Air turbulence from giant turbines causes air temperatures to
rise around wind farms, scientists say. Researchers including
Associate Professor Liming Zhou from the State University of New
York examined conditions around 2,358 turbines at four Texas
wind farms. Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change,
Professor Zhou and colleagues reported a temperature increase of
up to 0.72 degrees Celsius per decade at wind farm locations,
compared to nearby areas. They also found the effect to be
greater at night than during the day. The study could help
researchers better understand the impact of wind farms on local
environments. After discounting the impact of surface features
such as vegetation, roads, light reflection and surface
structures, the researchers concluded that the temperature
change was caused by air turbulence generated by the turbines'
giant rotor blades. "Turbine rotors were modifying surface-
atmosphere exchanges and the transfer of energy, momentum, mass
and moisture within the atmosphere," they w