Antropogeomorphologic impacts of windfarms

Abstract

During the establishment of wind farmstheir close environment can become altered moreor less. Artificial forms and processes triggered bythe construction and operation of wind turbinescan be different depending on the site. There is aseveral decades long history of the operation ofonshore wind farms, so many studies have dealtwith their effects on landscape evolution.Anthropogeomorphologic issues of well plannedand appropriately carried out projects areinsignificant. Continental shelf areas are othersites with growing importance for theestablishment of wind farms today. Conditions foroffshore projects are different from those ofcontinental ones. There is not much informationon the environmental effects of offshore windfarms, since their establishment has begun justrecently. Questions raised in this paper have agrowing importance together with the growinginvestments in this field.

Keywords

• wind turbines
• establishment of wind farms
• anthropogeomorphology
• onshore and offshore wind farms
• reef development