1860 to the present, from 1780 to 1860 (Early Instrumental Period, EIP, in which instrumental sources were already used) and from 1675 to 1715 (Late Maunder Minimum, LMM, with practically only available documentary sources). The results were published in several papers (2000 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Nunes, M. F.; Garcia, J. C.; Taborda, J. P. – Temperature and Precipitation Reconstruction in southern Portugal during the Late Maunder Minimum (1675-1715). The Holocene, 10 (3), pp.;333-340 ; 1997 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Nunes, M. F.; Garcia, J. C. – Climat et Société à Lisbonne avant la mise en place institutionnelle des observations météorologiques. Publications de l'Association Internationale de Climatologie,10, pp. 75-83 ; 1999 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Nunes, M. F.; Garcia, R. – A percepção da relação clima-saúde pública em Lisboa, no século XIX, através da obra de Marino Miguel Franzini. Revista Portuguesa de Saúde Pública, 17(2), Lisboa, pp. 31-40; 1999 – Alcoforado, M.J. – Variações climáticas do passado: chave para o entendimento do presente? Territorium, 6, Minerva, Coimbra, pp.;19-30; 2001 – Gómez, L.; Luterbacher, J.; Martín-Vide, J.; Xoplaki, E. ; Alcoforado, M.J. ; Wanner, H. – Spatial precipitation distribution over the Iberian Peninsula and Greece and its relation to the large scale 500hPa circulation. In Brunet-India, M. ; Bonillo, D.L. (ed.) - Detecting and Modelling Regional Climate Change, Springer, Berlim, pp.357-367; 2000 – Barriendos, M.; Garcia, J. C.; Martín-Vide, J.; Nunes, F.; Peñas, J. C.; Alcoforado, M. J. – 18th century instrumental meteorological series in the Iberian Peninsula. General Characteristics and climatic utility. In Pigato, L. (ed.) – Giuseppe Toaldo e il suo Tempo (1719-1797). Conference Proceedings, Padova, November 10th-13th, 1997, pp.907-920; 1998 – Alcoforado, M. J. – Clima na Europa e Atlântico Oriental na Pequena Idade do Gelo. O mínimo de Maunder. Actas do III Simpósio Brasileiro de Climatologia Geográfica, Universidade de Salvador (Bahia), October 10th-14th, CD-Rom, 6p) and in numerous conferences. The group has also participated in papers with the foreign partners (2000 – Luterbacher , J.; Rickli, R.; Tinguely, C.; Xoplaki, E.; Schüpbach, E.; Dietrich, D.; Hüsler, J.; AmbühL, M.; Pfister, C.; Beeli, P.; Dietrich, U.; Dannecker, A.; Davies, T.D..; Jones, P.D.; Slonosky,V.; Ogilvie, A.; Maheras, P.; Kolyva-Machera, F.; Martin-Vide, J.; Barriendos, M.; Alcoforado, M. J.; Nunez, M. F.; Jónsson, T.; Glaser, R.; Jacobeit, J; Beck, C.; Philipp, A.; Beyer, U.; Kaas, E.; Schmith, T; Bärring, L; Jönsson, P. ; Wanner, H. – Monthly mean pressure reconstruction for the Late Maunder Minimum Period (AD 1675-1715). International Journal of Climatology, 20, pp. 1049-1066; 1999 – Maheras, P.; Xoplaki, E.; Davies, T. D; Martin-Vide, J.; Barriendos, M.; Alcoforado, M. J. – Warm and cold monthly anomalies across the Mediterranean basin and their relationship with circulation: 1860-1990. International Journal of Climatology, 19, pp. 1697-1715; 1999 - Jones, P.; Davies, T.; Lister, D. H.; Slonosky, V.; Jónsson. T.; Bärring, L.; Jönsson, P.; Maheras, P. ; Kolyva-Machera, F.; Martin-Vide, J.; Barriendos, M.; Rodriguez, R.; Alcoforado, M. J.; Wanner, H.; Pfister, C.; Luterbacher, J.; Rickli, R.; Schuepbach, E.; Kaas, E.; Schmith, T.; Jacobeit, J.; Beck, C. – Monthly pressure reconstruction for Europe. International Journal of Climatology, 19, pp. 347-364), a "reconstruction" of the synoptic situation during periods LMM and EIP was made.

1993/1995 – Climate-ecological research in the Arrábida Mountain. M. J. Alcoforado coordinated the Portuguese section of the Project Climate-ecological research in the Arrábida Mountain (A6), funded by the Council of Deans and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauchdienst (DAAD) under the “Integrated Luso-German Action”, approved for 3 consecutive years. A. Lopes and H. Andrade have participated in this project.

The results were published in Finisterre (9.10) and in the papers of Wilfried Endlicher;Beate Flechtker (XXXII, 64, 1997, pp. 3-14), and R. Schrittenlocher (XXXII, 64, 1997, pp.15-43). Part of the research has focused on the processing of satellite images, started by M.J. Alcoforado at the Berne University, in 1992. (1995 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Daveau, S.; Lopes, A.; Baumgartner, M. – Regional thermal patterns in Portugal, using NOAA AVHRR infrared images. Finisterra - Revista Portuguesa de Geografia, XXIX (59-60), Lisboa, pp. 100-114).

1993/1996 – Green Areas of Lisbon: Environment, Image and Utilization (PCSH/C/GEO/712/93), financed by JNICT, with Professor Maria Eugénia Moreira as Principal researcher, and M. J. Alcoforado as collaborator.

Under this project the climatic study of green spaces in Lisbon has been started (1996 – Alcoforado, M. J. – Ambiances bioclimatiques estivales de quelques espaces verts de Lisbonne. Publications de l'Association Internationale de Climatologie, 9, pp. 273-280), a theme further developed by H. Andrade (Andrade; Vieira, 2005).

1992/1995 – Images and representations to the biophysical land planning in urban environment: Lisbon (PBIC/CEN/1051/92), financed by JNICT. M. J. Alcoforado has coordinated the project.

M. Lopes and H. Andrade (then researchers from the Portuguese Institute of Cartography and Cadastre, and from Coimbra University) have collaborated in this study that produced some publications (1994 – Alcoforado, M. J. – L'extrapolation spatiale des données thermiques en milieu urbain. Publications de l'Association Internationale de Climatologie, 6, pp. 493-502 ; 2002 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Dias, M. H. – Imagens climáticas da região de Lisboa. Enquadramento na Diversidade Climática de Portugal Continental. CEG, Lisboa (ISBN 972-636-133-8); 1994 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Dias, M. H. – Cartografia temática no ordenamento biofísico. A propósito de um projecto de investigação sobre Lisboa. Cartografia e Cadastro, 1, Lisboa, pp. 3-8). The "Image-Map" of the Lisbon Region, at the scale 1: 100 000 was also produced, and two master theses were supervised by M. J. Alcoforado (“Air pollution and climate in Lisbon - Aspects of spatial and temporal variation in the winter semester” by H. Andrade, and “Thermal patterns of the local climate in the region of Oeiras”, by A. Lopes). During this project, the first seminar of Urban Climatology in the Physical Geography Master was thaught, and the "core" working group in urban climatology began to develop.

1991/1994 – The cliffs of Arrábida Mountains and the atmosphere / ocean environmental system (PEAM / C / CNT / 28/91), funded by JNICT, in which Professor Suzanne Daveau was the principal researcher, and M. J. Alcoforado the group coordinator on the Arrábida Mountains Climatology.

During this project several papers were produced (1994 – Almeida, A. F; Rego, F. C.; Alcoforado, M. J.; Capelo, J. – Previsão e comportamento do fogo na Arrábida: a realidade e a simulação. Silva Lusitana, 2 (1), Lisboa, pp. 41-49; 1993 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Andrade, E.; Neves, M.; Vieira, G. – Os climas locais da Arrábida no Inverno. Finisterra - Revista Portuguesa de Geografia, XXVIII (55-56), Lisboa, pp. 215-228; 1993 – Alcoforado, M. J.; Almeida, A. F. – Incêndios no Parque Natural da Arrábida. Dados estatísticos. Finisterra - Revista Portuguesa de Geografia, XXVIII (55-56), Lisboa, pp. 229-242; 1994 – Alcoforado, M. J. – A vegetação como indicador climático. Anais do Instituto Superior de Agronomia, XLIV (2), pp. 667-681) were produced. In its following M. J. Alcoforado has supervised C. Mora Master's thesis “The local climates in Arrábida Mountains” that was defended in 1998 (Mora, 1998). Related communications have also been presented in conferences (Mora, 1998b and Mora, 2009).