Dentro da abordagem dinâmica do clima, o presente trabalho visou a estudar a configuração espaço-temporal do campo térmico da cidade de São Carlos-SP, dentro de suas variações diurnas e das condições impostas pelos diferentes tipos de tempo, com o intuito de caracterizá-lo quanto à sua intensidade e identificar a formação de ilhas urbanas de calor no período de inverno. Para tanto foram utilizados dados climáticos registrados por três estações automáticas localizadas em pontos distintos da malha urbana, imagens do satélite GOES e cartas de pressão atmosféricas reduzidas ao nível do mar. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, a ilha de calor urbana é mais pronunciada na fase de domínio da massa Polar Atlântica, sendo que as maiores diferenças térmicas foram observadas durante o período diurno. Sob as condições impostas pela massa Polar Atlântica as diferenças observadas entre os campos térmicos da região mais próxima do centro urbano de São Carlos e as duas regiões mais afastadas ficaram entre 2,0 e 3,0°C. / On the dynamical approach of climate, the present work aimed the study the time-space configuration of the thermal filed of the city of São Carlos-SP, within the diurnal variations and the conditions imposed by the different weather types, in order to characterize its intensity and identify the formation of urban heat islands during winter. Thus climatic data registered by three automatic stations located in distinct points of the urban network, GOES satellite images and atmospheric pressure letters at sea level were used. According to the obtained results, the urban heat island is more pronounced in the activity of Polar Atlantic air mass, with the biggest thermal differences being observed during the diurnal period. Under the conditions imposed by the Polar Atlantic mass the observed differences between the thermal fields of the nearest downtown region of São Carlos and the two distant regions were between 2.0 and 3.0 ºC.

O padrão de desenvolvimento das cidades brasileiras nas últimas décadas, com acelerada urbanização, tem mostrado resultados prejudiciais sobre a forma das cidades, a qualidade de vida nelas e o consumo dos recursos naturais. Para promover a sustentabilidade no planejamento urbano é importante adequar o ambiente construído ao clima local, permitindo ao homem viver em conforto e reduzir o consumo dos recursos naturais. Uma das maneiras apontadas para melhorar a qualidade das cidades e o conforto térmico nelas é através da criação de parques verdes. Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar a influência dos parques verdes no conforto térmico urbano, através de estudo de caso em Porto Alegre/RS. A pesquisa parte da revisão bibliográfica, para explicar como as áreas verdes podem contribuir para o conforto térmico urbano. Para o estudo de caso foi analisada a influência dos parques Farroupilha, Moinhos de Vento e Germânia nos seus entornos, através de medições in loco de temperatura e umidade do ar, principais variáveis de conforto térmico, e de análises de dados de sensoriamento remoto. Utilizando índices que consideram apenas estas duas variáveis, um com base da carta de Givoni e outro no cálculo da Temperatura Efetiva, não foi possível observar correlação entre o conforto térmico e a presença e proximidade dos parques. Entretanto, analisando as variáveis, é possível observar que os parques aumentaram entre 3,54 e 13,94% a umidade relativa do ar e reduziram a temperatura do ar em até 2,3°C. As análises de sensoriamento remoto vão ao encontro destes resultados, chegando 8,6°C as diferenças de temperaturas de superfície obtidas no interior e no entorno dos parques. Os três parques estudados influenciaram nas variáveis de conforto nos seus entornos, sendo o efeito de oásis mais significativo nos parques maiores e com áreas mais arborizadas e superfícies de água. Assim sendo, até mesmo os parques menores contribuem para a redução das ilhas de calor urbano, evitando que as temperaturas dos centros das cidades aumentem ainda mais. / The pattern of development of Brazilian cities in recent decades, with rapid urbanization, have shown harmful results on the morphology of the cities, the quality of life in them and the consumption of natural resources. To promote sustainability in urban planning it is important to adapt the built environment to the local climate, allowing to live in comfort and to reduce the consumption of natural resources. One of the ways aimed at improving the quality of cities and the thermal comfort in them is by creating green parks. This work aims to analyze the influence of green parks in the urban thermal comfort a case study in Porto Alegre / RS. The study of the literature review can explain how green areas can contribute to the urban thermal comfort. For the case study we analyzed the influence of three parks (Farroupilha, Moinhos de Vento and Germânia) with their surroundings by measurements, in situ, of temperature and humidity, the main variables of thermal comfort, and remote sensing data analysis. Using indexes treating only these two variables, one based on the chart of Givoni and the other in the calculation of Effective Temperature, was not observed correlation between thermal comfort and the presence and proximity of the parks. However, analyzing the variables we can observe that the parks have increased of relative air humidity between 3.54 and 13.94% and reduced air temperature of 2.32°C. Remote sensing analysis are in agreement with these results, reaching 8.56°C differences in surface temperatures obtained inside and around the parks. The three parks studied influenced variables the comfort of in their surroundings, with the oasis effect very significant on the largest parks and more wooded areas and water surfaces. Even the smallest parks contribute to the reduction of urban heat islands, preventing temperatures from urban centers to increase further.

Increased rates of mortality and morbidity due to summertime heat are a significant problem in New York City (NYC) and for many cities around the world, and are expected to increase with a warming climate. An ecologic design was used to evaluate the association between neighborhood scale characteristics (socioeconomic/demographic, the built and biophysical environment, health status and risk behaviors) and senior citizen's mortality rates during heat events in New York City. As a measure of relative vulnerability to heat, this analysis used the natural cause mortality rate ratio among those aged 65+ (MRR65+), comparing extremely hot days (maximum heat index 100+) to other warm season days. Data were pooled across the years 1997-2006. The relationship between intra-urban microclimates and the risk of heat-related mortality was assessed through Landsat-derived surface temperatures averaged to the neighborhood scale. Excess mortality during heat event days was unevenly distributed in NYC's Community Districts and United Hospital Fund (UHF) areas during 1997-2006, with higher rates of excess deaths in parts of southwestern Bronx, northern Manhattan, central Brooklyn and the eastern side of midtown Manhattan. Some areas, including parts of northern Staten Island, northern and southeastern Queens, and the Upper West Side of Manhattan had lower rates of mortality on heat alert days during this time period (MRR65+ < 1.0) compared to the average summer season day. Significant positive associations were found between heat-mortality rates and characteristics at the neighborhood level: poor housing conditions, poverty, impervious land cover, senior's hypertension and the surface temperatures aggregated to the UHF area level during the warm season. A negative association between area-based home-ownership rates and the mortality rate ratio was the strongest correlation found in the study. Several measures of housing quality were significantly correlated with the MRR65+, including rates of dilapidated buildings and property tax delinquencies, suggesting that the quality of senior's housing is a population-level risk factor for premature heat-associated mortality. Senior's air condition access was negatively correlated with the mortality rate ratio. The lowest-income areas had a trend towards higher heat-associated mortality rates. Low-income areas also had a trend towards hotter surface temperatures and a lower degree of air conditioning access for senior citizens. The hottest Districts and UHF-areas generally had higher mortality rate ratios; however, stratification by poverty rates and income levels showed this trend existed for the low-income/higher poverty neighborhoods, but not for high-income/low poverty areas. Percent Black/African American and percent poverty by UHF-area were strong negative predictors of senior's air conditioning access in multivariate regression. In multivariate models, NYC's surface urban heat island is strongly associated with impervious cover and poverty rates. There is a trend for an increasing mortality rate ratio for areas with the least proportion of White population. These findings suggest that redistributive policies to improve the housing conditions of elderly residents could play a role in reducing heat-related mortality in New York City, although these policies are not yet explicitly considered as part of climate adaptive planning. Urban heat island mitigation programs that address economic disparities and incorporate local knowledge on neighborhood characteristics may be the most effective in reducing the health impacts of climate extremes and variability. Towards that end, a community-based adaptation planning process may help address the social justice dimension of the impacts of extreme events and climate change in New York City while increasing the effectiveness of adaptive programs and policies.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo caracterizar as circulações locais que se formam na região central do Chile (RCC). Uma análise sinótica para o ano 2004 mostrou que durante o verão a condição de tempo dominante foi de céus claros associados à presença do Anticiclone Subtropical do Pacífico Sul com o deslocamento de baixas pressões litoral que mudam o regime de ventos. Dados da Armada do Chile mostraram que, no litoral da Região de Valparaíso, a amplitude anual de temperatura é de aproximadamente de 8 ºC. Os extremos de temperatura ocorrem entre as 09 e 12 UTC para as mínimas e 18 e 21 UTC para as máximas. O vento apresenta um ciclo anual com domínio da componente oeste no verão e componente leste no inverno. Maiores intensidades estão associadas à passagem de sistemas frontais no inverno. A brisa marítima é melhor caracterizada nos valores médios horários do vento no período de verão, sendo observada a partir das 12 UTC, com ventos de maior intensidade entre 18 e 21 UTC. A brisa terrestre é observada a partir das 00 UTC com ventos de menor intensidade que na brisa marítima. Dados da CONAMA-RM mostraram um ciclo diurno de temperatura bem definido na Região Metropolitana de Santiago com as temperaturas mínimas ocorrendo entre 06 e 09 HL e valores máximos entre 14 e 16 HL. Ao agrupar as estações localizadas dentro e fora dos limites urbanos foi possível identificar o efeito da ilha de calor (IC). Para o período de verão a IC apresentou intensidades positivas e no inverno uma maior freqüência de valores negativos. A intensidade do vento sofre também os efeitos da cidade, observando-se uma redução desta nas estações que se localizam no centro da Grande Santiago. Valores mínimos de intensidade do vento por períodos prolongados levaram a um incremento nas concentrações de material particulado. A diminuição nas concentrações está associada à passagem de frentes e ao incremento na intensidade do vento. Os efeitos da cidade na atmosfera foram estudados com mais detalhamento mediante a utilização do BRAMS. A análise sinótica mostrou uma região de vento fraco e baixo gradiente barométrico na região de estudo para a maior parte do período. Foi possível identificar a brisa marítima com maior intensidade do vento entre 18 e 19 UTC. A brisa terrestre foi identificada na maior parte das noites, com intensidade de vento maior próximo das 04 UTC. As cidades localizadas na RCC apresentam a tendência de resfriar o ar próximo da superfície e modificam a intensidade do vento e os padrões de umidade relativa. Embora os efeitos das cidades tenham sido encontrados, os efeitos da topografia no escoamento são ainda mais importantes, gerando circulações sobre a região central do Chile que não são completamente modificadas pela presença das cidades. / The objective of this work was to characterize the local circulations that are generated in the Central Chile (CC) region. A synoptic analyze for 2004 show that clear sky weather conditions associated to the Subtropical Anticyclone of South Pacific (SASP) was dominant during the summer. Coastal lows moving from north to CC interacts with SASP changing the wind regime. Meteorological data from Armada do Chile showed that on the coast of Valparaíso, the annual temperature amplitude was approximately 8 ºC. Temperature extremes occur between 09 and 12 UTC for minimum and 18 and 21 UTC for maximum values. The wind showed an annual cycle, with dominant direction to west during summer, while in wintertime, wind dominant direction is to the east. Higher values of wind speed are associated with frontal passages during winter. The sea breeze was better seen in the wind mean hourly values between 12 UTC and 21 UTC with higher wind speeds at 18 UTC. Land breeze was observed around 00 UTC, with lower wind speeds than in the sea breeze case. Meteorological data form CONAMA-RM showed a well defined diurnal cycle of temperature in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago with minimum temperatures occurring between 06 and 09 LT and maximum values between 14 and 16 LT. The urban heat island effect was seen grouping urban and non urban meteorological stations. The urban heat island is, in general, positive during the summer but, during the winter, negative values of intensity are frequent. The wind speed also shows the urban effects, with a wind speed decrease in the meteorological station inside the city. Long periods of low wind speed are associated with an increase in the particulate matter concentrations. The decrease in these concentrations is associated with the passage of frontal systems, as well as wind speed increase. The city effects on the atmosphere were studied in more details through the use of BRAMS. The synoptic analysis showed a weak wind region and low pressure gradient in the study region for most part of the period. The sea breeze was identified with higher wind speeds between 18 and 19 UTC. The land breeze was identified in the most part of the nights, with higher wind speeds near 04 UTC. The cities situated in CC have a tendency to cool down the air near to the surface and modify the wind speed and relative humidity patterns. Although the effects of the cities have been found, the topography effects on the wind flow are even more important, generating circulations over Central Chile that are not completely modified by the presence of the cities.

The complex interplay between climate change, demographics and socioeconomic conditions is transforming the global environmental health landscape. In the aftermath of recent heat waves around the world, especially the 2003 heat wave in Europe, heat is being recognized as an emerging public health issue worldwide, particularly in urban areas. This work explores the historical and future heat-related mortality in New York City, from the beginning of the 20th until the end of the 21st century. New York City is among the largest cities in the world and has been a thriving metropolis over the entire period covered by this study. The unique makeup of the city makes it particularly suitable for studying the impacts of heat over an extended period of time. The presented work encompasses multiple domains of knowledge and illustrates the necessity for applying highly interdisciplinary approaches in addressing the emerging challenges of our time. The background chapter provides an overview of methodological approaches and findings from previous studies with direct relevance to the specific aims of this work. Chapter I is focused on characterizing the impacts of heat on daily mortality since 1900. Here, heat effects are presented in a historical context and changes over time are analyzed and discussed. Chapter II provides a comparative assessment of recent historical and heat impacts until 2100 in New York City, Boston and Philadelphia. This analysis illustrates the differences and similarities between heat impacts in New York City and the other two major urban areas in the U.S. Northeast. Chapter III provides a more comprehensive assessment of future heat-related mortality in New York City under a number of adaptation, climate change and demographic scenarios. The concluding chapter presents a summary of findings and recommendations for future research.

The complex interplay between climate change, demographics and socioeconomic conditions is transforming the global environmental health landscape. In the aftermath of recent heat waves around the world, especially the 2003 heat wave in Europe, heat is being recognized as an emerging public health issue worldwide, particularly in urban areas. This work explores the historical and future heat-related mortality in New York City, from the beginning of the 20th until the end of the 21st century. New York City is among the largest cities in the world and has been a thriving metropolis over the entire period covered by this study. The unique makeup of the city makes it particularly suitable for studying the impacts of heat over an extended period of time. The presented work encompasses multiple domains of knowledge and illustrates the necessity for applying highly interdisciplinary approaches in addressing the emerging challenges of our time. The background chapter provides an overview of methodological approaches and findings from previous studies with direct relevance to the specific aims of this work. Chapter I is focused on characterizing the impacts of heat on daily mortality since 1900. Here, heat effects are presented in a historical context and changes over time are analyzed and discussed. Chapter II provides a comparative assessment of recent historical and heat impacts until 2100 in New York City, Boston and Philadelphia. This analysis illustrates the differences and similarities between heat impacts in New York City and the other two major urban areas in the U.S. Northeast. Chapter III provides a more comprehensive assessment of future heat-related mortality in New York City under a number of adaptation, climate change and demographic scenarios. The concluding chapter presents a summary of findings and recommendations for future research.

Os efeitos causados pela presença de áreas urbanizadas da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP), conhecidos por ilha de calor urbana, são estudados através da modelagem numérica e da análise de alguns dados observacionais, coletados no período de inverno de 1999 durante a 1ª Fase intensiva de medidas de campo do Projeto Temático FAPESP “Meteorologia e Poluição do Ar em São Paulo" e da rede automática da CETESB. Através da utilização de imagens do satélite LANDSAT-5, foi obtido um arquivo de ocupação do solo na RMSP numa resolução de aproximadamente 424 m. Foram definidos dois tipos de ocupação urbana que diferem principalmente na verticalização e espaçamento entre as construções. Simulações realizadas com uma parametrização adequada ao tratamento das propriedades da superfície em áreas urbanas, o modelo RAMS-TEB, mostraram que as fontes antropogênicas de calor de origem veicular são de grande importância no ciclo diurno de temperatura e umidade na RMSP. Uma comparação entre os dados simulados pelo modelo e dados observacionais de superfície apresentou coeficientes de correlações superiores a 0,9 para a temperatura e superiores a 0,8 para a umidade relativa. A interação entre a brisa marítima e a ilha de calor intensifica as zonas de convergência no centro da cidade, podendo ocasionar a re-circulação de poluentes nessa região. Simulações sobre o efeito da urbanização mostram que a ilha de calor urbana faz com que haja uma propagação mais rápida da frente de brisa até o centro da RMSP, que permanece estacionária por algum tempo nessa região. Os efeitos da topografia mostraram-se fundamentais na intensidade da brisa marítima e sua propagação sobre o continente. A presença de grandes corpos d’água, tais como a represa de Guarapiranga e Billings, contribui para a diminuição das amplitudes do ciclo diurno de temperatura na RMSP através das circulações do tipo brisa lacustre geradas pelos mesmos. O uso de um modelo de dispersão mostrou que, com a propagação da frente de brisa para o interior (na direção SE-NW), poluentes emitidos na RMSP são transportados para áreas remotas, diminuindo a concentração dos mesmos nas regiões emissoras. / The effects caused by urbanization in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), known as urban heat island, are studied through the use of numerical modeling and some observed data, collected in the 1999’s winter time during the first phase of intensive field measurements from the Thematic Project FAPESP “Meteorology and Air Pollution in São Paulo" and also from CETESB automatic network. A 424 m resolution land use file was created using LANDSAT-5 satellite pictures where two different kinds of urban regions were identified. The main differences between these regions are the vertical structure and spacing between buildings. Simulations performed with an appropriate parameterization for the treatment of surface properties in urban areas showed that anthropogenic sources due to traffic are of great importance to the temperature and humidity diurnal cycle in MASP. Comparisons between simulated and observed surface data had a correlation coefficient greater than 0.9 for temperature and greater than 0.8 for relative humidity. The interaction between the see breeze and the urban heat island intensify the convergence zones in the center of the city, eventually causing the re-circulation of pollutants in this region. Simulations of the urbanization effects showed that the urban heat island is responsible for a faster propagation of the sea breeze front up to the center of the MASP, remaining stationary in this region for some time. The topographic effects are fundamental in the intensity of the sea breeze and its inland propagation. The presence of large water bodies, as the Guarapiranga and Billings Dams, contribute to a decrease in the temperature diurnal cycle amplitudes because of the lake breeze circulations generated by them. The use of a simple dispersion model showed that with the propagation of the sea breeze front to the countryside (in the direction SE-NW), pollutants emitted in MASP are transported to remote areas, causing a decrease in the concentration of these pollutants in the source region.

Egg hatchability has been correlated with many factors, including clutch size, presence of helpers, timing of breeding and predation risk. Hatching failure is higher in a suburban population of Florida Scrub-Jays than in a wildland population, but the reasons for this pattern are unclear. An analysis of long-term demographic data on scrub-jays in both habitats revealed the factors that best explained variation in hatching failure, and an experiment tested whether two potential site factors, ambient temperature and predation risk, could increase hatching failure in the suburbs. Although a global model was best supported by the data for occurrence of partial hatching failure (PHF), clutch size and site were the most significant parameters in this model, which is consistent with the analysis of rates of PHF. I further examined two potential site differences, ambient temperature and predation risk, which might increase PHF in the suburbs. Human activity may increase the perception of predation risk, thus suburban jays may take fewer, longer off-bouts or make fewer incubation feedings to decrease this perceived risk. These behavioral changes may increase nest temperature, thus increase embryo mortality. I placed thermocouples and video cameras at nests during incubation to gauge both ambient and nest temperature and behavior of scrub-jays at each site. I predicted higher ambient temperatures in the suburbs, because suburban areas often serve as heat islands. I also predicted fewer, longer off-bouts and fewer feedings in the suburbs and where human activity was increased experimentally. Ambient temperatures were higher in the suburbs as a result of higher daily minimums rather than higher maximums. Furthermore, females exposed to increased human activity took fewer but not longer off-bouts than suburban or wildland controls; therefore, they increased their nest attentiveness.

The urban near surface atmosphere is of great concern since it affects the climate to which an increasing amount of people are immediately exposed. This study investigated the microclimate in central Stockholm in terms of the thermal conditions in the 0-2.5 m air layer and the water and heat exchange processes at different types of surfaces found within the urban environment. The main objective was to improve our understanding of the urban small-scale climate system. The urban microclimate was measured in terms of vertical air temperature profiles along a horizontal transect running through a vegetated park and its built-up surroundings during three clear and relatively calm summer days. The results showed that the air temperature at 1.2 m height within the park was 0.5 to 1.5 K lower than in the surrounding city blocks, and that the thermal stratification was generally stable (increasing temperature with height) in the park and unstable (decreasing temperature with height) in the built-up areas. In addition, there were a few examples of temperature gradients orientated in different directions within the lowest 2.5 m air layer, indicating horizontal advection between the park and the built-up areas. Climate conditions simulated with a three-dimensional microclimate model agreed well with observations and the model was therefore assumed to provide reasonable representations of important climate processes such as surface-air energy exchange processes. However, there were some discrepancies between observations and simulations that are discussed in terms of differences in real and modelled heat storage processes and wind conditions. Processes that need to be included for a more precise model description of areas such as the Stockholm environment include dynamic heat storage in buildings and dynamic wind forcing during the course of the simulation. A soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer model was used to study soil water transport, the surface energy balance of an asphalt surface, and the impact of urban climate on evapotranspiration. Based on model calibration to field measurements of soil water content in a till catchment outside Stockholm, new parameter values were estimated that can be used for water flow modelling of till soils. The heat fluxes of an asphalt surface were reliably simulated without knowledge of site-specific calibration and the model was useful in identifying problems with energy balance closure based on measurements only. Simulations of ‘urban’ modifications to the forcing climate conditions demonstrated that increased air temperature, and thereby increased vapour pressure deficit, had most effect on evapotranspiration from tall vegetation, while increased long-wave radiation raised grass evapotranspiration the most. / QC 20100901

This study analyzes the trends in temperature, and their extremes, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in the context of urban heat island. The trends in annual and seasonal temperature changes were investigated in the GTA over the past century and a half with special focus on 1970-2000. The Mann-Kendall test is used to assess the significance of the trends and the Theil-Sen slope estimator is used to identify their magnitude. Statistically significant increasing trends for mean and minimum temperatures are observed mainly at the urban and suburban stations. The sequential Mann-Kendall test is used to identify any abrupt change in the time series of temperature (31 -161 years), and the results indicate that increasing trend for annual mean temperature has started after 1920 at Toronto downtown, after the 1960s at the suburban stations, and has increased significantly during the 1980s at all stations, which is consistent with the pace of urbanization during these periods in the GTA. The observed urban heat island (UHI) in Toronto is quantified and characterized by considering three different rural stations. The UHI intensity (∆Tu-r) in Toronto is categorized as winter dominating or summer dominating depending on the choice of a rural station. The results from the trend analysis of annual and seasonal ∆Tu-r suggest that the choice of the rural station is crucial in the estimation of ∆Tu-r, and thus can overestimate or underestimate its prediction depending on the location and topographical characteristics of a rural station relative to the urban station. The trends in extreme temperature indices are also investigated and the results indicate that indices based on daily maximum temperature are more pronounced at the urban and suburban stations compared to that at the rural stations. The changes in the trends for extreme indices based on daily minimum temperature are consistent at all stations for the period of 1971-2000. With the decrease in the percentage of cold nights and the increase in the percentage of warm nights, the diurnal temperature range has decreased throughout the GTA region. The analysis of heating degree days and cooling degree days revealed that the former is associated with decreasing trends and the latter exhibited increasing trends at almost all stations in the GTA. Finally, it is evident from the results that urban heat island phenomenon exerts warmer influence on the climate in cities, and with the current pace of urbanization in the GTA, it is imperative to understand the potential impact of the emerging UHI on humans and society.