Mitigation of the heat island effect in urban New Jersey

Implementation of urban heat island (UHI) mitigation strategies such as increased vegetative cover and higher-albedo surface materials can reduce the impacts of biophysical hazards in cities, including heat stress related to elevated temperatures, air pollution and associated public health effects. Such strategies also can lower the demand for air-conditioning-related energy production. Since local impacts of global climate change may be intensified in areas with UHIs, mitigation strategies could play an increasingly important role as individuals and communities adapt to climate change. We use CITYgreen, a GIS-based modeling application, to estimate the potential benefits of urban vegetation and reflective roofs as UHI mitigation strategies for case study sites in and around Newark and Camden, New Jersey.

The analysis showed that urban vegetation can reduce health hazards associated with the UHI effect by removing pollutants from the air. Less affluent, inner-city neighborhoods are the ones in which the hazard potential of the UHI effect is shown to be greatest. However, these neighborhoods have less available open space for tree planting and therefore a lower maximum potential benefit. As the climate warms, these neighborhoods may face greater consequences due to interactions between the UHI effect and global climate change. Results also show that urban vegetation is an effective and economically efficient way to reduce energy consumption and costs at the sites.     

南京城区近地表不同地面覆盖层热岛效应观测与分析

在2008年7月27～28日南京城郊14个观测点温湿度观测数据的基础上,对南京城区、环玄武湖区和郊区的水泥地面、草地以及地面以上80cm高程近地表处的大气温湿度日变化规律、热岛效应和干岛效应强度进行了分析。结果表明:①南京城区近地表的热岛效应十分明显,城郊最大日平均温差:水泥地为3.1°C,大气为1.9°C,草地为1.2°C;②环玄武湖区水泥地的热岛效应明显,但近地表的大气和草地的热岛效应几乎不存在;③城区干岛效应明显,城区湿度比郊区明显要小,其中水泥地的平均湿度差最大,达到-14.1%;④城区湿度与温度呈相反的日变化规律,且湿度的变化主要取决于大气的温度变化;⑤南京城区雨花台、新街口、南汽和夫子庙等地的热岛效应较强,城市中的湖泊和草地对缓解城市热岛效应有显著的作用,而城市中的水泥地面对城市热岛效应起到明显的加剧作用,长江对城西地区的热岛效应起到消解作用。     

A case study of urban heat islands in the Carolinas

Urbanization tends to aggravate the negative effects of climate. The objective of this research is to aid in the understanding of the spatial variation of urban heat islands within selected cities in North and South Carolina. This understanding will help guide efforts to cool cities in order to increase human comfort, conserve energy and resources, and reduce air pollution in both of these states.     

The adoption of a Climate Disaster Resilience Index in Chennai,India

Results derived from the Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI)—consisting of five dimensions (economic, institutional, natural, physical, and social), 25 parameters, and 125 variables—reflect the abilities of people and institutions to respond to potential climate‐related disasters in Chennai, India. The findings of this assessment, applied in the 10 administrative zones of the city, reveal that communities living in the northern and older parts of Chennai have lower overall resilience as compared to the flourishing areas (vis‐à‐vis economic growth and population) along the urban fringes. The higher resilience of communities along the urban fringes suggests that urbanisation may not necessarily lead to a deterioration of basic urban services, such as electricity, housing, and water. This indication is confirmed by a strong statistical correlation between physical resilience and population growth in Chennai. The identification of the resilience of different urban areas of Chennai has the potential to support future planning decisions on the city's scheduled expansion.     

A case study of urban heat islands in the Carolinas

Urbanization tends to aggravate the negative effects of climate. The objective of this research is to aid in the understanding of the spatial variation of urban heat islands within selected cities in North and South Carolina. This understanding will help guide efforts to cool cities in order to increase human comfort, conserve energy and resources, and reduce air pollution in both of these states.     

城市热岛研究方法概述

论述了国内外有关城市热岛效应的研究方法,包括传统的气象观测法、基于遥感技术的定量反演法和基于边界层模型的模拟计算法,分析了各种研究方法的进展和优缺点,供城市热岛效应研究方法创新参考。     

Quantified scenarios analysis of drivers and impacts of changing flood risk in England and Wales: 2030–2100

Flood risk to the economy, society and the environment reflects the cumulative effects of environmental and socio-economic change over decades. Long-term scenarios are therefore required in order to develop robust and sustainable flood risk management policies. Quantified national-scale flood risk analysis and expert appraisal of the mechanisms causing change in flood risk have been used to assess flood risk in England and Wales over the period 2030–2100. The assessment involved the use of socio-economic and climate change scenarios. The analysis predicts increasing flood risk unless current flood management policies, practices and investment levels are changed—up to 20-fold increase in economic risk by the 2080s in the scenario with highest economic growth. The increase is attributable to a combination of climate change (in particular increasing precipitation and relative sea level rise in parts of the UK) and increasing socio-economic vulnerability, particularly in terms of household/industrial contents and infrastructure vulnerability. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.     

2003年我国十大极端天气气候事件

2003年我国极端天气气候事件及气象灾害发生较为频繁,特别是淮河流域特大洪水、南方持续的高温热浪及伏秋连旱,造成了严重影响.另外,低温阴雨、秋汛、台风、局地暴雨等也较为突出.本文利用我中心气候业务系统所得资料,对2003年我国极端天气气候事件作一综合评述.     

黄淮海地区干热风灾害致灾因子时空特征分析

黄淮海地区是我国冬小麦主产区,也是干热风灾害危害最重、影响最广的地区,本研究利用黄淮海冬麦主产区81个站点1961-2017年的逐日气象数据和冬小麦生育期资料,分析了该地区小麦成熟期和干热风致灾因子的时空变化特征。在81个测站中,有23个成熟期提前趋势显著或极显著,但大部地区成熟期变化趋势不显著,有63%的站点未通过显著性检验。对干热风致灾因子达标日数和相似系数的分析表明,达到干热风灾害阈值的概率依次为14:00风速>14:00相对湿度>日最高气温,最高气温是形成干热风的主要限制因素,轻干热风的发生最高气温和相对湿度起主要作用,重干热风则是高温胁迫起决定作用,低湿条件使胁迫加重,风速只起辅助作用。揭示了该地区干热风危害总体减轻的气象条件基础,即干热风3要素表现为最高气温略降、14:00相对湿度略增、14:00风速明显减小的特征,3要素均向有利于减轻干热风发生的方向变化,对于冬小麦籽粒灌浆和产量形成是有利的。但灌浆成熟期内最低气温的显著升高,意味着气温日较差减小、小麦夜间呼吸消耗增大,对其干物质积累和产量形成带来潜在不利影响。     

气候变化与自然灾害

气候变化与自然灾害是当今科学研究的两大热点，两者之间在一定程度上具有相关性，但目前要确切地定量计算气候变化对自然灾害的强度和出现频率的影响还很困难。本文在分析气候变化与自然灾害关系的基础上，研究了气候变化对我国自然灾害的影响。研究结果显示：１．在千年尺度上，长江流域的大旱和气候变冷成正相关，而长江流域的大涝以及黄河流域的大旱和大涝与气候冷暖过渡期成正相关；２．在百年尽度上，近１０４２年来，共出现２８１次全国性大旱和大涝，平均每百年出现２７次，在地域分布上以南涝北旱为主；３．就百年至千年尺度的气候变化对自然灾害的影响而言，气候冷冷组合期（１３０１～１９００）易发生全国性大涝，而冷暖组合期（９５０～１３００年，１９０１～１９９１年）易发生全国性大旱。总的来说，冷冷组合期的大旱大涝发生频率明显大于暖期，但不同地区有差异；４．在其它影响方面，台风、地震与海啸灾害在冷暖组合期（２０世纪）均有比冷冷组合期（１４和１９世纪）多的趋势。因此，气候变暖将使防灾任务更加艰巨。     

Present and future economic impacts of climate extremes in the United States

Recent studies have yielded definitive information about the nation's economic impacts from extreme climates, although some sectoral values rely on educated estimates since hard data does not exist. Review of existing measures of the national impacts from weather—climate conditions reveals annual average losses of $36 billion from extremes and gains averaging $26 billion when conditions are favorable (good growing seasons, mild winters, etc.). Comparison of these values with various measures of the national economy reveals that the impacts are relatively small, typically about 1% of the Gross Domestic Product and less than 2% of the federal budget. The current impact information provides a basis for assessing various estimates of the nation's financial impacts resulting from a future climate change due to global warming. Most such estimates predict values similar to the magnitude of current climate impacts. Moreover, most economists attempting such estimates express a large degree of uncertainty about their projections.     

2000年全球气象灾害评价

2000年，全球气候持续较常年偏暖。赤道中，东太平洋地区强拉尼娜事件在1月再次达到峰值后，迅速减弱，强拉尼娜事件对全球，特别是对热带地区产生了较大的影响，北半球许多地区冬季出现严寒天气，夏季又遭热浪袭击，严重的高温、干旱、森林大火困扰全球。而亚洲南部、西欧、南部非洲、南美北部的许多地区暴雨频繁。估计气象自然灾害造成全球经济损失达上千亿美元。数亿人口受灾。     

国内外城市热岛研究进展

城市热岛现象是人类活动对气候系统产生的最显著的影响之一。在分析城市热岛效应概念和内涵的基础上,论述了国内外在城市热岛效应研究方面的进展,以期为缓解城市热岛效应提供科学依据。     

近50年来陕甘宁边区气候变化及致灾效应分析

通过对陕甘宁边区近50年气温记录的分析，认为陕甘宁边区正在变暖变干，20世纪90年代至今暖干趋势加剧；极端事件尤其是干旱的强度、频率正在增强。针对陕甘宁边区气候脆弱变化趋势提出了环境建设对策。     

Assessment of Global Weather Disasters in 2000

1 Climate background Although the La Nina event caused the decrease of the mean temperature in the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean, the year 2000 had remained one of the hottest since 1860 when records of the global mean temperature began. The temperature in the areas to the north of 20扤 from December 1999 to November 2000 marked the second warmest in history. The mean temperature of the global surface in 2000 was 0. 60C above the average during the period 1880?999, and was close to …     

杭州城市热岛空间分布及缓减对策

以夏季的杭州市为例,利用Landsat 5 TM热红外遥感数据提取并反演了杭州市地表的覆盖类型与地表温度,通过热场分级分析和剖面分析的方法,对杭州城市尺度下热岛的空间分布特征进行了分析,并揭示了杭州热岛的分布格局与城市用地类型、功能布局之间的空间对应关系,从城市用地类型的演化、城市空间格局的改变、城市用地布局的合理性以及人为热排放等方面剖析了杭州城市热岛的产生与影响机理.最后,从城市规划视角提出了合理控制城市用地扩展、构建开敞的城市生态空间、优化城市用地功能布局以及开展城市下垫面规划设计等城市热岛缓减对策,供未来杭州城市热环境改善工作参考.     

Decreasing the knowledge gap among different socioeconomic status groups on the issue of climate change

Climate change is causing severe negative consequences to small low-lying islands. To mitigate and adapt to climate change, it is important to improve public knowledge on its causes and consequences. As a social issue that needs collective action to address, the knowledge gap among different segments of population would be a barrier to people’s behaviors toward mitigation and adaption to climate change. This study aims to investigate public knowledge acquisition of climate change by revisiting the knowledge gap hypothesis. A nationally representative random computer-assisted telephone interview survey (N?=?1093) was conducted in Singapore. Quantitative analyses revealed that both newspaper reading and television viewing could reduce the knowledge gap between high and low socioeconomic status individuals. We recommend that governments and relevant authorities should utilize mass media to disseminate information and cultivate public understanding of climate change.     

近40年新疆沙漠化与人类活动

据对新疆近代沙漠化的调查,及对近40年新疆的气温、降水、地表径流与新疆垦荒、河流湖泊变化、植被减少等分析对比得出,新疆近代沙漠化的速度是惊人的,但其气候没有显著变旱,而人类活动对新疆沙化作用已明显地超越了自然干旱作用。     

1961-2018年中国风速均值和极端值的时空演变特征

基于1961-2018年中国545个气象观测站点的日值平均风速、最大风速和极大风速数据,采用多种数理统计方法,从气候态特征、长期变化趋势、年际波动特征和1990年前后的差异特征诊断气候变暖背景下近58年来中国风速均值和极端值的时空演变特征。结果表明:(1)1961-2018年中国平均风速具有南低、北高的空间分异特征,而最大风速和极大风速则呈现东南低、西北高的空间分异特征,且两者的空间相关系数达0.71(n=15 642),通过了0.01显著性水平的检验。平均风速、最大风速和极大风速在1991-2018年相比1961-1990年整体以偏小为主。(2)中国平均风速、最大风速和极大风速年代距平从1960年代至2010年代逐渐由正距平为主演变为负距平为主,且1960、1970和1980年代以正距平为主,而1990、2000和2010年代以负距平为主。(3)1961-2018年中国平均风速、最大风速和极大风速均以减少趋势为主,并具有区域性和次区域性特征,其中后两者的空间相关系数达0.75(n=15 642),通过了0.01显著性水平的检验。最大风速和极大风速在1990年前后的趋势差异具有较高的空间一致性。(4)1961-2018年中国平均风速在西部地区波动相对较大,最大风速和极大风速的波动特征具有空间相似性,空间相关系数达0.57(n=15 642),通过了0.01显著性水平的检验。平均风速、最大风速和极大风速在1991-2018年相比1961-1990年波动偏大的地区明显多于偏小的地区。     

福州近地层臭氧分布及其与气象要素的相关性

利用2009-2010年福州市近地层臭氧的连续观测资料,分析了其时空分布特征,并结合气象要素进行了相关性分析,找出了易导致臭氧浓度超标的天气类型。结果表明,在工业源、交通源较密集的监测点,臭氧浓度较高;臭氧浓度月分布呈"双峰型",峰值在5月、10月,谷值在1月;浓度的季节排序为秋季>夏季>春季>冬季,绝大部分浓度超标日出现在春末和夏季,冬季则没有;臭氧浓度日分布呈"单峰型",清晨开始明显上升,最高小时浓度出现在午后,夜里维持在相对稳定的低值区;臭氧浓度与温度、日照、太阳辐射显著正相关,与云量、相对湿度、降水量显著负相关,受偏南和偏东风影响时臭氧浓度较高,在SSE方位上小时浓度超标率最高;超标日天气型主要有变性冷高压、地面倒槽和锋前暖区等强暖性、且非常不利于污染物扩散的天气系统。