Editing Azores (section)

==Geography==
<div style="float: right; width: auto; margin-left: 1.5em;">
[[File:Azores-map.png|thumb|none|upright=1.2|Map of the Azores]]
{| class="wikitable" style="float: right;"
|-
|+ Surface areas of the Azores Islands
! style="width:130px;" rowspan="2"| Island
! colspan="2"| Area
|-
! style="width:50px;"| km<sup>2</sup>
! style="width:50px;"| sq mi
|-
| [[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]] || {{cvt|759|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Pico Island|Pico]] || {{cvt|446|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Terceira Island|Terceira]] || {{cvt|403|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[São Jorge Island|São Jorge]] || {{cvt|246|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Faial Island|Faial]] || {{cvt|173|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Flores Island (Azores)|Flores]] || {{cvt|143|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Santa Maria Island|Santa Maria]] || {{cvt|97|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Graciosa Island|Graciosa]] || {{cvt|62|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Corvo Island|Corvo]] || {{cvt|17|km2|sqmi|0|disp=table}}
|}
</div>
The archipelago of the Azores is located in the middle of the northern hemisphere of the Atlantic Ocean and extends along a west-northwest to east-southeast orientation (between 36.5°–40° North [[latitudes]] and 24.5°–31.5° West [[longitudes]]) in an area approximately {{cvt|600|km|0|abbr=off}} wide. The islands of the Azores emerged from what is called the [[Azores Plateau]], a 5.8&nbsp;million km<sup>2</sup> region that is morphologically accented by a depth of {{cvt|2000|m|abbr=off}}.<ref>Miranda, ''et al''. (1998)</ref><ref name="Machado2008p14">Machado, ''et al''. (2008) p 14.</ref>
[[File:Açores, Madeira, Canarias.png|thumb|left|upright=2.4|Azores (blue), [[Madeira]] (green) and the [[Canary Islands]] (yellow) in the northern Atlantic]]
<div style="clear:left;"></div>
The nine islands that compose the archipelago occupy a surface area of {{cvt|2346|km2|sqmi|0}}, that includes both the main islands and many islets located in their vicinities. They range in surface area from the largest, São Miguel, at {{cvt|759|km2|sqmi|0|}} to the smallest, Corvo, at approximately {{cvt|17|km2|sqmi|0|}}.

Each of the islands has its own distinct geomorphological characteristics that make them unique:
*Corvo (the smallest island) is a crater of a major [[Plinian eruption]]
*Flores (its neighbor on the North American plate) is a rugged island carved by many valleys and escarpments
*Faial is characterized for its [[Volcano#Shield volcanoes|shield volcano]] and caldera ([[Caldeira Volcano]])
*[[Pico Island|Pico]], is the highest point, at {{cvt|2351|m|ft|0|sp=us}}, in the Azores and continental Portugal
*Graciosa is known for its active Furnas do Enxofre and mixture of volcanic cones and plains
*São Jorge is a long slender island, formed from [[Types of volcanic eruptions|fissural eruptions]] over thousands of years
*Terceira, almost circular, is the location of one of the largest craters in the region
*São Miguel is the largest island and is pitted with many large craters and fields of spatter cones
*Santa Maria – the oldest island – is heavily eroded, being one of the few places to encounter brown sandy beaches in the archipelago.
{{Clear}}
[[File:Sao Miguel, Azores (52695368638).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Lagoa das Sete Cidades]], located within the [[Sete Cidades Massif]], in [[Sete Cidades (Ponta Delgada)|Sete Cidades]], [[São Miguel Island]].]]

These islands can be divided into three recognizable groups located on the Azores Plateau:
*The [[Eastern Group, Azores|Eastern Group]] ({{lang|pt|Grupo Oriental}}) of São Miguel, Santa Maria and Formigas Islets
*The [[Central Group, Azores|Central Group]] ({{lang|pt|Grupo Central}}) of Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial
*The [[Western Group]] ({{lang|pt|Grupo Ocidental}}) of Flores and Corvo.

São Jorge, Pico and Faial are also collectively called {{lang|pt|Ilhas do Triângulo}} ('Islands of the Triangle').

Several sub-surface reefs (particularly the [[Dollabarat]] on the fringe of the Formigas), banks (specifically the [[Princess Alice Bank]] and [[Dom João de Castro Bank|D. João de Castro Bank]]), as well as many [[hydrothermal vents and seamounts of the Azores|hydrothermal vents and sea-mounts]] are monitored by the regional authorities, owing to the complex geotectonic and socioeconomic significance within the economic exclusion zone of the archipelago.

=== Geology ===
[[File:Mount Pico (14755153450).jpg|thumb|right|[[Mount Pico]], the highest mountain in Portugal, displays the remnants of its last major eruption on its northern flank]]
From a geostructural perspective, the Azores are located above an active [[Azores triple junction|triple junction]] between three of the world's major tectonic plates (the [[North American plate]], the [[Eurasian plate]] and the [[African plate]]),<ref name="Machado2008p14" /> a condition that has translated into the existence of many faults and fractures in this region of the Atlantic.<ref>Lúis (1994) pp 439–440</ref> The westernmost islands of the archipelago (Corvo and Flores) are located on the North American plate, while the remaining islands are located within the boundary that divides the Eurasian and African plates.<ref name="Carracedo 674–699">{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Carracedo |first1=Juan Carlos |last2=Troll |first2=Valentin R. |date=2021-01-01 |title=North-East Atlantic Islands: The Macaronesian Archipelagos |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Geology (Second Edition) |pages=674–699 |editor1-last=Alderton |editor1-first=David |editor2-last=Elias |editor2-first=Scott A. |place=Oxford |publisher=Academic Press |lang=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-102908-4.00027-8 |isbn=978-0-08-102909-1 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081029084000278 |access-date=2021-03-16 |s2cid=226588940 |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121212110/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081029084000278 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The principal tectonic structures that exist in the region of the Azores are the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]], the [[Terceira Rift]], the Azores Fracture Zone and the Glória Fault.<ref name="Machado2008p14"/> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the main frontier between the North American plate and the African-Eurasian plates that crosses the [[Azores Plateau]] between the islands of Flores and Faial from north to south then to the southwest; it is an extensive form crossed by many transform faults running perpendicular to its north–south orientation, that is seismically active and susceptible to volcanism.

==== Mountains ====
The Azores features a series of prominent peaks, with [[Montanha do Pico]] ''(also known as "Mount Pico")'' standing as the highest at 2,351 meters on [[Pico Island]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Azores – Peakbagger.com |url=https://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=6600 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=peakbagger.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=PeakVisor |title=Azores Mountains |url=https://peakvisor.com/adm/azores.html |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=PeakVisor |language=en}}</ref> Other notable elevations include [[Pico da Vara]] on [[São Miguel Island]], [[Pico da Esperança]] on [[São Jorge Island]], [[Cabeço Gordo]] on [[Faial Island]], and [[Calderia de Santa Barbara]] on [[Terceira Island]].<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Five tallest mountains of the Azores:
!Mountain
!Height (meters)
!Height (feet)
!Island
|-
|[[Mount Pico|Montanha do Pico]]
|2,351
|7,713
|[[Pico Island]]
|-
|[[Pico da Vara]]
|1,103
|3,619
|[[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]]
|-
|[[Pico da Esperança]]
|1,053
|3,455
|[[São Jorge Island|São Jorge]]
|-
|[[Cabeço Gordo]]
|1,043
|3,422
|[[Faial Island|Faial]]
|-
|Calderia de Santa Bárbara
|1,023
|3,356
|[[Terceira Island|Terceira]]
|}

==== Rift and fault geology ====
The Terceira Rift is a system of fractures that extends from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Glória Fault that represents the main frontier between the Eurasian and African plates. It is defined by a line of submarine volcanoes and island mounts that extend northwest to southeast for about {{cvt|550|km|0|abbr=off}}, from the area west of Graciosa until the islets of the Formigas, that includes the islands of Graciosa, Terceira and São Miguel. Its northwest limit connects to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, while the southeast section intersects the Gloria Fault southeast of the island of Santa Maria.

The Azores Fracture Zone extends from the Glória Fault and encompasses a relatively inactive area to the south of the islands of the Central and Eastern groups north to the Terceira Rift, along a 45° angle. The Glória Fault, for its part, extends {{cvt|800|km|0|abbr=off}} along a linear line from the Azores to the [[Azores–Gibraltar transform fault]].<ref>Madeira (1998)</ref>

==== Volcanoes ====
The islands' volcanism is associated with the [[rift]]ing along the [[Azores triple junction]]; the spread of the crust along the existing faults and fractures has produced many of the active volcanic and seismic events,<ref name="Ferreira, 2005, p. 4">Ferreira (2005) p 4</ref> while supported by buoyant upwelling in the deeper mantle, some associate with an [[Azores hotspot]].<ref>Ting Yang, ''et al''. (2006) p 20</ref> Most of the volcanic activity has centered, primarily, along the Terceira Rift.<ref name="Carracedo 674–699"/>

From the beginning of the islands' settlement, around the 15th century, there have been 28 registered volcanic eruptions (15 terrestrial and 13 submarine). The last significant volcanic eruption, the [[Capelinhos]] volcano ({{lang|pt|Vulcão dos Capelinhos}}), occurred off the coast of the island of Faial in 1957; the most recent volcanic activity occurred in the seamounts and submarine volcanoes off the coast of Serreta and in the Pico-São Jorge Channel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Erupções vulcânicas históricas |trans-title=Historical Volcanic Eruptions |publisher=Centro de Vulcanologia e Avaliação de Riscos Geológicos (CVARG) |year=2010 |url=http://www.cvarg.azores.gov.pt/Cvarg/CentroVulcanologia/geologiaacores/GA+-+Vulcanismo+Historico.htm |access-date=15 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305153226/http://www.cvarg.azores.gov.pt/Cvarg/CentroVulcanologia/geologiaacores/GA+-+Vulcanismo+Historico.htm |archive-date=5 March 2012}}; Evidence for the submarine eruptions off the coasts of [[Velas, Azores]], [[São Jorge Island]] and Cachorro, [[Santa Luzia (São Roque do Pico)|Santa Luzia]], [[Pico Island]] included primarily from inferences and eyewitness testimonies about sulfuric gases and vapors released from the waters along the coast (15–24&nbsp;February 1964 and 15&nbsp;December 1963, respectively)</ref>

[[File:Algar do Carvao, isla de Terceira, Azores, Portugal, 2020-07-25, DD 53-55 HDR.jpg|left|thumb|[[Algar do Carvão]] volcanic cave on Terceira Island]]
The islands have many examples of volcano-built geomorphology including caves and [[lava tube]]s (such as the [[Gruta das Torres]], [[Algar do Carvão]], [[Gruta do Natal]], Gruta das Cinco Ribeiras), the coastal lava fields (like the coast of [[Feteiras]], Faial, the Mistério of [[Prainha (São Roque do Pico)|Prainha]] or São João on Pico Island) in addition to the inactive cones in central São Miguel Island, the aforementioned Capelinhos on Faial, the volcanic complexes of Terceira or [[Plinian eruption|Plinian]] caldeira of Corvo Island.
The islands of the archipelago were formed through volcanic and seismic activity during the [[Neogene]] Period; the first embryonic surfaces started to appear in the waters of Santa Maria during the [[Miocene|Miocene epoch]] (from circa 8&nbsp;million years ago).

The sequence of the island formation has been generally characterized as: Santa Maria (8.12 Ma), São Miguel (4.1 Ma), Terceira (3.52 Ma), Graciosa (2.5 Ma), Flores (2.16 Ma), Faial (0.7 Ma), São Jorge (0.55 Ma), Corvo (0.7 Ma) and the youngest, Pico (0.27 Ma).<ref name="Carine, 2010, p. 78">Carine, 2010, p. 78</ref> All islands have experienced volcanism during their geological history, with Late Holocene volcanism being recorded from Flores<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Andrade |first1=Mariana |last2=Ramalho |first2=Ricardo S. |last3=Pimentel |first3=Adriano |last4=Hernández |first4=Armand |last5=Kutterolf |first5=Steffen |last6=Sáez |first6=Alberto |last7=Benavente |first7=Mario |last8=Raposeiro |first8=Pedro M. |last9=Giralt |first9=Santiago |date=29 September 2021 |title=Unraveling the Holocene Eruptive History of Flores Island (Azores) Through the Analysis of Lacustrine Sedimentary Records |journal=[[Frontiers in Earth Science]] |volume=9 |page=889 |doi=10.3389/feart.2021.738178 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2021FrEaS...9..889A |issn=2296-6463 |hdl=2445/180382 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> and Faial.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Góis-Marques |first1=C.A. |last2=Rubiales |first2=J.M. |last3=de Nascimento |first3=L. |last4=Menezes de Sequeira |first4=M. |last5=Fernández-Palacios |first5=J.M. |last6=Madeira |first6=J. |date=February 2020 |title=Oceanic Island forests buried by Holocene (Meghalayan) explosive eruptions: palaeobiodiversity in pre-anthropic volcanic charcoal from Faial Island (Azores, Portugal) and its palaeoecological implications |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0034666719302386 |journal=[[Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology]] |language=en |volume=273 |pages=104116 |doi=10.1016/j.revpalbo.2019.104116 |bibcode=2020RPaPa.27304116G |hdl=10451/51565 |access-date=5 May 2024 |via=Elsevier Science Direct|hdl-access=free }}</ref> Within recorded "human settlement" history the islands of Santa Maria, Graciosa, Flores, and Corvo have not experienced any volcanic eruptions; in addition to active fumaroles and hot-springs, the remaining islands have had sporadic eruptions since the 14th century. Apart from the Capelinhos volcano in 1957–1958, the last recorded instance of "island formation" occurred off the coast of São Miguel, when the island of [[Sabrina Island (Azores)|Sabrina]] was briefly formed.

==== Earthquakes ====
Owing to its geodynamic environment, the region has been a center of intense seismic activity, particularly along its tectonic boundaries on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Terceira Rift. Seismic events although frequent, are usually tectonic or vulco-tectonic in nature, but in general are of low to medium intensities, occasionally punctuated by events of [[Seismic magnitude scales|magnitude]] 5 or greater.<ref>Ferreira (2005) p 110</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cvarg.azores.gov.pt/Cvarg/CentroVulcanologia/geologiaacores/VA+-+Sismicidade+instrumental.htm |title=Actividade Sísmica |trans-title=Seismic Activity |year=2010 |access-date=15 April 2010 |language=pt |publisher=CVARG|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305153323/http://www.cvarg.azores.gov.pt/Cvarg/CentroVulcanologia/geologiaacores/VA+-+Sismicidade+instrumental.htm|archive-date=5 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The most severe earthquake was registered in 1757, near [[Calheta, Azores|Calheta]] on the island of São Jorge, which exceeded magnitude 7.

In comparison, the 1522 earthquake that was mentioned by historian [[Gaspar Frutuoso]] measured 6.8, but its effects were judged to be X (''Extreme'') on the [[Modified Mercalli intensity scale|Mercalli intensity scale]],<ref>Ferreira, 2005, p. 111</ref> and was responsible for the destruction of [[Vila Franca do Campo]] and landslides that may have killed more than 5,000 of the inhabitants.

{{wide image|Vista de Furnas, isla de San Miguel, Azores, Portugal, 2020-07-29, DD 82-90 PAN.jpg|750px|align-cap=center|Usual biome of the islands. A mix of [[laurisilva]], introduced [[Cryptomeria]] forests and agricultural fields, with usually small populated centers in between. Photo from [[Furnas]], [[São Miguel Island]]}}

===Biodiversity===
The archipelago lies in the [[Palearctic realm]] and has a unique biotic community that includes the [[Macaronesia]]n [[subtropical]] [[Laurel forest|laurissilva]], with many [[Endemism|endemic species]] of plants and animals.<ref name=Kostas2010/><ref name="Species">{{cite book |title=A list of the terrestrial and marine biota from the Azores |editor=Borges, P.A.V. |editor2=Costa, A. |editor3=Cunha, R. |editor4=Gabriel, R. |editor5=Gonçalves, V. |editor6=Martins, A.F. |editor7=Melo, I. |editor8=Parente, M. |editor9=Raposeiro, P. |editor10=Rodrigues, P. |editor11=Santos, R.S. |editor12=Silva, L. |editor13=Vieira, P. |editor14=Vieira, V. |display-editors=3 |year=2010 |publisher=Princípia, Cascais |isbn=978-989-8131-75-1 |pages=432 pp |no-pp=y |url=http://www.azoresbioportal.angra.uac.pt/files/publicacoes_Listagem_ml.pdf |access-date=11 April 2016 |archive-date=14 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414235554/http://www.azoresbioportal.angra.uac.pt/files/publicacoes_Listagem_ml.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> There are at least 6,112 terrestrial species, of which about 411 are [[endemic]]. The majority (75%) of these endemics are animals, mostly [[arthropod]]s and [[Mollusca|mollusks]]. New species are found regularly in the Azores (e.g., 30 different new species of land snails were discovered circa 2013<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.acorianooriental.pt/noticia/investigador-dos-acores-descobriu-30-novas-especies-de-moluscos-nas-ilhas |title=Investigador dos Açores descobriu 30 novas espécies de moluscos nas ilhas |website=Açoriano Oriental |access-date=11 May 2020 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804001419/https://www.acorianooriental.pt/noticia/investigador-dos-acores-descobriu-30-novas-especies-de-moluscos-nas-ilhas |url-status=live }}</ref>).

[[File:Açores 2010-07-20 (5068665946).jpg|thumb|right|Human impact on the [[Laurel forest#Macaronesia and the Mediterranean Basin|native flora]] of São Jorge can be seen by the [[hydrangea]]s (blue markings) and ''[[Pittosporum undulatum]]'' (centre-right)]]
Even though the Azores look very green and sometimes wild, the vegetation has been extremely altered. A great part of it has been wiped out in the past 600 years for its valuable wood (for tools, buildings, boats, fire wood, and so on) and to clear land for agriculture. As a result, it is estimated that more than half of insects on the Graciosa island have disappeared or will become extinct.<ref name="Kostas2010">{{Cite journal |last1=Triantis |first1=K. A. |last2=Borges |first2=P. A. V. |last3=Ladle |first3=R. J. |last4=Hortal |first4=J. |last5=Cardoso |first5=P. |last6=Gaspar |first6=C. |last7=Dinis |first7=F. |last8=Mendonça |first8=E. |last9=Silveira |first9=L. M. A. |last10=Gabriel |first10=R. |last11=Melo |first11=C. |last12=Santos |first12=A. M. C. |last13=Amorim |first13=I. R. |last14=Ribeiro |first14=S. R. P. |last15=Serrano |first15=A. R. M. |last16=Quartau |first16=J. A. |last17=Whittaker |first17=R. J. |title=Extinction debt on oceanic islands |doi=10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06203.x |journal=Ecography |volume=33 |pages=285–294 |year=2010 |issue=2 |bibcode=2010Ecogr..33..285T |hdl=10400.3/1712 |url=http://repositorio.uac.pt/bitstream/10400.3/1712/1/P130_%202010%20-%20Triantis%20et%20al%20Ecography%20%2b%20suppl%20mat.pdf |citeseerx=10.1.1.730.8154 |access-date=20 April 2018 |archive-date=9 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809121002/http://repositorio.uac.pt/bitstream/10400.3/1712/1/P130_%202010%20-%20Triantis%20et%20al%20Ecography%20%2b%20suppl%20mat.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many cultivated places (which are traditionally dedicated to pasture or to growing [[taro]], potatoes, maize and other crops) have now been abandoned, especially as a result of emigration. Consequently, some [[Invasive species|invasive]] plants have filled these deserted and disturbed lands. [[Hydrangea]]s are another potential pest, but their threat is less serious. Notwithstanding the fact that hydrangeas were introduced from America or Asia, some locals consider them a symbol of the archipelago and propagate them along roadsides. ''[[Cryptomeria]]'', the Japanese cedar, is a [[conifer]] extensively grown for its timber. The two most common of these alien species are ''[[Pittosporum undulatum]]'' and ''[[Hedychium gardnerianum]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Invasive Alien Plants in the Azorean Protected Areas: Invasion Status and Mitigation Actions |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255710470 |publisher=L.C. Foxcroft, D.M. Richardson, P. Pyšek, P. Genovesi |access-date=2 November 2020 |archive-date=11 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611101243/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255710470_Invasive_Alien_Plants_in_the_Azorean_Protected_Areas_Invasion_Status_and_Mitigation_Actions |url-status=live }}</ref> Reforestation efforts with native [[Laurel forest|laurissilva]] vegetation have been accomplished successfully in many parts of the Azores.<ref>{{cite web |title=APGHE da Tronqueira e Planalto dos Graminhais |url=http://www.azores.gov.pt/Gra/srrn-cets/conteudos/livres/APGHE_tronqueira.htm |website=azores.gov.pt |access-date=26 February 2017 |archive-date=27 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227063121/http://www.azores.gov.pt/Gra/srrn-cets/conteudos/livres/APGHE_tronqueira.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Laurel |first=Project Life Sustainable |year=2011 |title=Laurissilva Sustentável: Plantação de endémicas dos Açores |url=http://lifelaurissilva.blogspot.com/2011/02/plantacao-de-endemicas-dos-acores.html |access-date=4 October 2018 |archive-date=4 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004185751/http://lifelaurissilva.blogspot.com/2011/02/plantacao-de-endemicas-dos-acores.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=LIFE Laurissilva Sustentável |url=http://life-laurissilva.spea.pt/noticias/detalhes.php?id=32 |website=life-laurissilva.spea.pt |access-date=26 February 2017 |archive-date=27 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227062628/http://life-laurissilva.spea.pt/noticias/detalhes.php?id=32 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Azores has at least two endemic living bird species. The [[Azores bullfinch]], or ''Priolo'', is restricted to remnant laurisilva forest in the mountains at the eastern end of São Miguel<ref name="AzoresforestsWWF">{{cite web |title=Azores temperate mixed forests |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa0403 |publisher=World Wildlife Fund |access-date=7 March 2017 |archive-date=26 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226212854/https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa0403 |url-status=live }}</ref> and is classified by BirdLife International as [[Endangered species|endangered]]. [[Monteiro's storm petrel]], described to science as recently as 2008, is known to breed in just two locations in the islands but may occur more widely. An extinct species of owl, the [[São Miguel scops owl]], has recently been described, which probably became extinct after human settlement because of habitat destruction and the introduction of alien species. Five species of flightless [[Rail (bird)|rail]] (''[[Rallus]]'' spp.) once existed on the islands, as did a flightless quail (''[[Coturnix]]'' sp.)<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rando |first1=Juan C. |last2=Alcover |first2=Josep A. |last3=Pieper |first3=Harald |last4=Olson |first4=Storrs L. |last5=Hernández |first5=C Nayra |last6=López-Jurado |first6=L Felipe |year=2020 |title=Unforeseen diversity of quails (Galliformes: Phasianidae: ''Coturnix'') in oceanic islands provided by the fossil record of Macaronesia |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=188 |issue=4 |pages=1296–1317 |doi=10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz107|doi-access=free}}</ref> and another species of bullfinch, the [[greater Azores bullfinch]], but these also went extinct after human colonization. Eleven subspecies of bird are endemic to the islands.<ref name="zt">{{cite journal |author1=Rando, Juan Carlos |author2=Alcover, Josep Antoni |author3=Olson, Storrs L. |author4=Pieper, Harald. |name-list-style=amp |year=2013 |title=A new species of extinct scops owl (Aves: Strigiformes: Strigidae: ''Otus'') from São Miguel Island (Azores Archipelago), North Atlantic Ocean |journal=Zootaxa |volume=3647 |issue=2 |pages=343–357 |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03647p357f.pdf |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3647.2.6 |pmid=26295111 |hdl=10261/85708 |access-date=30 June 2015 |archive-date=19 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219082024/http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03647p357f.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The Azores has an endemic bat, the [[Azores noctule]], which has an unusually high frequency of diurnal flight.

[[File:Fogo lake - S.Miguel island - Azores (39000072215) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[[Lagoa do Fogo]] on São Miguel Island]]
The islets of the Formigas (the Portuguese word for "ants"), including the area known as the [[Dollabarat]] Reef, have a rich environment of maritime species, such as [[black coral]] and [[manta ray]]s, different species of sharks, whales, and sea turtles. Seventeen new marine reserves (with special conservation status) were added to the Azorean Marine Park (which covers around {{cvt|900000|km2}}).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ailhadasflores.blogspot.com/2016/05/aumento-do-parque-marinho-dos-acores.html |title=Aumento do Parque Marinho dos Açores |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=20 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620134528/https://ailhadasflores.blogspot.com/2016/05/aumento-do-parque-marinho-dos-acores.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On São Miguel there are notable micro-habitats formed by hot springs that host [[extremophile]] microorganisms.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Extremophile |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Earth |publisher=National Council for Science and the Environment |location=Washington D.C. |url=http://www.eoearth.org/article/Extremophile?topic=49540 |access-date=10 January 2010 |last=Hogan |first=C. Michael |date=10 December 2010 |editor-last=Monosson |editor-first=Emily |editor2-first=Cutler J. |editor2-last=Cleveland |archive-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511141854/http://www.eoearth.org/article/Extremophile?topic=49540 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Azores.A2013168.1505.250m.jpg|thumb|right|Partly [[Cloud cover|cloudy]] counditions over the eastern and central groups; in this photo taken on June 17, 2013.]]
The archipelago is spread out at roughly the same latitude as the southern half of mainland Portugal, but its location in the mid-Atlantic Ocean gives it a generally tepid, [[oceanic climate|oceanic]], mild to warm [[subtropical climate]], with mild annual oscillations.

===='Azores High' anticyclone====
The Azores archipelago is located in a transition and confrontation zone between air masses of tropical origin and masses of cooler air of polar origin. The climate of the archipelago is largely determined by variations in the atmospheric pressure field over the North Atlantic. These variations conditioned by the mass of the American Continent and the Atlantic water mass are overlapped by a semi-permanent subtropical Atlantic [[anticyclone]], commonly known as the [[Azores High]]. This anticyclone experiences seasonal variations which can affect the archipelago in many ways.

In winter, the Azores anticyclone is positioned further south, and allows for a descent of the [[Polar front]], approaching it to the archipelago. In summer, on the other hand, the anticyclone's movement further north, leads to the departure of the polar front and its associated disturbances towards higher latitudes. Far enough away from the mainland coasts, the continental air masses that reach the archipelago are weakened by the maritime influence.

[[File:Pico Volcano.jpg|thumb|left|Mount Pico covered with snow.]]
The same can not be said for the higher altitudes (e.g. [[Mount Pico]]), where upper air masses of a continental origin and with a more direct pathway can reach the surface and present those areas with drier air and more extreme temperatures. At the same time, this free atmosphere circulating air transports [[aerosol]]s to the archipelago, namely volcanic ash or fine sands from the [[Sahara]] desert, which sporadically affect the radiation and air quality.<ref name="enciclopedia" />

Daily maximum temperatures at low altitudes usually range between {{cvt|16|and|25|°C|0}}. The average annual rainfall generally increases from east to west, ranging from {{cvt|700|mm|0}} in Santa Maria to {{cvt|1600|mm|0}} in Flores and reaching values above {{cvt|5000|mm}} on the highlands of [[Pico Island|Pico]].<ref name="Climate of the Azores islands">{{cite web |title=Climate of the Azores islands |website=Azores Weather |url=http://www.azoresweather.com |access-date=5 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514035733/http://www.azoresweather.com/ |archive-date=14 May 2009}}</ref>

====Köppen classification====
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map Azores present.svg|thumb|300x300px|Köppen map of Azores]]
Under the Köppen climate classification, the eastern group ([[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]] and [[Santa Maria Island|Santa Maria]]) is usually classified as [[Mediterranean Climate|Mediterranean]] while the central and western group (especially [[Flores Island (Azores)|Flores]] and [[Corvo Island|Corvo]]) is increasingly more [[Humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical]] and overall rainier because of the effects of the [[Gulf Stream]]. This stream has a large effect over the sea temperature which varies between {{cvt|16|C}} in February and March, and {{cvt|23|C}} in August and September, and increases earlier in the western group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Portugal sea temperatures |url=https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/portugal/ |website=seatemperature.org |access-date=19 December 2021 |language=en |archive-date=19 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219021454/https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/portugal/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Salvador Rivas-Martínez data presents several different bioclimatic zones for the Azores.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mapas bioclimáticos y biogeográficos |website=globalbioclimatics.org |url=http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/form/tb_med.htm |access-date=26 February 2017 |archive-date=14 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014103938/http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/form/tb_med.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Seasonal lag]] is extreme in the low-sun half of the year, with December being milder than April in terms of mean temperatures. During summer the lag is somewhat lower, with August being the warmest month, though September is usually as warm or warmer than July.

==== Temperatures, humidity, and sunshine ====
Although temperatures as warm as {{cvt|32.1|C|F}} have been recorded on Pico, neither Ponta Delgada nor Angra do Heroísmo, the two largest cities, have ever been warmer than {{cvt|30|C|F}}. No snowfall or temperatures below {{cvt|0|C}} have been recorded at sea level on any of the islands.<ref name="IPMA Flores">{{cite web|url= https://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_71-00_FLORES.pdf|title=Normais climatológicas 1971-2000>Flores |access-date=19 May 2025|publisher=Instituto de Meteorologia}}</ref><ref name="IPMA Angra">{{cite web|url= https://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_71-00_ANGRA_DO_HEROISMO.pdf|title=Normais climatológicas 1971-2000>Terceira |access-date=19 May 2025|publisher=Instituto de Meteorologia}}</ref><ref name="IPMA Ponta Delgada">{{cite web|url= https://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_71-00_PONTA_DELGADA_SAO_MIGUEL.pdf|title=Normais climatológicas 1971-2000>Ponta Delgada |access-date=19 May 2025|publisher=Instituto de Meteorologia}}</ref> The coldest weather in winter usually comes from northwesterly [[air mass]]es originating from [[Labrador]] in Canada. However, since those air masses are warmed up as they pass across the warmer Atlantic Ocean, temperatures by day even then exceed {{cvt|10|C|F}}.

The average [[relative humidity]] can range from 80% at the coast to over 90% above {{cvt|400|m}}. However, higher elevations above the [[planetary boundary layer]] can experience extremely low values close to 10%.<ref name="enciclopedia" /> Summers are especially humid in August and may increase the perceived temperature by a few degrees. Winters are not only very mild but also very humid and contribute substantially to the annual precipitation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Average Weather in Horta Portugal |url=https://weatherspark.com/y/31452/Average-Weather-in-Horta-Portugal-Year-Round |publisher=weatherspark.com |access-date=1 February 2021 |archive-date=6 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206191328/https://weatherspark.com/y/31452/Average-Weather-in-Horta-Portugal-Year-Round |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Insolation]] is relatively low, with 35–40% of the total possible value for sunshine, and higher in topographically lower islands such as [[Graciosa]] or [[Santa Maria Island|Santa Maria]], inversely proportional to precipitation. This is directly caused by the [[orographic lift]] of humid air masses and is especially pronounced in islands marked by high [[orography]].<ref name="enciclopedia">{{cite web |title=Clima |language=pt |publisher=Enciclopédia Açoriana |url=http://www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt/ea/pesquisa/Default.aspx?id=1903 |access-date=5 July 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184526/http://www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt/ea/pesquisa/Default.aspx?id=1903 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{climate chart
| [[Flores Airport]], [[Flores Island, Azores|Flores]]
|11.9|17.0|197.1
|11.5|16.7|171.3
|12.0|17.1|155.0
|12.7|18.0|104.4
|14.2|19.5|105.6
|16.2|21.8|97.3
|18.8|24.6|60.6
|19.8|25.7|68.0
|18.8|24.4|123.9
|16.5|21.8|179.5
|14.4|19.3|179.6
|12.8|17.8|223.9
|float=left
|clear=right
}}
{{climate chart
| [[Angra do Heroísmo]], [[Terceira Island|Terceira]]
|12.0|16.2|107.6
|11.5|16.1|110.1
|11.9|16.5|107.8
|12.4|17.3|85.7
|13.7|18.8|72.3
|15.8|21.1|55.2
|18.1|23.9|29.1
|19.1|25.1|48.3
|18.5|24.0|89.7
|16.4|21.3|115.6
|14.2|18.7|122.8
|12.7|17.0|155.1
|float=left
|clear=right
}}
{{climate chart
| [[Santa Maria Airport (Azores)|Santa Maria Airport]], [[Santa Maria Island|Santa Maria]]
|12.0|16.8|86.4
|11.5|16.6|71.8
|12.2|17.2|64.7
|12.6|18.0|56.3
|13.9|19.5|38.8
|16.1|21.6|21.7
|18.2|24.1|25.9
|19.4|25.3|36.8
|18.7|24.5|59.7
|16.8|22.0|77.0
|14.8|19.6|112.7
|13.2|18.0|77.7
|float=left
|clear=right
}}
{{clear|left}}

====Hurricanes====
{{Main|List of Azores hurricanes}}
Despite the northern position that the archipelago occupies, the Azores can be affected by the passage of [[Atlantic hurricane|tropical cyclones]], or tropical storms derived from them. This happens with a greater rarity, especially in late summer and autumn. Some can result from anomalies of low latitude systems, while others result from the return to the Atlantic after a route close to or even over the American continent. Though often small and in the process of dissipation, these cyclones result in many of the worst storms the archipelago is subject to.<ref name="enciclopedia" />

A total of 14 [[Tropical cyclone|tropical]] or [[subtropical cyclone]]s have affected the region in history. Most of them were either [[Extratropical cyclone|extratropical]] or [[Tropical cyclone|tropical storms]] when they affected the region, although several [[Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale|Category 1 hurricanes]] have reached the Azores.

The following storms have impacted the region while at Category 1 strength:
{{div col begin |colwidth=15em}}
*[[Hurricane Fran (1973)|Hurricane Fran]] in 1973
*[[Hurricane Emmy]] in 1976
*[[Hurricane Gordon (2006)|Hurricane Gordon]] in 2006
*[[2012 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Gordon|Hurricane Gordon]] in 2012
*[[Hurricane Alex (2016)|Hurricane Alex]] in 2016
{{div col end}}

Several tropical or subtropical storms have hit the region, including:

{{div col begin |colwidth=15em}}
*[[Tropical Storm Irma (1978)|Tropical Storm Irma]] in 1978
*[[Hurricane Bonnie (1992)|Hurricane Bonnie]] in 1992
*[[1992 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Charley|Hurricane Charley]] in 1992
*[[Hurricane Erika (1997)|Hurricane Erika]] in 1997
*[[2005 Azores subtropical storm|Unnamed subtropical cyclone]] in 2005
*[[2016 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Gaston|Hurricane Gaston]] in 2016
*[[Tropical Storm Gaston (2022)|Tropical Storm Gaston]] in 2022
*[[2024 Atlantic hurricane season#Tropical Storm Patty|Subtropical Storm Patty]] in 2024
{{div col end}}

Storms that were extratropical when they impacted the region include:
{{div col begin |colwidth=15em}}
*[[Hurricane Tanya (1995)|Hurricane Tanya]] in 1995
*[[Tropical Storm Ana (2003)|Tropical Storm Ana]] in 2003
*[[Tropical Storm Grace (2009)|Tropical Storm Grace]] in 2009
{{div col end}}