Nina Droff, edited by Maxime Asseo 06:24, January 24, 2023

In 2022, the tramontana blew only 90 days a year, compared to an average of 122 days between 1980 and 2010. A more than worrying slowdown, since many ecosystems, including marine organisms, need this wind to remain, particularly in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

With the fires of this summer where the acidification of the oceans, the impact of fire and water on ecosystems and biodiversity is well known.

However, a third element, the wind, also plays a fundamental role in ecosystems.

Witness that of the Tramontane, a violent and cold wind, from west to north-west sector traversing the foothills of the Pyrenees and the mountains of the south of the Massif Central according to Météo France.

As it becomes scarce, it directly impacts many ecosystems that need it to survive.

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Deep water renewal

In 2022, the Tramuntana blew only 90 days a year, compared to an average of 122 days between 1980 and 2010. A worrying slowdown also for marine organisms, as explained by Pascal Romans, from the Analogue Ocean observation service of Banyuls-sur-Mer, in the Eastern Pyrenees.

"The renewal of deep waters takes place because these winds blow and at the same time as this renewal takes place, there is an upwelling of deep water which contains nutrient salts", explains the specialist.

"It's the base of the food chain that feeds zooplankton, fish, and the entire fisheries system."

A slowdown which could also have consequences for agriculture since this dry wind often protects crops, like that of Pierre Hylari, president of the Young Farmers of the Pyrénées-Orientales: "This wind helps us to have a kind of atmosphere a little healthier, since the mushrooms that develop with humidity develop much less when there is the tramontana."

According to the first projections, the tramontana could decrease further in the next ten years.