Visualization of Climate Factors for Sports Events and Activities–The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Detailed climate information in an easily interpretable form is demanded by the general public, as well as by decision-makers on different planning levels. One example is the group of planners in the field of sports and tourism. A promising approach is the visualization of climate thresholds in a Climate-Tourism/Transfer-Information Scheme (CTIS) for the prevailing local climate conditions. The presented approach is adaptable to specific destinations and target activities and integrates meteorological, as well as recreational, touristic and specific activity-related parameters and thresholds. All parameters are simplified in terms of factors and combined in one individual graph, the CTIS diagram. The detailed information on local climate can be applied by non-experts like tourists intending to attend a sports event. They are able to prepare for different aspects of the local climate by, e.g., selecting appropriate clothing when planning their stay. The example of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is presented and discussed. Results show that heat stress together with sultriness is likely to occur during the scheduled time of the Olympics, while cold stress will most probably not be relevant.

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Comparison of Thermal Comfort between Sapporo and Tokyo—The Case of the Olympics 2020

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11050444 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 444

Author(s):

Yuting Wu ◽

Kathrin Graw ◽

Andreas Matzarakis

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Olympic Games ◽

Physiologically Equivalent Temperature ◽

Precipitation Rate ◽

Equivalent Temperature ◽

Thermal Indices ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Northern City ◽

The Olympic Games

Weather and climate conditions can be decisive regarding travel plans or outdoor events, especially for sport events. The Olympic Games 2020, postponed to 2021, will take place in Tokyo at a time which is considered to be the hottest and most humid time of the year. However, a part of the athletic competitions is relocated to the northern city Sapporo. Therefore, it is important to quantify thermal comfort for different occasions and destinations and make the results accessible to visitors and sport attendees. The following analysis will quantify and compare thermal comfort and heat stress between Sapporo and Tokyo using thermal indices like the Physiologically Equivalent Temperature and the modified Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET and mPET). The results reveal different precipitation patterns for the cities. While a higher precipitation rate appears in Sapporo during winter, the precipitation rate is higher in Tokyo during summer. PET and mPET exhibit a greater probability of heat stress conditions in Tokyo during the Olympic Games, whereas Sapporo has more moderate values for the same period. The Climate-Tourism/Transfer-Information-Scheme (CTIS) integrates and simplifies climate information and makes them comprehensible for non-specialists. The CTIS of Tokyo illustrates lower suitable conditions for “Heat stress”, “Sunny days” and “Sultriness”. Transferring parts of the athletics competition to a northern city is thus more convenient for athletes, staff members and spectators. Hence, heat stress can be avoided and an acceptable outdoor stay is ensured. Overall, this quantification and comparison of the thermal conditions in Sapporo and Tokyo reveal limitations but also possibilities for the organizers of the Olympic Games. Furthermore it can be used to raise awareness for promoting or arranging countermeasures and heat mitigation at specific events and destinations, if necessary.

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Fatal Exertional Heat Stroke and American Football Players: The Need for Regional Heat-Safety Guidelines

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-445-16 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 43-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Andrew J. Grundstein ◽

Yuri Hosokawa ◽

Douglas J. Casa

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Heat Stroke ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

American Football ◽

Football Players ◽

Exertional Heat Stroke ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Local Climate ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Safety Guidelines

Context: Weather-based activity modification in athletics is an important way to minimize heat illnesses. However, many commonly used heat-safety guidelines include a uniform set of heat-stress thresholds that do not account for geographic differences in acclimatization. Objective: To determine if heat-related fatalities among American football players occurred on days with unusually stressful weather conditions based on the local climate and to assess the need for regional heat-safety guidelines. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Data from incidents of fatal exertional heat stroke (EHS) in American football players were obtained from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research and the Korey Stringer Institute. Patients or Other Participants: Sixty-one American football players at all levels of competition with fatal EHSs from 1980 to 2014. Main Outcome Measure(s): We used the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and a z-score WBGT standardized to local climate conditions from 1991 to 2010 to assess the absolute and relative magnitudes of heat stress, respectively. Results: We observed a poleward decrease in exposure WBGTs during fatal EHSs. In milder climates, 80% of cases occurred at above-average WBGTs, and 50% occurred at WBGTs greater than 1 standard deviation from the long-term mean; however, in hotter climates, half of the cases occurred at near average or below average WBGTs. Conclusions: The combination of lower exposure WBGTs and frequent extreme climatic values in milder climates during fatal EHSs indicates the need for regional activity-modification guidelines with lower, climatically appropriate weather-based thresholds. Established activity-modification guidelines, such as those from the American College of Sports Medicine, work well in the hotter climates, such as the southern United States, where hot and humid weather conditions are common.

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The Effects of Significant International Sports Events on Hungarian Suicide Rates

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000352 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 148-154 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Karoly Bozsonyi ◽

Peter Osvath ◽

Sandor Fekete ◽

Lajos Bálint

Keyword(s):

Significant Relationship ◽

Olympic Games ◽

Arima Model ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Intervention Analysis ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Sports Events ◽

Sport Events ◽

The Olympic Games

Abstract. Background: Several studies found a significant relationship between important sport events and suicidal behavior. Aims: We set out to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between the raw suicide rate and the most important international sports events (Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship) in such an achievement-oriented society as the Hungarian one, where these sport events receive great attention. Method: We examined suicide cases occurring over 15,706 days between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2012 (43 years), separately for each gender. Because of the age-specific characteristics of suicide, the effects of these sport events were analyzed for the middle-aged (30–59 years old) and the elderly (over 60 years old) generations as well as for gender-specific population groups. The role of international sport events was examined with the help of time-series intervention analysis after cyclical and seasonal components were removed. Intervention analysis was based on the ARIMA model. Results: Our results showed that only the Olympic Games had a significant effect in the middle-aged population. Neither in the older male nor in any of the female age groups was a relationship between suicide and Olympic Games detected. Conclusion: The Olympic Games seem to decrease the rate of suicide among middle-aged men, slightly but significantly.

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A Weighted-Time-Lag Method to Detect Lag Vegetation Response to Climate Variation: A Case Study in Loess Plateau, China, 1982–2013

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13050923 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 923

Author(s):

Qianqian Sun ◽

Chao Liu ◽

Tianyang Chen ◽

Anbing Zhang

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Time Lag ◽

New Method ◽

Climate Factors ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Vegetation Growth ◽

Lag Effect

Vegetation fluctuation is sensitive to climate change, and this response exhibits a time lag. Traditionally, scholars estimated this lag effect by considering the immediate prior lag (e.g., where vegetation in the current month is impacted by the climate in a certain prior month) or the lag accumulation (e.g., where vegetation in the current month is impacted by the last several months). The essence of these two methods is that vegetation growth is impacted by climate conditions in the prior period or several consecutive previous periods, which fails to consider the different impacts coming from each of those prior periods. Therefore, this study proposed a new approach, the weighted time-lag method, in detecting the lag effect of climate conditions coming from different prior periods. Essentially, the new method is a generalized extension of the lag-accumulation method. However, the new method detects how many prior periods need to be considered and, most importantly, the differentiated climate impact on vegetation growth in each of the determined prior periods. We tested the performance of the new method in the Loess Plateau by comparing various lag detection methods by using the linear model between the climate factors and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The case study confirmed four main findings: (1) the response of vegetation growth exhibits time lag to both precipitation and temperature; (2) there are apparent differences in the time lag effect detected by various methods, but the weighted time-lag method produced the highest determination coefficient (R2) in the linear model and provided the most specific lag pattern over the determined prior periods; (3) the vegetation growth is most sensitive to climate factors in the current month and the last month in the Loess Plateau but reflects a varied of responses to other prior months; and (4) the impact of temperature on vegetation growth is higher than that of precipitation. The new method provides a much more precise detection of the lag effect of climate change on vegetation growth and makes a smart decision about soil conservation and ecological restoration after severe climate events, such as long-lasting drought or flooding.

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Measurement of climatic heat stress at outdoor venues for endurance events at the Atlanta Olympic Games, 1996

Sports Medicine Training and Rehabilitation ◽

10.1080/15438629909512536 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 321-346

Author(s):

David E. Martin

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Olympic Games

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Feasibility of The Olympic Marathon Under Climatic And Socioeconomic Change

10.21203/rs.3.rs-906806/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Takahiro Oyama ◽

Jun'ya Takakura ◽

Minoru Fujii ◽

Kenichi Nakajima ◽

Yasuaki Hijioka

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

21St Century ◽

Emission Scenario ◽

Olympic Games ◽

Climate Factors ◽

Socioeconomic Conditions ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Marathon Runners ◽

Late 21St Century ◽

The Impact

Abstract There are concerns about the impact of climate change on Olympic Games, especially endurance events, such as marathons. In recent competitions, many marathon runners dropped out of their races due to extreme heat, and it is expected that more areas will be unable to host the Olympic Games due to climate change. Here, we show the feasibility of the Olympic marathon considering the variations in climate factors, socioeconomic conditions, and adaptation measures. The number of current possible host cities will decline by up to 24% worldwide by the late 21st century. Dozens of emerging cities, especially in Asia, will not be capable of hosting the marathon under the highest emission scenario. Moving the marathon from August to October and holding the games in multiple cities in the country are effective measures, and they should be considered if we are to maintain the regional diversity of the games.

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Skill assessment of post-processing methods for ECMWF SEAS5 seasonal forecasts over Europe

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11019 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alice Crespi ◽

Marcello Petitta ◽

Lucas Grigis ◽

Paola Marson ◽

Jean-Michel Soubeyroux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Production Management ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Research Field ◽

Skill Assessment ◽

Post Processing ◽

Seasonal Forecasts ◽

Climate Services ◽

Local Climate ◽

Climate Conditions

Seasonal forecasts provide information on climate conditions several months ahead and therefore they could represent a valuable support for decision making, warning systems as well as for the optimization of industry and energy sectors. However, forecast systems can be affected by systematic biases and have horizontal resolutions which are typically coarser than the spatial scales of the practical applications. For this reason, the reliability of forecasts needs to be carefully assessed before applying and interpreting them for specific applications. In addition, the use of post-processing approaches is recommended in order to improve the representativeness of the large-scale predictions of regional and local climate conditions. The development and evaluation downscaling and bias-correction procedures aiming at improving the skills of the forecasts and the quality of derived climate services is currently an open research field. In this context, we evaluated the skills of ECMWF SEAS5 forecasts of monthly mean temperature, total precipitation and wind speed over Europe and we assessed the skill improvements of calibrated predictions.For the calibration, we combined a bilinear interpolation and a quantile mapping approach to obtain corrected monthly forecasts on a 0.25&#176;x0.25&#176; grid from the original 1&#176;x1&#176; values. The forecasts were corrected against the reference ERA5 reanalysis over the hindcast period 1993&#8211;2016. The processed forecasts were compared over the same domain and period with another calibrated set of ECMWF SEAS5 forecasts obtained by the ADAMONT statistical method.The skill assessment was performed by means of both deterministic and probabilistic verification metrics evaluated over seasonal forecasted aggregations for the first lead time. Greater skills of the forecast systems in Europe were generally observed in spring and summer, especially for temperature, with a spatial distribution varying with the seasons. The calibration was proved to effectively correct the model biases for all variables, however the metrics not accounting for bias did not show significant improvements in most cases, and in some areas and seasons even small degradations in skills were observed.The presented study supported the activities of the H2020 European project SECLI-FIRM on the improvement of the seasonal forecast applicability for energy production, management and assessment.

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Human occupation strategies and related environmental-climate during the middle and late Holocene in central Pampas of Argentina

The Holocene ◽

10.1177/0959683618810407 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 244-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Pablo G Messineo ◽

Marcela S Tonello ◽

Silvina Stutz ◽

Alfonsina Tripaldi ◽

Nahuel Scheifler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Late Holocene ◽

Specific Activity ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Hard Material ◽

Human Occupation ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Lithic Assemblage ◽

Depositional Rate ◽

Archeological Site ◽

Middle And Late Holocene

The main objective of this work is to generate and integrate interpretations of human occupation strategies and inferences of the environmental-climatic conditions in the central Pampas during the middle and late Holocene. We present a novel archeological–geological–paleoecological analysis in the area of the Cabeza de Buey lake, placed in an aeolian landscape. During the middle Holocene, two events of human occupations were recognized at Laguna Cabeza de Buey 2 archeological site. Both events present a small amount of lithic materials, a low diversity of tools and activities developed with them (principally hard material), and the hunting and primary processing of artiodactyls. These evidences suggest a locus of specific activity associated with an ephemeral human settlement under climate conditions drier than present and the presence of small, brackish, and shallow water bodies. For the late late Holocene, the hunter-gatherer occupation has a higher depositional rate of lithic assemblage, stones with diverse origins, presence of pottery fragments, a great lithic tool diversity, knapping techniques, and activities developed with these tools (processing wood, bone, hide, non-woody plant, and soft material). These evidences reveal an occupation with a higher degree of recurrence represented by a locus of multiple activities associated with a more stable landscape, such as an environment of dunes fixed by grass vegetation, and the establishment of a permanent water body. The different environmental characteristics for the middle and late Holocene in this area promoted that human groups develop two different patterns of mobility, settlement and use of space.

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Diverse local epidemics reveal the distinct effects of population density, demographics, climate, depletion of susceptibles, and intervention in the first wave of COVID-19 in the United States

10.1101/2020.06.30.20143636 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Niayesh Afshordi ◽

Benjamin Holder ◽

Mohammad Bahrami ◽

Daniel Lichtblau

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Population Density ◽

The United States ◽

Effective Response ◽

Susceptible Population ◽

Local Climate ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Social Distancing ◽

The Impact

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused significant mortality and morbidity worldwide, sparing almost no community. As the disease will likely remain a threat for years to come, an understanding of the precise influences of human demographics and settlement, as well as the dynamic factors of climate, susceptible depletion, and intervention, on the spread of localized epidemics will be vital for mounting an effective response. We consider the entire set of local epidemics in the United States; a broad selection of demographic, population density, and climate factors; and local mobility data, tracking social distancing interventions, to determine the key factors driving the spread and containment of the virus. Assuming first a linear model for the rate of exponential growth (or decay) in cases/mortality, we find that population-weighted density, humidity, and median age dominate the dynamics of growth and decline, once interventions are accounted for. A focus on distinct metropolitan areas suggests that some locales benefited from the timing of a nearly simultaneous nationwide shutdown, and/or the regional climate conditions in mid-March; while others suffered significant outbreaks prior to intervention. Using a first-principles model of the infection spread, we then develop predictions for the impact of the relaxation of social distancing and local climate conditions. A few regions, where a significant fraction of the population was infected, show evidence that the epidemic has partially resolved via depletion of the susceptible population (i.e., “herd immunity”), while most regions in the United States remain overwhelmingly susceptible. These results will be important for optimal management of intervention strategies, which can be facilitated using our online dashboard.

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Applications of Models and Tools for Mesoscale and Microscale Thermal Analysis in Mid-Latitude Climate Regions—A Review

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132212385 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (22) ◽

pp. 12385

Author(s):

Gabriele Lobaccaro ◽

Koen De Ridder ◽

Juan Angel Acero ◽

Hans Hooyberghs ◽

Dirk Lauwaet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Temperatures ◽

Numerical Models ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Built Environments ◽

Local Climate ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

The Social ◽

Climatic Environment ◽

Intense Solar Radiation ◽

Mobile Measurements

Urban analysis at different spatial scales (micro- and mesoscale) of local climate conditions is required to test typical artificial urban boundaries and related climate hazards such as high temperatures in built environments. The multitude of finishing materials and sheltering objects within built environments produce distinct patterns of different climate conditions, particularly during the daytime. The combination of high temperatures and intense solar radiation strongly perturb the environment by increasing the thermal heat stress at the pedestrian level. Therefore, it is becoming common practice to use numerical models and tools that enable multiple design and planning alternatives to be quantitatively and qualitatively tested to inform urban planners and decision-makers. These models and tools can be used to compare the relationships between the micro-climatic environment, the subjective thermal assessment, and the social behaviour, which can reveal the attractiveness and effectiveness of new urban spaces and lead to more sustainable and liveable public spaces. This review article presents the applications of selected environmental numerical models and tools to predict human thermal stress at the mesoscale (e.g., satellite thermal images and UrbClim) and the microscale (e.g., mobile measurements, ENVI-met, and UrbClim HR) focusing on case study cities in mid-latitude climate regions framed in two European research projects.

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