Abstract
Abstract The formation of artificial lake due construction of a hydroelectric plant causes irreversible environmental impacts. Studies associated with these artificial lakes for the Brazilian semiarid region are still insufficient. Thus, the objective of this study is to provide new information on the trends of climatic extremes, dependent on rainfall and air temperature, for the Sobradinho Hydroelectric Power Plant (SHPP) lake region, through the analysis of climate change indices. This study is particularly important for the SHPP region because microclimate changes have significant impacts on the natural, social and economic sectors. For the two analyzed stations (Bebedouro-PE and Mandacaru-BA), it is not possible to affirm that the construction of the SHPP artificial lake altered the local microclimate. Trends of increase in maximum temperature, the number of hot days and diurnal temperature range were noticed. However, the rise of these indices cannot be attributed to the formation of the SHPP lake. The influence of the SST of Tropical Oceans on the temporal behavior of some of the indices used in this study may have contributed to increases in hot days and nights, maximum temperature, diurnal temperature range and consecutive dry days over the region.
Highlights
Most of the electricity in Brazil is generated in hydroelectric plants, but in general, the construction of these plants causes the formation of large artificial lakes, due to the impoundment of the rivers
Correia et al (2006a,b) analyzed the soil occupation and atmospheric variations on the lake area of the Sobradinho Hydroelectric Power Plant (SHPP) in the state of Bahia inserted on the Sub-middle São Francisco River Basin (SFSB)
This study shows that when the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) of this ocean is warmer could cause an increase in the maximum temperature, hot days, diurnal temperature range and, an increase in the consecutive dry days
Summary
Most of the electricity in Brazil is generated in hydroelectric plants, but in general, the construction of these plants causes the formation of large artificial lakes, due to the impoundment of the rivers. The formation of artificial lakes has been the subject of some studies in Brazil (Fisch et al, 1990; Sanches and Fisch, 2005; Pereira et al, 2009), mainly due to changes that occur in the environment, and interferences that affect the populations that inhabit the areas that were flooded. The construction of a hydroelectric plant and the consequent formation of an artificial lake cause irreversible environmental impacts. For the semiarid area of the Brazilian Northeast region (NEB), the developed microclimatic studies associated with the formation of the lake are still insufficient. Analyses are performed using historical data series, comparing the periods before and after the filling of the lake, to evaluate the environmental impact caused by the formation of artificial lakes on the microclimate of a region
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