Equivalent temperature is an atmospheric variable that combines both dry static energy (associated with temperature) and moist static energy (associated with moisture). Changes in equivalent temperature therefore reflect changes in total surface energy content. This research is concerned with quantifying trends in equivalent temperature and its subcomponents at 8 National Weather Service (NWS) 1st Order stations in the central USA. Data quality control was conducted and time series and time-varying percentile trends of maximum and minimum equivalent temperature and its subcomponents were developed for each of the stations on the daily scale; along with a heat wave trend analysis. It was found that there is an overall positive trend in lower tropospheric heat content over the last 60 years--driven primarily by increases in low-level moisture. The largest changes in equivalent temperature occurred during spring and fall, with some of these trends as large as 5 deg. Celsius/50 years. Furthermore, it was found that there is an increase in the number of high humidity heat wave events and that these types of events are more frequent than low humidity events; which saw a slight decrease in frequency. Interestingly, one station (Nashville, TN) exhibited a slight negative trend in equivalent temperature maxima, which may be due to synoptic-scale influence such as the Great Plains low-level jet. The results demonstrate that equivalent temperature provides a different perspective than temperature for assessing regional climate change.

The purpose of this research is to investigate mesoscale-equivalent temperatures (TE) in Kentucky and potential land cover influences. Kentucky presents a unique opportunity to perform a study of this kind because of the observational infrastructure provided by the Kentucky Mesonet (www.kymesonet.org). This network maintains 65 research-grade, in-situ weather and climate observing stations across the Commonwealth. Equivalent temperatures were calculated utilizing high-quality observations from 33 of these stations. In addition, the Kentucky Mesonet offers higher spatial and temporal resolution than previous research on this topic. As expected, the differences (TE-T) were greatest in summer (smallest in winter), with an average of 35 ºC (5 ºC). In general, the differences were found to be largest in the western climate division. This is attributed to poorly drained land and the mesonet stations’ adjacency to agricultural land. These differences are smaller during periods of drought, signifying less influence of moisture. Additionally, an inverse relationship between TE and pressure deviation on a daily timescale was found, suggesting a synoptic influence on near-surface heat content.

Summer (JJA) temperature (T) and equivalent temperature (TE) for 18 of the largest cities in the eastern United States are investigated for two time periods: 1948-2014 and 1973-2014. Because temperature provides an incomplete description of lower tropospheric heat content, we supplement with TE, which also accounts for the energy associated with moisture. An auxiliary investigation using air mass data from the Spatial Synoptic Classification (SSC) augments the investigation of T and TE trends. The trend analysis revealed significant trends in Tmin at all stations over the 67-year time period and over most stations for the shorter (41-year) period. Minimum TE likewise increases nearly everywhere in the longer series, but at only around half of the stations in the shorter series. Stations with increasing TE in the shorter period are primarily coastal or located in the southern and upper Midwest, where there has also been a noticeable lack of warming. Our results also exhibit a decrease in the diurnal TE range that accompanies the documented decrease in diurnal temperature range over the same period. Trends in T and TE are evaluated in the context of changes in air mass frequency. A heat wave analysis was also conducted to identify changes in intensity and frequency using T and TE Overall, our findings suggest that TE provides a more comprehensive perspective on recent climate change than T alone. With heat wave frequency and intensity projected to increase, we recommend adoption of TE to account for changes in total surface heat content.

abstract: During summer 2014, a study was conducted as part of the Landscape Architecture Foundation Case Study Investigation to analyze features of three sustainably designed landscapes. Each project was located in a southwest desert city: Civic Space Park in Phoenix, AZ, the Pete V. Domenici US Courthouse Sustainable Landscape Retrofit in Albuquerque, NM, and George "Doc" Cavalliere Park in Scottsdale, AZ. The principal components of each case study were performance benefits that quantified ongoing ecosystem services. Performance benefits were developed from data provided by the designers and collected by the research team. The functionality of environmental, social, and economic sustainable features was evaluated. In southwest desert cities achieving performance benefits such as microclimate cooling often come at the cost of water conservation. In each of these projects such tradeoffs were balanced by prioritizing the project goals and constraints. During summer 2015, a study was conducted to characterize effects of tree species and shade structures on outdoor human thermal comfort under hot, arid conditions. Motivating the research was the hypothesis that tree species and shade structures will vary in their capacity to improve thermal comfort due to their respective abilities to attenuate solar radiation. Micrometeorological data was collected in full sun and under shade of six landscape tree species and park ramadas in Phoenix, AZ during pre-monsoon summer afternoons. The six landscape tree species included: Arizona ash (Fraxinus velutina Torr.), Mexican palo verde (Parkinsonia aculeata L.), Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.), South American mesquite (Prosopis spp. L.), Texas live oak (Quercus virginiana for. fusiformis Mill.), and Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia Jacq.). Results showed that the tree species and ramadas were not similarly effective at improving thermal comfort, represented by physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The difference between PET in full sun and under shade was greater under Fraxinus and Quercus than under Parkinsonia, Prosopis, and ramadas by 2.9-4.3 °C. Radiation was a significant driver of PET (p<0.0001, R2=0.69) and with the exception of ramadas, lower radiation corresponded with lower PET. Variations observed in this study suggest selecting trees or structures that attenuate the most solar radiation is a potential strategy for optimizing PET. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Applied Biological Sciences 2016

The diploma thesis is focused on the optical beam propagating in the atmosphere in a wireless communication optical link. The first part of the work explains the atmospheric transmission media with turbulence and its effects on reliability of the optical system. The second part introduces methods for turbulence determination based on a statistical approach to turbulence quantification are introduced. In the third part, method of equivalent temperature gradient is described with the advantage of immediate turbulence evaluation. The output of this thesis is the model of turbulent environment formed by the optical elements. Analysis of turbulent properties and non-reciprocal nature of turbulent channel is processed by a 2D simulator based on the mentioned model and method of equivalent temperature gradient.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(農学) / 甲第24908号 / 農博第2571号 / 新制||農||1102(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院農学研究科森林科学専攻 / (主査)教授 柴田 昌三, 教授 北島 薫, 教授 小杉 賢一朗 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

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Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / In this study, the use of multi narrow-band filters was explored to correlate or fuse information to improve detection and recognition for specific targets of interest. To fully understand the viability and limitations of narrow band filters in thermal imaging, laboratory test procedures were first designed to characterize thermal images using common performance parameters, particularly the Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD), the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and the Minimum Resolvable Temperature (MRT). An available thermal imager, the Cincinnati Electronics IRRIS-256LN, and a newly purchased thermal imager, the Indigo Systems Merlin InSb Laboratory Camera, were investigated and compared. The MRT measurement showed a superior cut-off spatial frequency of 1.33 cycle/mrad for the Merlin camera, compared with 1.18 cycle/mrad for the Cincinnati, with similar sensitivity of about 0.1 ʻC for both cameras. Below cut-off the Modulation Transfer for the Merlin was approximately twice that of the Cincinnati. NETD measurements for both systems were inhibited by excess noise in the measurement system. The Merlin camera was consequently employed for further research on narrow band images. Three commercially available narrow band filters, 4110/4720 nm, 4540/4720 nm and 3750/4020 nm, were selected to isolate the "red" and "blue" spike signatures of plume emission and aerodynamic heating found in the signature of fast moving air targets. Similar sensor characterization was carried out with these filters, however, quantitative performance parameter measurements were hindered by excessive measurement system noise. As a preliminary study in multi-spectral image analysis, spectral features of hydrocarbon combustion were extracted from correlated narrow-band images of a laboratory propane flame. Digital analysis using software statistical tools showed potential for discrimination of hydrocarbon emission from other thermal sources by correlating pixel number and pixel radiant intensity. / Captain, Singapore Armed Forces

A presente pesquisa trata da influência da verticalização na sensação térmica urbana, dentro de um contexto de diretrizes de compactação das cidades, aplicada à cidade de Maringá / PR, cujo clima é subtropical úmido. Pretende avaliar se o aumento do gabarito dos edifícios da região apontada, realizado de modo a respeitar o parcelamento e o uso e ocupação do solo, interfere no conforto térmico urbano, mediante a verificação do índice de temperatura fisiológica equivalente (PET). Seu desenvolvimento é realizado com base na análise de resultados obtidos por meio de ferramentas computacionais, especialmente o software ENVI-met, seguindo as seguintes etapas: 1. Histórico Urbanístico, em que se avalia o plano inicial da cidade e o seu perfil atual; 2. Caracterização Climática, na qual se elabora o arquivo climático do município, sua carta de ventos, bem como todos os tratamentos necessários para a aplicação do software; 3. Modelagem e Simulação, em que se define e constrói os cenários, para posterior simulação; 4. Avaliação Ambiental, em que se analisa a sensação térmica dos resultados da simulação. Por fim, mediante a avaliação dos resultados obtidos, demonstra-se que a verticalização, em climas subtropicais úmidos, pode ser utilizada como atenuação da sensação térmica. / This research deals with the influence of verticalization on urban thermal sensation, within a context of city compaction guidelines, applied to the city of Maringá / PR, whose climate is humid subtropical. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether the increase in the model of the buildings in the mentioned region, in order to respect the parceling and the use and occupation of the soil, interferes with the urban thermal comfort by checking the equivalent Physiological Temperature Index (PET). Its development will be carried out based on the analysis of results obtained through computational tools, especially the ENVI-met software, following the following steps: 1. Urban History, in which the initial plan of the city and its current profile will be evaluated; 2. Climatic Characterization, in which the climatic archive of the municipality, its chart of winds, as well as all the necessary treatments for the application of the software will be elaborated; 3. Modeling and Simulation, in which the scenarios will be defined and constructed, for later simulation; 4. Environmental Assessment, in which the thermal sensation of the results of the simulation will be analyzed. Finally, by means of the evaluation of the obtained results, it will be shown that the verticalization, in humid subtropical climates, can be used as attenuation of the thermal sensation.

A presente pesquisa trata da influência da verticalização na sensação térmica urbana, dentro de um contexto de diretrizes de compactação das cidades, aplicada à cidade de Maringá / PR, cujo clima é subtropical úmido. Pretende avaliar se o aumento do gabarito dos edifícios da região apontada, realizado de modo a respeitar o parcelamento e o uso e ocupação do solo, interfere no conforto térmico urbano, mediante a verificação do índice de temperatura fisiológica equivalente (PET). Seu desenvolvimento é realizado com base na análise de resultados obtidos por meio de ferramentas computacionais, especialmente o software ENVI-met, seguindo as seguintes etapas: 1. Histórico Urbanístico, em que se avalia o plano inicial da cidade e o seu perfil atual; 2. Caracterização Climática, na qual se elabora o arquivo climático do município, sua carta de ventos, bem como todos os tratamentos necessários para a aplicação do software; 3. Modelagem e Simulação, em que se define e constrói os cenários, para posterior simulação; 4. Avaliação Ambiental, em que se analisa a sensação térmica dos resultados da simulação. Por fim, mediante a avaliação dos resultados obtidos, demonstra-se que a verticalização, em climas subtropicais úmidos, pode ser utilizada como atenuação da sensação térmica. / This research deals with the influence of verticalization on urban thermal sensation, within a context of city compaction guidelines, applied to the city of Maringá / PR, whose climate is humid subtropical. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether the increase in the model of the buildings in the mentioned region, in order to respect the parceling and the use and occupation of the soil, interferes with the urban thermal comfort by checking the equivalent Physiological Temperature Index (PET). Its development will be carried out based on the analysis of results obtained through computational tools, especially the ENVI-met software, following the following steps: 1. Urban History, in which the initial plan of the city and its current profile will be evaluated; 2. Climatic Characterization, in which the climatic archive of the municipality, its chart of winds, as well as all the necessary treatments for the application of the software will be elaborated; 3. Modeling and Simulation, in which the scenarios will be defined and constructed, for later simulation; 4. Environmental Assessment, in which the thermal sensation of the results of the simulation will be analyzed. Finally, by means of the evaluation of the obtained results, it will be shown that the verticalization, in humid subtropical climates, can be used as attenuation of the thermal sensation.