Local climatic and environmental effects of an onshore wind farm in North China

To explore the possible local climatic and environmental impacts of an onshore wind farm in North China, meteorological observation and satellite remote sensing data around the wind farm were collected, and the soil chemical composition within and outside of the wind farm was determined. Our analysis revealed changes in the spatial patterns of wind, air temperature (T-a), ground surface temperature (T-s), land surface temperature (LST), evapotranspiration (ET), and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from before to after the construction of the wind farm. The two datasets of meteorological observations showed that wind speed decreased after the construction of the wind farm, with one dataset indicating a significant decrease. Since the construction of the farm, T-a and T-s have shown increasing trends, and ET has shown a significant increasing trend. The nighttime T-a and LST showed opposite trends, with T-a decreasing and LST increasing. The change in LST was the greatest at the wind farm and in its downwind zone, indicating that the operation of the wind farm affects the LST within and beyond the 10 km buffer zone. After the wind farm construction, the NDVI showed a significant positive trend. However, increases in the concentrations of Ti and Co were observed, suggesting that the construction and operation of wind farm may promote vegetation growth and cause soil pollution. The monitoring of wind farms needs to be strengthened to reveal the long-term impacts of wind farms on local climates and ecosystems.

Automated summary

The construction and operation of an onshore wind farm in North China have led to changes in wind speed, temperature, evapotranspiration, and vegetation index in the area. While temperature and vegetation index have shown increasing trends, there are also observed increases in concentrations of Ti and Co, indicating potential soil pollution. Monitoring of wind farms is necessary to understand their long-term impacts on local climates and ecosystems.