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Indoor microclimate conditions and air pollutant concentrations (O3, TVOC, CO, CO2, and particulate matter mass concentrations in six size bins) were measured in the Greek Archaeological Museum of Abdera, which houses priceless works of art from the birthplace of the ancient philosopher Democritus. The monitoring campaign took place during the spring and summer months, when there were the greatest number of visitors. In the exhibition rooms, daily variations in relative humidity ranged from 4% to 10%, and daily variations in air temperature ranged from 0.9 °C to 2.6 °C. These uncontrolled changes may endanger the housed antiquities. The microclimate in the storage rooms varied substantially less than in the exhibition halls due to dehumidifiers and the lack of visitors. Concerning air pollution, indoor O3 concentrations were higher than the recommended limit values for the conservation of artwork. Even more worrisome are particulate matter mass concentrations above the air quality guidelines. Despite the fact that the building is well insulated and that only artificial lighting is used in the exhibition halls, it is difficult to achieve adequate conditions for the protection of the works of art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue is a serious infectious disease worldwide and a climate-sensitive disease. Thus, our goals were to (i) evaluate the relationship between dengue incidence and meteorological variables (rainfall and air temperature); (ii) identify the spatiotemporal pattern of dengue incidence in the municipalities of Mato Grosso from 2001 to 2020; and (iii) verify the spatial dependence of dengue incidence in the dry and wet seasons. We used dengue data from 2001 to 2020, monthly rainfall estimates from GPM, and daily air temperature estimates from ERA-5. The municipalities of the Mato Grosso state are included in 16 healthcare territories. The seasonal rainfall pattern indicates that the peak of the dengue endemic occurred in the wet season. However, drier and/or warmer places had a lower incidence of dengue in the dry season. Furthermore, a lagged effect of meteorological variables on dengue incidence has been identified, ranging from 0 to 7 months. Hotspot areas were identified which might have the potential for an intense spreading of dengue in Mato Grosso. They were mainly concentrated in the healthcare territory of Teles Pires (ID 14) in the dry season, while they were concentrated in the healthcare territories of Garças Araguaia (ID 5), Oeste (ID 11), and Teles Pires (ID 14) in the wet season. In addition, they are located in the Am climate and in the Amazon Forest and Brazilian savanna biomes, which have higher dengue incidence values. These results help to highlight which municipalities decision-makers must intervene in the public health system to prevent and control future epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban climate, especially the near-surface air temperature (T), is influenced to large amounts by urban surface properties on the local-scale. Landscape classification schemes, like the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) concept, classify neighbourhoods on this scale based on their surface properties, neglecting sub-scale heterogeneity in the urban structure and its potential effects on T. To quantify sub-scale T variability, a measurement campaign with eleven stationary T sensors was conducted within one LCZ (class 2B, compact midrise with scattered trees) in Berlin, Germany, during 22 days in summer 2016. Correlation analyses were performed between observed spatial T differences and micro-scale morphometric parameters around the measurement sites, such as sky view factor and building surface fraction. The results show mean night-time T differences of up to 1 K between the different sites. On a clear, calm and dry day, the daytime difference reached 3 K. At night-time, the variability can be best explained by the building surface fraction within a radius of 50 m. Further, a nocturnal cooling influence of a neighbouring green space could be observed. The observed micro-scale T variability was smaller than T differences to other LCZ classes, highlighting the applicability of the LCZ concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent re-evaluation of urban heat island (UHI) studies has suggested that the urban effect may be expressed more meaningfully as a difference between Local Climate Zones (LCZ), defined as areas with characteristic dimensions of between one and several kilometers that have distinct effects on climate at both micro-and local-scales (city streets to neighborhoods), rather than adopting the traditional method of comparing urban and rural air temperatures. This paper reports on a UHI study in Dublin (Ireland) which maps the urban area into LCZ and uses these as a basis for carrying out a UHI study. The LCZ map for Dublin is derived using a widely available land use/cover map as a basis. A small network of in-situ stations is deployed into different LCZ across Dublin and additional mobile temperature traverses carried out to examine the thermal characteristics of LCZ following mixed weather during a 1 week period in August 2010. The results show LCZ with high impervious/building coverage were on average >4 °C warmer at night than LCZ with high pervious/vegetated coverage during conditions conducive to strong UHI development. The distinction in mean LCZ nocturnal temperature allows for the generation of a heat map across the entire urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire severity varies with forest composition and structure, reflecting micrometeorology and the fuel complex, but their respective influences are difficult to untangle from observation alone. We quantify the differences in fire weather between different forest types and the resulting differences in modeled fire behavior. Collection of in-stand weather data proceeded during two summer periods in three adjacent stands in northern Portugal, respectively Pinus pinaster (PP), Betula alba (BA), and Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (CL). Air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed varied respectively as CL < PP < BA, PP < CL < BA, and CL < BA < PP. Differences between PP and the other types were greatest during the warmest and driest hours of the day in a sequence of 10 days with high fire danger. Estimates of daytime moisture content of fine dead fuels and fire behavior characteristics for this period, respectively, from Behave and BehavePlus, indicate a CL < BA < PP gradient in fire potential. High stand density in CL and BA ensured lower wind speed and higher fuel moisture content than in PP, limiting the likelihood of an extreme fire environment. However, regression tree analysis revealed that the fire behavior distinction between the three forest types was primarily a function of the surface fuel complex, and more so during extreme fire weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important barrier against desert invasion in Northwest China, Helan Mountains (HL), Luoshan Mountains (LS) and their natural forests have an extremely important ecological status. It is of great significance to study the relationship between forest growth and climate in this region under the background of global change. At present, relevant research mostly focuses on the Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.), and little is known about how Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) responds to climate change. To investigate the potential relationships between radial growth of P. crassifolia and climatic conditions in Ningxia, China, we collected tree-ring samples from P. crassifolia growing in the HL and LS and then established the standard tree-ring width chronologies for the two sites. Correlation analysis together with multivariate linear regression and relative contribution analyses were used, and results showed that radial growth in the HL was determined by the precipitation in the previous September, by the standardized evapotranspiration index (SPEI) in the current March and June, and by the maximum air temperature in the current September. The maximum air temperature in the current September contributed the most (0.348) to the radial growth in the HL. In the LS, radial growth was determined by the precipitation in the previous September and in the current March and by the minimum air temperature in the current July. The factor that made the most contribution was the precipitation in the current March (0.489). Our results suggested that in the wetting and warming future, growth of P. crassifolia in the HL will increase while that in the LS needs further investigation. Our results also provide a basis for predicting how P. crassifolia in northwest China will grow under the background of future climate change and provide a reference for formulating relevant management measures to achieve ecological protection and sustainable development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between climate and forest is critical to understanding the influence of future climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. Research on trees at high elevations has uncovered the relationship in the Hengduan Mountains region, a critical biodiversity hotspot area in southwestern China. The relationship for the area at low elevations below 2800 m a.s.l. in the region remains unclear. In this study, we developed tree ring width chronologies of Pinus yunnanensis Franch. at five sites with elevations of 1170–1725 m in this area. Monthly precipitation, relative humidity, maximum/mean/minimum air temperature and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), a drought indicator with a multi-timescale, were used to investigate the radial growth-climate relationship. Results show that the growth of P. yunnanensis at different sites has a similar response pattern to climate variation. Relative humidity, precipitation, and air temperature in the dry season, especially in its last month (May), are critical to the radial growth of trees. Supplemental precipitation amounts and reduced mean or maximum air temperature can promote tree growth. The high correlations between chronologies and SPEI indicate that the radial growth of trees at the low elevations of the region is significantly limited by the moisture availability. Precipitation in the last month of the previous wet season determines the drought regime in the following dry seasons. In spite of some differences in the magnitudes of correlations in the low-elevation area of the Hengduan Mountains region, chronologies generally matched well with each other at different elevations, and the differences are not evident with the change in elevation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]