Journal•ISSN: 0020-7128
International Journal of Biometeorology
Springer Science+Business Media
About: International Journal of Biometeorology is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Poison control & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 0020-7128. Over the lifetime, 3985 publications have been published receiving 108233 citations. The journal is also known as: IJB (Berlin. Print) & IJB (Berlin. Internet).
Topics: Poison control, Medicine, Population, Phenology, Climate change
Papers published on a yearly basis
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TL;DR: The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) is defined as the air temperature at which the heat budget of the human body is balanced with the same core and skin temperature under the complex outdoor conditions to be assessed, and enables a layperson to compare the integral effects of complex thermal conditions outside with his or her own experience indoors.
Abstract: With considerably increased coverage of weather information in the news media in recent years in many countries, there is also more demand for data that are applicable and useful for everyday life. Both the perception of the thermal component of weather as well as the appropriate clothing for thermal comfort result from the integral effects of all meteorological parameters relevant for heat exchange between the body and its environment. Regulatory physiological processes can affect the relative importance of meteorological parameters, e.g. wind velocity becomes more important when the body is sweating. In order to take into account all these factors, it is necessary to use a heat-balance model of the human body. The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) is based on the Munich Energy-balance Model for Individuals (MEMI), which models the thermal conditions of the human body in a physiologically relevant way. PET is defined as the air temperature at which, in a typical indoor setting (without wind and solar radiation), the heat budget of the human body is balanced with the same core and skin temperature as under the complex outdoor conditions to be assessed. This way PET enables a layperson to compare the integral effects of complex thermal conditions outside with his or her own experience indoors. On hot summer days, for example, with direct solar irradiation the PET value may be more than 20 K higher than the air temperature, on a windy day in winter up to 15 K lower.
1,674 citations
TL;DR: The physical basis of the RayMan model, which simulates the short- and long-wave radiation flux densities from the three-dimensional surroundings in simple and complex environments, is presented.
Abstract: Short- and long-wave radiation flux densities absorbed by people have a significant influence on their energy balance. The heat effect of the absorbed radiation flux densities is parameterised by the mean radiant temperature. This paper presents the physical basis of the RayMan model, which simulates the short- and long-wave radiation flux densities from the three-dimensional surroundings in simple and complex environments. RayMan has the character of a freely available radiation and human-bioclimate model. The aim of the RayMan model is to calculate radiation flux densities, sunshine duration, shadow spaces and thermo-physiologically relevant assessment indices using only a limited number of meteorological and other input data. A comparison between measured and simulated values for global radiation and mean radiant temperature shows that the simulated data closely resemble measured data.
1,334 citations
TL;DR: The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) as discussed by the authors is a thermal index derived from the human energy balance, which is well suited to the evaluation of the thermal component of different climates and can be presented graphically or as bioclimatic maps.
Abstract: The physiological equivalent temperature, PET, is a thermal index derived from the human energy balance. It is well suited to the evaluation of the thermal component of different climates. As well as having a de- tailed physiological basis, PET is preferable to other thermal indexes like the predicted mean vote because of its unit (°C), which makes results more comprehensible to urban or regional planners, for example, who are not so familiar with modern human-biometeorological termi- nology. PET results can be presented graphically or as bioclimatic maps. Graphs mostly display the temporal behaviour of PET, whereas spatial distribution is speci- fied in bioclimatic maps. In this article, some applica- tions of PET are discussed. They relate to the evaluation of the urban heat island in cities in both temperate cli- mates and warm climates at high altitude. The thermal component of the microclimate in the trunk space of a deciduous forest is also evaluated by PET. As an exam- ple of the spatial distribution of PET, a bioclimatic map for Greece in July (Mediterranean climate) is presented.
925 citations
TL;DR: An examination of summer mortality rates in and around Shanghai yields heightened heat-related mortality in urban regions, and it is concluded that the UHI is directly responsible, acting to worsen the adverse health effects from exposure to extreme thermal conditions.
Abstract: With global warming forecast to continue into the foreseeable future, heat waves are very likely to increase in both frequency and intensity. In urban regions, these future heat waves will be exacerbated by the urban heat island effect, and will have the potential to negatively influence the health and welfare of urban residents. In order to investigate the health effects of the urban heat island (UHI) in Shanghai, China, 30 years of meteorological records (1975-2004) were examined for 11 first- and second-order weather stations in and around Shanghai. Additionally, automatic weather observation data recorded in recent years as well as daily all-cause summer mortality counts in 11 urban, suburban, and exurban regions (1998-2004) in Shanghai have been used. The results show that different sites (city center or surroundings) have experienced different degrees of warming as a result of increasing urbanization. In turn, this has resulted in a more extensive urban heat island effect, causing additional hot days and heat waves in urban regions compared to rural locales. An examination of summer mortality rates in and around Shanghai yields heightened heat-related mortality in urban regions, and we conclude that the UHI is directly responsible, acting to worsen the adverse health effects from exposure to extreme thermal conditions.
782 citations
TL;DR: The authors' results support surface temperature increases within the same period at higher northern latitudes where temperature limits plant growth.
Abstract: Normalized difference vegetation index data from the polar-orbiting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorological satellites from 1982 to 1999 show significant variations in photosynthetic activity and growing season length at latitudes above 35 degrees N. Two distinct periods of increasing plant growth are apparent: 1982-1991 and 1992-1999, separated by a reduction from 1991 to 1992 associated with global cooling resulting from the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991. The average May to September normalized difference vegetation index from 45 degrees N to 75 degrees N increased by 9% from 1982 to 1991, decreased by 5% from 1991 to 1992, and increased by 8% from 1992 to 1999. Variations in the normalized difference vegetation index were associated with variations in the start of the growing season of -5.6, +3.9, and -1.7 days respectively, for the three time periods. Our results support surface temperature increases within the same period at higher northern latitudes where temperature limits plant growth.
711 citations