Wind speed variability over the Canary Islands, 1948-2014: focusing on trend differences at the land-ocean interface and below-above the trade-wind inversion layer

This study simultaneously examines wind speed trends at the land?ocean interface, and below?above the trade-wind inversion layer in the Canary Islands and the surrounding Eastern North Atlantic Ocean: a key region for quantifying the variability of trade-winds and its response to large-scale atmospheric circulation changes. Two homogenized data sources are used: (1) observed wind speed from nine land-based stations (1981?2014), including one mountain weather station (Izaña) located above the trade-wind inversion layer; and (2) simulated wind speed from two atmospheric hindcasts over ocean (i.e., SeaWind I at 30 km for 1948?2014; and SeaWind II at 15 km for 1989?2014). The results revealed a widespread significant negative trend of trade-winds over ocean for 1948?2014, whereas no significant trends were detected for 1989?2014. For this recent period wind speed over land and ocean displayed the same multi-decadal variability and a distinct seasonal trend pattern with a strengthening (late spring and summer; significant in May and August) and weakening (winter?spring?autumn; significant in April and September) of trade-winds. Above the inversion layer at Izaña, we found a predominance of significant positive trends, indicating a decoupled variability and opposite wind speed trends when compared to those reported in boundary layer. The analysis of the Trade Wind Index (TWI), the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI) and the Eastern Atlantic Index (EAI) demonstrated significant correlations with the wind speed variability, revealing that the correlation patterns of the three indices showed a spatio-temporal complementarity in shaping wind speed trends across the Eastern North Atlantic.C. A. -M. has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 703733 (STILLING project). This research was also supported by the Research Projects: Swedish BECC, MERGE, VR (2014–5320), PCIN-2015-220, CGL2014-52135-C03-01 and Red de variabilidad y cambio climático RECLIM (CGL2014-517221-REDT). M.M is indebted to the Spanish Government for funding through the “Ramón y Cajal” program and supported by Grant PORTIO (BIA2015-70644-R

Anaerobic digestion process: technological aspects and recent developments

The technology of anaerobic digestion allows the use of biodegradable waste for energy production by breaking down organic matter through a series of biochemical reactions. Such process generates biogas (productivity of 0.45 Nm3/KgSV), which can be used as energy source in industrial activities or as fuel for automotive vehicles. Anaerobic digestion is an economically viable and environmentally friendly process since it makes possible obtaining clean energy at a low cost and without generating greenhouse gases. Searching for clean energy sources has been the target of scientists worldwide, and this technology has excelled on the basis of efficiency in organic matter conversion into biogas (yield in the range of 0.7–2.0 kWh/m3), considered energy carriers for the future. This paper gives an overview of the technology of anaerobic digestion of food waste, describing the metabolism and microorganisms involved in this process, as well as the operational factors that affect it such as temperature, pH, organic loading, moisture, C/N ratio, and co-digestion. The types of reactors that can be used, the methane production, and the most recent developments in this area are also presented and discussed