Talk:Environmental impact

The COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. First wave: from the first cases to the end of June 2020

Monographs from the National Atlas of Spain. New content

Thematic structure > Social, economic and environmental effects > Environmental impact

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The COVID-19 pandemic was directly related to various environmental elements in Spain. Although it is widely accepted that humans (our mobility, the accumulation of people in urban areas, our increased longevity, the degree to which we comply with health recommendations, etc.) are the most powerful factor in the spread of the virus, it has also been proven that several atmospheric conditions served as active agents for infection. In addition, lockdown and the temporary standstill of economic activity had several positive environmental impacts, which are assessed in this chapter.

Aspectos atmosféricos

Coronavirus is more transmissible in dry environments with high pollution levels, cold temperatures (between 5°C and 11°C) and little in the way of moving air. Conversely, geographical zones with warm temperatures (above 18°C), high relative humidity (>70%), and clean, moving air (breezes, for example) are, a priori, environments less prone to infection.

During the winter months of 2020, the amount of COVID-19 cases and fatalities worldwide were higher than in the summer months. The transmission of coronavirus, from its origin in Wuhan (China) to Europe and then to North America, did not follow the typical direction of the mid-latitude winds in the atmospheric general circulation model, what confirms that humans played a decisive role in its spread. However, it did not reach Spain until the end of February/beginning of March, a few weeks later than other European territories. This may be explained by high pressure conditions in the atmosphere, caused by a tropical maritime air mass, which brought abnormally warm temperatures and high levels of sunshine that encouraged people to spend more time outdoors.

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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.

During the initial phases of the pandemic, there were more infections in the north of Spain, which has colder night-time temperatures than the southern half of the country and the Mediterranean coast. It also spread more quickly in big cities, such as Madrid and Bilbao, where air quality is poorer than in less populated areas. The contrasting temperatures in February on the maps on Average February temperature 1981-2010 and Average February temperature 2020 clearly depict these facts. In March 2020, however, the previously settled atmospheric conditions gave way to instability, frequent storms and rain. Consequently, just as the state of alarm was enacted and the population went into lockdown, the unstable atmospheric conditions and reduction in human activity combined to clean the air and reduce pollution levels. Despite this, the cooler temperatures bred more favourable conditions for the spread of the virus.

The map showing figures on solar insolation in March 2020 compared to the average in March from 1981 to 2010 shows the frequency of cloudy and overcast days registered at the start of the pandemic. From May onwards, the general rise in temperatures contributed to reducing infection and helped slow the pandemic.

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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.
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  Map: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.

Average February temperature in Barcelona, Bilbao, Gran Canaria, Logroño, Madrid and Palma Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos. Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos. Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos. Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos. Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos. Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos.

Energía

Emisiones de Gases de Efecto Invernadero

Calidad del aire en Europa

Contaminación acústica

Seismic noise Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Granada. 2020. Granada. PDF. Datos. Statistical graph: Evolution in seismic noise recorded by stations from the National Seismic Network. Lorca. 2020. Lorca. PDF. Datos. The Geographic Institute of Spain monitors accelerometers placed in urban areas in the most seismically active Spanish regions. The primary purpose of these seismic stations is to record the intense ground movements caused by earthquakes. However, due to their urban locations, they may also provide accurate recordings of the cultural or anthropic seismic noise levels caused by human activity, such as traffic, industry and other causes of ground vibrations. The accelerometer records show that the average daily cultural seismic noise level drops by several decibels at the weekend. They also confirm alterations in seismic noise due to the decrease, cessation and resumption of human activities during lockdown and subsequent downscaling phases. Thus, the daily average noise level decreased during lockdown by between 1 and 7 dB, depending on the gauging station, compared to the prior reference level. Subsequently, with the gradual resumption of activity during the transition to ‘new normal life’, the cultural seismic noise progressively increased until it reached figures similar to those registered before lockdown, as shown by the daily average anthropic seismic noise levels recorded by the accelerometers in Granada and Lorca (Region of Murcia/Región de Murcia).

Contaminación de aguas residuales y consumo de agua

Vegetación en la ciudad de Sevilla durante la primera ola de la pandemia

Co-authorship of the text in Spanish: Samuel Biener Camacho, Manuel Gilibert Valdés, Javier Martí Talavera, Enrique Moltó Mantero, José Ojeda Zújar, Jorge Olcina Cantos, Antonio Oliva Cañizares, Pilar Paneque Salgado, Víctor Rodríguez Galiano y Esther Sánchez Almodóvar. See the list of members engaged

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