Assessment of bioclimatic conditions on Crete Island, Greece

Citation:

Bleta, A., Nastos, P.T. & Matzarakis, A. Assessment of bioclimatic conditions on Crete Island, Greece. Regional Environmental Change 14, 1967 - 1981 (2014). Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/y2eg4fnv

Abstract:

The objective of this study was to assess and analyze the human bioclimatic conditions of Crete Island, by applying two human thermal indices: physiological equivalent temperature (PET), derived from the Munich Energy-balance Model for Individuals human energy balance model, and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), based on the Fiala multi-node model of human thermoregulation. Human bioclimatic studies provide a framework for considering the effects of climatic conditions on human beings and highlighting the social/economic factors that mitigate or amplify the consequences of environmental changes. In order to estimate the thermal effect of the environment on the human body, it has been considered that the total effects of all thermal components, not only of individual parameters, should be taken into account. The climatic data (air temperature, relative humidity, cloudiness, wind speed) used in this study were acquired from the archives of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, regarding ten meteorological stations in Crete Island. These data, covering the 30-year period 1975–2004, were used for the calculation of PET and UTCI in order to assess thermo-physiological stress levels. The findings of this analysis, such as bioclimatic diagrams, temporal and spatial distributions of PET and UTCI as well as trends and variability, will help stake holders to understand and interpret the island’s current bioclimate, in order to make any necessary adaptations and become more resilient to the foreseen climate change. © 2013, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Notes:

Export Date: 2 November 2015Correspondence Address: Nastos, P.T.; Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment, Department of Geography and Climatology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, GreeceReferences: Almeida, S.P., Casimiro, E., Calheiros, J., Effects of apparent temperature on daily mortality in Lisbon and Oporto, Portugal (2010) Environ Health, 9, p. 12;Analitis, A., Katsouyanni, K., Biggeri, A., Baccini, M., Forsberg, B., Bisanti, L., Kirchmayer, U., Michelozzi, P., Effects of cold weather on mortality: results from 15 European cities within the PHEWE project (2008) Am J Epidemiol, 168 (12), pp. 1397-1408. , COI: 1:STN:280:DC%2BD1cjovFakuw%3D%3D; Baccini, M., Biggeri, A., Accetta, G., Kosatsky, T., Katsouyanni, K., Analitis, A., Anderson, H.R., Michelozzi, P., Heat effects on mortality in 15 European cities (2008) Epidemiology, 19 (5), pp. 711-719; Bąkowska, M., Influence of air circulation and geographical factors on daily rhythm of biothermal conditions (2010) Proceedings of the 7th conference on biometeorology, 20, pp. 479-484; Błazejczyk, K., Epstein, Y., Jendritzky, G., Staiger, H., Tinz, B., Comparison of UTCI to selected thermal indices (2012) Int J Biometeorol, 56, pp. 515-535; Bouyer, J., Vinet, J., Delpech, P., Carré, S., Thermal comfort assessment in semi-outdoor environments: application to comfort study in stadia (2007) J Wind Eng Ind Aerod, 95, pp. 144-149; Bröde, P., Krüger, L.E., Rossi, A.F., Predicting urban outdoor thermal comfort by the Universal Thermal Index UTCI—a case study in Southern Brasil (2012) Int J Biometeorol, 56, pp. 471-480; Bröde, P., Fiala, D., Błażejczyk, K., Holmér, I., Jendritzky, G., Kampmann, B., Tinz, B., Havenith, G., Deriving the operational procedure for the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) (2012) Int J Biometeorol, 56, pp. 481-494; Burkart, K., Endlicher, W., The effect of temperature and thermal atmospheric conditions on mortality in Bangladesh (2010) Proceedings of the 7th conference on biometeorology, 20, pp. 261-266; Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T., Tiesdell, S., (2003) Public places-urban spaces: the dimensions of urban design, , Architectural Press, Elsevier, Burlington; Cohen, P., Potchter, O., Matzarakis, A., Human thermal perception of Coastal Mediterranean outdoor urban (2012) Appl Geogr, 37, pp. 1-10; Curriero, F.C., Heiner, K.S., Samet, J.M., Zeger, S.L., Strug, L., Patz, J.A., Temperature and mortality in 11 cities of eastern United States (2002) Am J Epidemiol, 155, pp. 80-87; d’Ambrosio Alfano, F.R., Palella, B.I., Riccio, G., Thermal environment assessment reliability using temperature—humidity indices (2011) Ind Health, 49, pp. 95-106; De Freitas, C.R., Tourism climatology: evaluating environmental information for decision making and business planning in the recreation and tourism sector (2003) Int J Biometeorol, 4, pp. 45-54; Didaskalou, E., Nastos, P., The role of climatic and bioclimatic conditions in the development of health tourism product (2003) Anatolia, 14 (2), pp. 107-126; Fanger, P.O., (1972) Thermal comfort: analysis and applications in environmental engineering, , Mc Graw-Hill, New York; Fiala, D., Lomas, K.J., Stohrer, M., Computer prediction of human thermoregulatory and temperature responses to a wide range of environmental conditions (2001) Int J Biometeorol, 45, pp. 143-159. , COI: 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MrkslGrug%3D%3D; Fiala, D., Havenith, G., Bröde, P., Kampmann, B., Jendritzky, G., UTCI-Fiala multi-node model of human heat transfer and temperature regulation (2012) Int J Biometeorol, 56, pp. 429-441; Grigorieva, E., Matzarakis, A., Physiologically equivalent temperature as a factor for tourism in extreme climate regions in the Russian Far East: preliminary results (2011) Eur J Tour Hosp Recreat, 3, pp. 127-142; Gulyas, A., Unger, J., Matzarakis, A., Assessment of the microclimatic and human comfort conditions in a complex urban environment: modelling and measurements (2006) Build Environ, 41, pp. 1713-1722; Hajat, S., Kosatky, T., Heat-related mortality: a review and exploration of heterogeneity (2010) J Epidemiol Community Health, 64, pp. 753-760; Hamilton, J.M., Lau, M.A., The role of climate information in tourist destination choice decision-making (2005) Proceedings of the 17th international congress of biometeorology, pp. 608-611; Havenith, G., Fiala, D., Błazejczyk, K., Richards, M., Bröde, P., Holmér, I., Rintamaki, H., Jendritzky, G., The UTCI-clothing model (2012) Int J Biometeorol, 56, pp. 461-470; Höppe, P., Heat balance modeling (1993) Experentia, 49, pp. 741-746; Höppe, P., The physiological equivalent temperature in a universal index for the bio-meteorological assessment of the thermal environment (1999) Int J Biometeorol, 43, pp. 71-75; Idzikowska, D., Differences in bioclimatic conditions in four European cities: Budapest, Paris, Rome and Warsaw (2010) Proceedings of the 7th conference on biometeorology, 20, pp. 201-206; Jendritzky, G., Maarouf, A., Fiala, D., Kansas City, AMS, pp. 129-133; Jendritzky, G., Havenith, G., Weihs, P., Batchvarova, E., September 22–26, 2008 (2008) Tokyo; Jendritzky, G., de Dear, R., Havenith, G., UTCI—why another thermal index? (2012) Int J Biometeorol, 56, pp. 421-428; Kaskaoutis, D.G., Kambezidis, H.D., Nastos, P.T., Kosmopoulos, P.G., Study on an intense dust storm over Greece (2008) Atmos Environ, 42, pp. 6884-6896. , COI: 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhtFSqs7nI; Kunert, A., Modeling of UTCI index in various types of landscape (2010) Proceedings of the 7th conference on biometeorology, 20, pp. 302-307; Kuttler, W., Guderian, R., Stadtklima (2000) Handbuch der Umweltveränderungen und Ökotoxologie, Band 1B: Atmosphäre, pp. 420-470. , Springer, New York; Lin, T.P., Thermal perception, adaptation and attendance in a public square in hot and humid regions (2009) Build Environ, 44, pp. 2017-2026; Lin, T.P., Hwang, C.C., Cheng, H.Y., The influence of climate information on travel arrangements (2006) Proceedings of the 8th leisure, recreation and tourism research symposium, Taipei, 7 October, 2006, pp. 120-126. , Outdoor Recreation Association, Taipei; Lindner, K., Assessment of sensible climate in Warsaw using UTCI (2011) Prace i Studia Geograficzne WGSR UW, 47, pp. 285-291; Matzarakis, A., Nastos, P.T., Analysis of tourism potential for Crete Island, Greece (2011) Global NEST J, 13, pp. 141-149; Matzarakis, A., Mayer, H., Iziomon, M.G., Applications of a universal thermal index: physiological equivalent temperature (1999) Int J Biometeorol, 43, pp. 76-84. , COI: 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3c%2FitVWitQ%3D%3D; Matzarakis, A., Rutz, F., Mayer, H., Modelling Radiation fluxes in simple and complex environments—basics of the RayMan model (2010) Int Biometeorol, 54, pp. 131-139; Mayer, H., Höppe, P., Thermal comfort of man in different urban environments (1987) Theor Appl Climatol, 38, pp. 3-49; Metaxas, D.A., Bartzokas, A., Pressure covariability over the Atlantic, Europe and N. Africa. Application: centers of action for temperature, winter precipitation and summer winds in Athens, Greece (1994) Theor Appl Climatol, 49, pp. 9-18; Michelozzi, P., Kirchmayer, U., Katsouyanni, K., Biggeri, A., McGregor, G., Menne, B., Kassomenos, P., Accetta, G., Assessment and prevention of acute health effects of weather conditions in Europe, the PHEWE project: background, objectives, design (2007) Environ Health, 6, p. 12; Mitchell, J.M., Climatic change, WMO, Tech note 79. WMO No 195 (1966) TP-100 Geneva, p. 79; Nastos, P.T., Matzarakis, A., Weather impacts on respiratory infections in Athens, Greece (2006) Int J Biometeorol, 50, pp. 358-369; Nastos, P.T., Matzarakis, A., The effect of air temperature and human thermal indices on mortality in Athens (2012) Theor Appl Climatol, 108, pp. 591-599; Nastos, P.T., Philandras, C.M., Repapis, C.C., Application of canonical analysis to air temperature and precipitation regimes over Greece (2002) Fresen Environ Bull, 11, pp. 488-493. , COI: 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XnsV2ntb8%3D; Nastos, P.T., Kampanis, N.A., Giaouzaki, K.N., Matzarakis, A., Environmental impacts on human health during a Saharan dust episode at Crete Island, Greece (2011) Meteorol Z, 20, pp. 517-529; New, M., Hulme, M., Jones, P., Representing twentieth century space-time climate variability. Part 1: development of a 1961–1990 mean monthly terrestrial climatology (1999) J Climate, 12, pp. 829-856; New, M., Hulme, M., Jones, P.D., Representing twentieth century space–time climate variability. Part 2: development of 1901–1996 monthly grids of terrestrial surface climate (2000) J Climate, 13, pp. 2217-2238; Nikolopoulou, M., Lykoudis, S., Thermal comfort in outdoor urban spaces: analysis across different European countries (2006) Build Environ, 41, pp. 1455-1470; Nikolopoulou, M., Steemers, K., Thermal comfort and psychological adaptation as a guide for designing urban spaces (2003) Energ Build, 35, pp. 95-101; Novák, M., UTCI – Pierwsze testy w Republice Czeskiej (UTCI – First test in the Czech Republic) (2011) Prace i Studia Geograficzne, 47, pp. 319-325; Schwartz, J., Samet, J., Patz, J., Hospital admissions for heart disease: the effects of temperature and humidity (2004) Epidemiology, 15, pp. 755-761; Stolwijk, J.A.J., Hardy, J.D., Douglas, H.K., Control of body temperature (1977) Handbook of physiology, section 9, reactions to environmental agents, 9, pp. 45-69. , Bethesda: MD. Am Physiol Soc; Svensson, M.K., Thorsson, S., Lindqvist, S., A geographical information system model for creating bioclimatic maps—examples from a high, mid-latitude city (2003) Int J Biometeorol, 47, pp. 102-112; Thorsson, S., Lindqvist, M., Lindqvist, S., Thermal bioclimatic conditions and patterns of behaviour in an urban park in Goteborg, Sweden (2004) Int J Biometeorol, 48, pp. 149-156; Thorsson, S., Honjo, T., Lindberg, F., Eliasson, I., Lim, E., Thermal comfort and outdoor activity in Japanese Urban Public Places (2007) Environ Behav, 39, pp. 1-25; Troen, I., Petersen, E.L., European wind atlas. ISBN 87-550-1482-8. Risø National Laboratory (1989) Roskilde, p. 656; Methods for the human-biometerological assessment of climate and air hygiene for urban and regional planning. Part I: climate, VDI guideline 3787 (1998) Part 2, , Beuth, Berlin; Weihs, P., Staiger, H., Tinz, B., Batchvarova, E., Rieder, H., Vuilleumier, L., Maturilli, G., Jendritzky, G., The uncertainty of UTCI due to uncertainties in the determination of radiation fluxes derived from measured and observed meteorological data (2012) Int J Biometeorol, 56, pp. 537-555

Website