Sandra Marta Nobre Plecha
@fc.ul.pt
DEGGE/FCUL
IDL/FCUL
Scopus Publications
- Seasonal variability and structure of the circulation on the NW Portuguese shelf
Teresa Leal-Rosa, Álvaro Peliz, Ana Teles-Machado, Sandra Plecha, A. Miguel Piecho-Santos
Continental Shelf Research, 2026 - The outstanding European and Mediterranean heatwave activity during summer 2022
R.M. Trigo, D. Barriopedro, J.M. Garrido-Perez, A. Simon, S.M. Plecha, et al.
Atmospheric Research, 2025 - Spatial distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Cadiz as a function of their density: A Lagrangian modelling approach
Irene Laiz, Nadine Foletti, Ana Teles-Machado, Sandra Plecha, Álvaro Peliz, et al.
Science of the Total Environment, 2024 - Anomalous ocean currents and European anchovy dispersal in the Iberian ecosystem
A Teles-Machado, SM Plecha, A Peliz, S Garrido
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2024
Unlike other upwelling areas where sardine and anchovy species dominate the pelagic ecosystems, the Western Iberian ecosystem has been consistently dominated by European sardine Engraulis encrasicolus, while anchovy had a residual presence from the start of acoustic surveys, in 1989, to 2014. Since 2015, the abundance of anchovy in the Western Iberian margins has sharply increased and continues to show an increasing trend as of 2023. It is unclear if this increase is a result of dispersal from nearby recruitment areas, higher survival rates of early life stages due to favorable environmental conditions, or both. We used a set of different models to simulate the dispersion and survival of anchovy early life stages in the Iberian region for the years preceding the increase in anchovy abundance. An ocean model simulation with the model CROCO provided the fields used as background for Lagrangian simulations coupled to an individual-based model of anchovy eggs and larvae. We simulated the years 2013-2015, and the results show that in 2014 and 2015, anomalous upper-ocean circulation patterns with strong and persistent westward currents transported a large number of eggs and larvae from the Bay of Biscay (BoB) westward along the Northern Iberian margin. The maximum transport occurred in June and July 2015, when 8 and 4%, respectively, of the eggs spawned in the BoB potentially reached the Iberian west coast as larvae. This process might explain the increase in anchovy abundance in the Western Iberian ecosystem. The results of the study show that episodes of anomalous intense ocean currents, when coincident with high presence of eggs, can lead to the colonization of new areas, and connectivity between areas varies dramatically with time. - The marine heatwave west of Ireland in June 2023
Gerard D. McCarthy, Sandra Plecha, Guillaume Charria, Amélie Simon, Coline Poppeschi, et al.
Weather, 2023 - Coastal and regional marine heatwaves and cold spells in the northeastern Atlantic
Amélie Simon, Coline Poppeschi, Sandra Plecha, Guillaume Charria, Ana Russo
Ocean Science, 2023
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report describes an increase in the number and intensity of marine heatwaves (MHWs) and a decrease in marine cold spells (MCSs) in the global ocean. However, these reported changes are not uniform on a regional to local basis, and it remains unknown if coastal areas follow the open-ocean trends. Surface ocean temperature measurements collected by satellites (from 1982–2022) and 13 coastal buoys (from 1990–2022) are analyzed in the northeastern Atlantic and three subregions: the English Channel, Bay of Brest and Bay of Biscay. The activity metric, combining the number of events, intensity, duration and spatial extent, is used to evaluate the magnitude of these extreme events. The results from in situ and satellite datasets for each of the studied regions are quite in agreement, although the satellite dataset underestimates the amplitude of activity for both MHWs and MCSs. This supports the applicability of the method to both in situ and satellite data, albeit with caution on the amplitude of these events. Also, this localized study in European coastal northeastern Atlantic water highlights that similar changes are being seen in coastal and open oceans regarding extreme events of temperature, with MHWs being more frequent and longer and extending over larger areas, while the opposite is seen for MCSs. These trends can be explained by changes in both the mean of and variance in sea-surface temperature. In addition, the pace of evolution and dynamics of marine extreme events differ among the subregions. Among the three studied subregions, the English Channel is the region experiencing the strongest increase in summer MHW activity over the last 4 decades. Summer MHWs were very active in the English Channel in 2022 due to long events, in the Bay of Biscay in 2018 due to intense events and in the Bay of Brest in 2017 due to a high occurrence of events. Winter MCSs were the largest in 1987 and 1986 due to long and intense events in the English Channel. Finally, our findings suggest that at an interannual timescale, the positive North Atlantic Oscillation favors the generation of strong summer MHWs in the northeastern Atlantic, while low-pressure conditions over northern Europe and a high off the Iberian Peninsula in winter dominate for MCSs. A preliminary analysis of air–sea heat fluxes suggests that, in this region, reduced cloud coverage is a key parameter for the generation of summer MHWs, while strong winds and increased cloud coverage are important for the generation of winter MCSs. - Offshore wind data assessment near the Iberian Peninsula over the last 25 years
Sandra M Plecha, Ana Teles-Machado, Ricardo Tomé, Pedro Mateus
Environmental Research Climate, 2023
Numerous processes affecting coastal ocean dynamics and water properties occur at the air-sea interface as a result of wind blowing on the ocean surface. In Earth system research, it is crucial to appropriately characterize the ocean surface wind (OSW) field because of its significance in many academic and economic activities. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the most recent OSW datasets based on numerical modeling and remote sensing products in estimating in situ observations along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The results are three-fold: (1) when high temporal resolutions are not necessary, remote sensing products are an excellent choice because they provide reliable OSW estimates; (2) for analyses that require high temporal resolution, numerical weather models are the best choice because they can statistically reproduce the main trend; (3) fifth generation of European ReAnalysis (ERA5) showed that, despite having a lower spatial resolution than the dynamically downscaled weather research and forecasting simulation, it captures the spatial and temporal dynamics and variability of coastal winds and may be used as forcing of the atmosphere-ocean interface modeling without compromising its accuracy. - Hot and cold marine extreme events in the Mediterranean over the period 1982-2021
Amelie Simon, Sandra M. Plecha, Ana Russo, Ana Teles-Machado, Markus G. Donat, et al.
Frontiers in Marine Science, 2022
Marine temperature extremes are anomalous ocean temperature events, often persisting over several weeks or longer, with potential impacts on physical and ecological processes that often encompass socio-economic implications. In recent years, a considerable effort has been directed at the development of metrics allowing an objective characterization of both marine heatwaves (MHWs) and marine cold spells (MCSs). However, the majority of these metrics do not consider explicitly the spatial extent of the events. Here, we rank and evaluate the relative importance of marine temperature extreme events thanks to a metric, called activity, that combines the number of events, duration, intensity and spatial extent. According to this definition, in the Mediterranean basin between 1982 and 2021, summer 2018 experienced slightly more MHW activity than summer 2003, documented as an exceptional extreme event. Besides, MHW activities were higher in the last two decades while winter MCS activities were higher in the 1980s-1990s. The highest MHW activities occurred preferentially in the western Mediterranean while the strongest MCS activities took place preferentially in the eastern Mediterranean. Moreover, the duration, mean intensity, and activity of the three strongest MHWs are twice as high as those of the three strongest MCSs. The long-term tendency of extreme events activity shows an accelerated increase for summer MHWs (about +150°C.days.10⁶km²) and a linear decrease for winter MCSs in the Mediterranean (about -60°C.days.10⁶km²) over the last four decades. - Assessment of the spawning habitat, spatial distribution, and Lagrangian dispersion of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) early stages in the Gulf of Cadiz during an apparent anomalous episode in 2016
Andrea Casaucao, Enrique González-Ortegón, María P. Jiménez, Ana Teles-Machado, Sandra Plecha, et al.
Science of the Total Environment, 2021
Modelling the environmental factors influencing the spatial variation of fish early life stages density and their drift history can identify the key biological and physical processes for the recruitment variability. Distance-based linear multivariate techniques were used to characterize the spawning areas of the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the Gulf of Cadiz (GoC). Chlorophyll is the environmental variable that best characterized its spawning areas with a time-lag of three days. The use of Lagrangian models to simulate the dispersal of small pelagic species more dependent on advection such as the European anchovy early life stages (early larvae and eggs) in the GoC could provide the degree of connectivity between spawning and nursery areas and identify the physical drivers of the recruitment variability. The larval final destination is critical for the survival of a marine species which is coastal-dependent during its early life stages. Simulations with a Lagrangian transport model in the Southwest Iberian Peninsula were performed during the most intense spawning peak of 2016, when a strong and persistent countercurrent event developed. Most of the simulated early life stages were transported to the western Portuguese coast and, to a lesser extent, to the Atlantic oligotrophic waters, suggesting an increase in the connectivity between the subdivision 9a South and West components. Although different environmental processes occurring during ontogenetic stages, as well as overfishing, among others, can explain part of the variability observed in recruitment, events such as the development of coastal countercurrents during the spawning season could partly account for an increase of anchovy on the western Portuguese coast and a decrease in the Gulf of Cadiz one year later. - Hgpt2: An era5-based global model to estimate relative humidity
Pedro Mateus, Virgílio B. Mendes, Sandra M. Plecha
Remote Sensing, 2021
The neutral atmospheric delay is one of the major error sources in Space Geodesy techniques such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), and its modeling for high accuracy applications can be challenging. Improving the modeling of the atmospheric delays (hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic) also leads to a more accurate and precise precipitable water vapor estimation (PWV), mostly in real-time applications, where models play an important role, since numerical weather prediction models cannot be used for real-time processing or forecasting. This study developed an improved version of the Hourly Global Pressure and Temperature (HGPT) model, the HGPT2. It is based on 20 years of ERA5 reanalysis data at full spatial (0.25° × 0.25°) and temporal resolution (1-h). Apart from surface air temperature, surface pressure, zenith hydrostatic delay, and weighted mean temperature, the updated model also provides information regarding the relative humidity, zenith non-hydrostatic delay, and precipitable water vapor. The HGPT2 is based on the time-segmentation concept and uses the annual, semi-annual, and quarterly periodicities to calculate the relative humidity anywhere on the Earth’s surface. Data from 282 moisture sensors located close to GNSS stations during 1 year (2020) were used to assess the model coefficients. The HGPT2 meteorological parameters were used to process 35 GNSS sites belonging to the International GNSS Service (IGS) using the GAMIT/GLOBK software package. Results show a decreased root-mean-square error (RMSE) and bias values relative to the most used zenith delay models, with a significant impact on the height component. The HGPT2 was developed to be applied in the most diverse areas that can significantly benefit from an ERA5 full-resolution model. - On the uncertainty of future projections of Marine Heatwave events in the North Atlantic Ocean
Sandra M. Plecha, Pedro M. M. Soares, Susana M. Silva-Fernandes, William Cabos
Climate Dynamics, 2021 - The role of the Gulf of Cadiz circulation in the redistribution of trace metals between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
I. Laiz, S. Plecha, A. Teles-Machado, E. González-Ortegón, D. Sánchez-Quiles, et al.
Science of the Total Environment, 2020 - Synoptic Spatio-Temporal Variability of the Photosynthetic Productivity of Microphytobenthos and Phytoplankton in a Tidal Estuary
Silja Frankenbach, João Ezequiel, Sandra Plecha, Johannes W. Goessling, Leandro Vaz, et al.
Frontiers in Marine Science, 2020 - Global marine heatwave events using the new CMIP6 multi-model ensemble: From shortcomings in present climate to future projections
Sandra M Plecha, Pedro M M Soares
Environmental Research Letters, 2019 - Modeling SST and chlorophyll patterns in a coupled estuary-coastal system of Portugal: The Tagus case study
N. Vaz, M. Mateus, S. Plecha, M.C. Sousa, P.C. Leitão, et al.
Journal of Marine Systems, 2015 - Study of suspended sediment dynamics in a temperate coastal lagoon: Ria de Aveiro (Portugal)
Sandra Plecha, Ana Picado, Pedro Chambel-Leitão, João M. Dias, Nuno Vaz
Journal of Coastal Research, 2014 - Influence of morphological changes in a lagoon flooding extension: Case study of Ria de Aveiro (Portugal)
Journal of Coastal Research, 2013 - Coastal wave regime influence on Ria de Aveiro inlet dynamics
Journal of Coastal Research, 2013 - Establishing the wave climate influence on the morphodynamics of a coastal lagoon inlet
Sandra Plecha, Paulo A. Silva, Anabela Oliveira, João M. Dias
Ocean Dynamics, 2012 - Influence of the wave regime in coastal sediment budget: Present and future scenarios
Sandra Plecha, Carina L. Lopes, Nicolas Bruneau, Nuno A. Ribeiro, Paulo A. Silva, et al.
Proceedings of the Coastal Engineering Conference, 2012 - Evaluation of single waves effects on the morphology evolution of a coastal lagoon inlet
Journal of Coastal Research, 2011 - Local sea level change scenarios for the end of the 21st century and potential physical impacts in the lower ria de aveiro (Portugal)
Carina L. Lopes, Paulo A. Silva, João M. Dias, Alfredo Rocha, Ana Picado, et al.
Continental Shelf Research, 2011 - Sensitivity analysis of a morphodynamic modelling system applied to a coastal lagoon inlet
Sandra Plecha, Paulo A. Silva, Nuno Vaz, Xavier Bertin, Anabela Oliveira, et al.
Ocean Dynamics, 2010 - Trends of bathymetric variations at a tidal inlet
River Coastal and Estuarine Morphodynamics Rcem 2007 Proceedings of the 5th IAHR Symposium on River Coastal and Estuarine Morphodynamics, 2008 - Representative waves for morphological simulations
Journal of Coastal Research, 2007
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
- Seasonal variability and structure of the circulation on the NW Portuguese shelf
T Leal-Rosa, Á Peliz, A Teles-Machado, S Plecha, AM Piecho-Santos
Continental Shelf Research, 105695 , 2026
2026 - The outstanding European and Mediterranean heatwave activity during summer 2022
RM Trigo, D Barriopedro, JM Garrido-Perez, A Simon, SM Plecha, ...
Atmospheric Research 323, 108195 , 2025
2025
Citations: 10 - Spatial distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Cadiz as a function of their density: A Lagrangian modelling approach
I Laiz, N Foletti, A Teles-Machado, S Plecha, Á Peliz, RFS Leal, ...
Science of The Total Environment 950, 175212 , 2024
2024
Citations: 7 - Spatial distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Cadiz as a function of their density: A Lagrangian modelling approach
IM Laiz Alonso, N Foletti, A Teles Machado, S Plecha, A Peliz, ...
Elsevier , 2024
2024 - Anomalous ocean currents and European anchovy dispersal in the Iberian ecosystem
A Teles-Machado, SM Plecha, A Peliz, S Garrido
Marine Ecology Progress Series 741, 289-300 , 2024
2024
Citations: 4 - The marine heatwave west of Ireland in June 2023
GD McCarthy, S Plecha, G Charria, A Simon, C Poppeschi, A Russo
Weather 78 (11), 321-323 , 2023
2023
Citations: 16 - Coastal and regional marine heatwaves and cold spells in the northeastern Atlantic
A Simon, C Poppeschi, S Plecha, G Charria, A Russo
Ocean Science 19 (5), 1339-1355 , 2023
2023
Citations: 49 - Offshore wind data assessment near the Iberian Peninsula over the last 25 years
SM Plecha, A Teles-Machado, R Tomé, P Mateus
Environmental Research: Climate 2 (2), 025008 , 2023
2023
Citations: 5 - Coastal and regional marine heatwaves and cold-spells in the Northeast Atlantic
A Simon, C Poppeschi, S Plecha, G Charria, A Russo
EGUsphere 2023, 1-25 , 2023
2023
Citations: 7 - Hot and cold marine extreme events in the Mediterranean over the period 1982-2021
A Simon, SM Plecha, A Russo, A Teles-Machado, MG Donat, PA Auger, ...
Frontiers in Marine Science 9, 892201 , 2022
2022
Citations: 47 - Hot and Cold Marine Extreme Events in the Mediterranean over the last four decades
A Simon, S Plecha, A Russo, A Teles-Machado, M Donat, R Trigo
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, EGU22-6141 , 2022
2022 - Assessment of the spawning habitat, spatial distribution, and Lagrangian dispersion of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) early stages in the Gulf of Cadiz during an …
A Casaucao, E González-Ortegón, MP Jiménez, A Teles-Machado, ...
Science of the Total Environment 781, 146530 , 2021
2021
Citations: 26 - HGPT2: an ERA5-based global model to estimate relative humidity
P Mateus, VB Mendes, SM Plecha
Remote Sensing 13 (11), 2179 , 2021
2021
Citations: 53 - On the uncertainty of future projections of Marine Heatwave events in the North Atlantic Ocean
SM Plecha, PMM Soares, SM Silva-Fernandes, W Cabos
Climate Dynamics 56 (7), 2027-2056 , 2021
2021
Citations: 43 - HGPT2: An ERA5-Based Global Model to Estimate Relative Humidity. Remote Sens. 2021, 13, 2179
P Mateus, VB Mendes, SM Plecha, S Bonafoni, ID Luiz
s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published … , 2021
2021
Citations: 3 - Assessment of the spawning habitat, spatial distribution, and Lagrangian dispersion of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) early stages in the Gulf of Cadiz during an …
MP Jiménez, A Teles-Machado, A Caucaso, E González-Ortegón, ...
Centro Oceanográfico de Cádiz , 2021
2021
Citations: 1 - Assessment of the spawning habitat, spatial distribution, and Lagrangian dispersion of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) early stages in the Gulf of Cadiz during an …
A Casaucao Aguilar, E González-Ortegón, MP Jiménez, ...
ELSEVIER , 2021
2021 - Global marine heatwave events using the new CMIP6 multi-model ensemble: from shortcomings in present climate to future projections
SM Plecha, PMM Soares
Environmental Research Letters 15 (12), 124058 , 2020
2020
Citations: 112 - The role of the Gulf of Cadiz circulation in the redistribution of trace metals between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
I Laiz, S Plecha, A Teles-Machado, E González-Ortegón, ...
Science of the Total Environment 719, 134964 , 2020
2020
Citations: 34 - Synoptic spatio-temporal variability of the photosynthetic productivity of microphytobenthos and phytoplankton in a tidal estuary
S Frankenbach, J Ezequiel, S Plecha, JW Goessling, L Vaz, M Kühl, ...
Frontiers in Marine Science 7, 170 , 2020
2020
Citations: 62
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
- Global marine heatwave events using the new CMIP6 multi-model ensemble: from shortcomings in present climate to future projections
SM Plecha, PMM Soares
Environmental Research Letters 15 (12), 124058 , 2020
2020
Citations: 112 - Local sea level change scenarios for the end of the 21st century and potential physical impacts in the lower Ria de Aveiro (Portugal)
CL Lopes, PA Silva, JM Dias, A Rocha, A Picado, S Plecha, AB Fortunato
Continental Shelf Research 31 (14), 1515-1526 , 2011
2011
Citations: 76 - Synoptic spatio-temporal variability of the photosynthetic productivity of microphytobenthos and phytoplankton in a tidal estuary
S Frankenbach, J Ezequiel, S Plecha, JW Goessling, L Vaz, M Kühl, ...
Frontiers in Marine Science 7, 170 , 2020
2020
Citations: 62 - HGPT2: an ERA5-based global model to estimate relative humidity
P Mateus, VB Mendes, SM Plecha
Remote Sensing 13 (11), 2179 , 2021
2021
Citations: 53 - Coastal and regional marine heatwaves and cold spells in the northeastern Atlantic
A Simon, C Poppeschi, S Plecha, G Charria, A Russo
Ocean Science 19 (5), 1339-1355 , 2023
2023
Citations: 49 - Hot and cold marine extreme events in the Mediterranean over the period 1982-2021
A Simon, SM Plecha, A Russo, A Teles-Machado, MG Donat, PA Auger, ...
Frontiers in Marine Science 9, 892201 , 2022
2022
Citations: 47 - On the uncertainty of future projections of Marine Heatwave events in the North Atlantic Ocean
SM Plecha, PMM Soares, SM Silva-Fernandes, W Cabos
Climate Dynamics 56 (7), 2027-2056 , 2021
2021
Citations: 43 - Sensitivity analysis of a morphodynamic modelling system applied to a coastal lagoon inlet
S Plecha, PA Silva, N Vaz, X Bertin, A Oliveira, AB Fortunato, JM Dias
Ocean Dynamics 60 (2), 275-284 , 2010
2010
Citations: 41 - Influence of morphological changes in a lagoon flooding extension: case study of Ria de Aveiro (Portugal)
CL Lopes, S Plecha, PA Silva, JM Dias
Journal of Coastal Research 65 (SI), 1158-1163 , 2013
2013
Citations: 39 - The role of the Gulf of Cadiz circulation in the redistribution of trace metals between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
I Laiz, S Plecha, A Teles-Machado, E González-Ortegón, ...
Science of the Total Environment 719, 134964 , 2020
2020
Citations: 34 - Modeling SST and chlorophyll patterns in a coupled estuary-coastal system of Portugal: The Tagus case study
N Vaz, M Mateus, S Plecha, MC Sousa, PC Leitão, R Neves, JM Dias
Journal of Marine Systems 147, 123-137 , 2015
2015
Citations: 34 - Assessment of the spawning habitat, spatial distribution, and Lagrangian dispersion of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) early stages in the Gulf of Cadiz during an …
A Casaucao, E González-Ortegón, MP Jiménez, A Teles-Machado, ...
Science of the Total Environment 781, 146530 , 2021
2021
Citations: 26 - Establishing the wave climate influence on the morphodynamics of a coastal lagoon inlet
S Plecha, PA Silva, A Oliveira, JM Dias
Ocean Dynamics 62 (5), 799-814 , 2012
2012
Citations: 25 - The marine heatwave west of Ireland in June 2023
GD McCarthy, S Plecha, G Charria, A Simon, C Poppeschi, A Russo
Weather 78 (11), 321-323 , 2023
2023
Citations: 16 - Sand transport induced by acceleration-skewed waves and currents-the transkew project
P da Silva, T Abreu, P Freire, G Kikkert, H Michallet, T O'Donoghue, ...
14th Physics of Estuaries and Coastal Seas Conference, PECS 2008, 163-166 , 2008
2008
Citations: 12 - Representative waves for morphological simulations
S Plecha, F Sancho, P Silva, JM Dias
Journal of Coastal Research 50 (sp1), 995-999 , 2007
2007
Citations: 12 - The outstanding European and Mediterranean heatwave activity during summer 2022
RM Trigo, D Barriopedro, JM Garrido-Perez, A Simon, SM Plecha, ...
Atmospheric Research 323, 108195 , 2025
2025
Citations: 10 - Trends of bathymetric variations at a tidal inlet
S Plecha, S Rodrigues, P Silva, JM Dias, A Oliveira, AB Fortunato
River, Coastal and Estuarine Morphodynamics: RCEM 2007 , 2008
2008
Citations: 10 - Contribution to the study of the Ria de Aveiro inlet morphodynamics
SMN Plecha
PQDT-Global , 2011
2011
Citations: 8 - Spatial distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Cadiz as a function of their density: A Lagrangian modelling approach
I Laiz, N Foletti, A Teles-Machado, S Plecha, Á Peliz, RFS Leal, ...
Science of The Total Environment 950, 175212 , 2024
2024
Citations: 7
