scholarly journals Impact of Seasonal Changes of Precipitation and Air Temperature on Clay Excavation

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Težak ◽  
Božo Soldo ◽  
Bojan Đurin ◽  
Nikola Kranjčić

Excavation of clay soil is one of the most important economic branches in the northern part of Croatia. The impact of clay soil in Croatia compared to the global exploitation fields of clay soil is negligible. Modern methods of clay excavation during winter months due to negligible amounts are not profitable. Therefore, it is important to optimize clay soil excavation throughout the year to increase the efficiency of exploitation and increase profits. In the case of large amounts of precipitation (rain), clay absorbs water and becomes grain. For this reason, access to the exploitation field and excavation itself becomes impossible. Air temperature also plays an important role in excavation. Long-lasting low air temperatures below 0 °C during the winter months result in clay frost. As a result, excavation cannot occur at that time. The paper describes a new method of modeling the precipitation and air temperature on the exploitation fields of clay in Northwest Croatia on the exploitation fields of Cukavec and Cukavec II. The method involves the calculation of the drought index and use of the rescaled adjusted partial sums (RAPS) statistical method and its application on a time series of total daily precipitation and average daily temperatures as a climatic indicator of any observed area. Using this process, it is possible to determine the time period of the year when clay soil can be excavated.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Román ◽  
Salvador Román ◽  
Elsa Vázquez ◽  
Jesús Troncoso ◽  
Celia Olabarria

AbstractThe abundance and distribution of intertidal canopy-forming macroalgae are threatened by the increase in sea surface temperature and in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves caused by global warming. This study evaluated the physiological response of predominant intertidal macroalgae in the NW Iberian Peninsula (Bifurcaria bifurcata, Cystoseira tamariscifolia and Codium tomentosum) to increased seawater temperature during immersion and increased air temperatures during consecutive emersion cycles. We combined field mensuration and laboratory experiments in which we measured mortality, growth, maximum quantum yield and C:N content of the macroalgae. Air temperature was a critical factor in determining physiological responses and survivorship of all species, whereas high seawater temperature had sublethal effects. Cystoseira tamariscifolia suffered the greatest decreases in Fv/Fm, growth and the highest mortality under higher air temperatures, whereas C. tomentosum was the most resistant and resilient species. Two consecutive cycles of emersion under atmospheric heatwaves caused cumulative stress in all three macroalgae, affecting the physiological performance and increasing the mortality. The potential expansion of the warm-temperate species B. bifurcata, C. tamariscifolia and C. tomentosum in the NW Iberian Peninsula in response to increasing seawater temperature may be affected by the impact of increased air temperature, especially in a region where the incidence of atmospheric heatwaves is expected to increase.


2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 05004
Author(s):  
Raimo Simson ◽  
Taaniel Rebane ◽  
Martin Kiil ◽  
Martin Thalfeldt ◽  
Jarek Kurnitski

In this study we analysed the climatic conditions for infiltration estimation, different calculation methods and infiltration impact on heat load for heating systems dimensioning. To determine the wind conditions at low air temperatures of the coastal- and inland climatic zones in Estonia, 42 years of climatic data for Tallinn and Tartu were investigated. Calculation models with detailed air leakages were constructed of a single and two-storey detached house using dynamic simulation software IDA ICE. Simulations were carried out with the constructed calculation models, simulating various wind and sheltering conditions to determine the heating load of the buildings under measured wind conditions at the design external air temperatures. The simulation results were compared with results calculated with European Standard EN 12831:2017, methodology given in the Estonian regulation for calculating energy performance of buildings and with simulations using the default settings in IDA ICE based on the ASHRAE design day conditions. The percentage of heat losses caused by infiltration was found as 13-16% of all heat losses for the studied buildings. Simulations with historical climate periods showed that even in windy weather conditions the heating system dimensioned by the methods analysed may not be able to provide the required indoor air temperature. Analysis using the coldest and windiest periods showed that when systems are dimensioned by the studied methods, the highest decline in indoor air temperature occurs on the windiest day and not on the coldest day. The impact of high wind speeds and low sheltering conditions resulted up to 50% of all heat losses.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 623-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hengchun Ye ◽  
Eric J. Fetzer ◽  
Ali Behrangi ◽  
Sun Wong ◽  
Bjorn H. Lambrigtsen ◽  
...  

Abstract This study uses 45 years of observational records from 517 historical surface weather stations over northern Eurasia to examine changing precipitation characteristics associated with increasing air temperatures. Results suggest that warming air temperatures over northern Eurasia have been accompanied by higher precipitation intensity but lower frequency and little change in annual precipitation total. An increase in daily precipitation intensity of around 1%–3% per each degree of air temperature increase is found for all seasons as long as a station’s seasonal mean air temperature is below about 15°–16°C. This threshold temperature may be location dependent. At temperatures above this threshold, precipitation intensity switches to decreasing with increasing air temperature, possibly related to decreasing water vapor associated with extreme high temperatures. Furthermore, the major atmospheric circulation of the Arctic Oscillation, Scandinavian pattern, east Atlantic–western Eurasian pattern, and polar–Eurasian pattern also have significant influences on precipitation intensity in winter, spring, and summer over certain areas of northern Eurasia.


Author(s):  
Jana Škvareninová

In the years 2007–2013 we performed phenological observations of common hazel (Corylus avellana L.), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.), and hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha L.) at two locations of central Slovakia situated at elevations of 300 m and 530 m a.s.l. The phenophase of first leaves of all tree species started in the second half of April on average, and was conditioned by the average daily air temperatures above 0 °C. The earliest onset was observed at both locations in 2007 due to the highest average air temperature during the observed period, which in March reached the value of 6.1 °C. Colouring of leaves started in the second and third decades of September. Both phenophases began earlier at the location situated at the higher elevation due to the effect of aspect, terrain, and soil depth. During the last 7 years, the average length of the growing season of tree species situated at an elevation of 300 m was from 136 to 152 days, in more extreme conditions at an elevation of 530 m the growing season was shorter by 12 days in the case of blackthorn and by 5 days in the case of hawthorn.


2018 ◽  
pp. 67-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ognjen Bonacci ◽  
Tanja Roje Bonacci

The paper studies time series of characteristic (minimum, mean, and maximum) daily, monthly, and yearly air temperatures measured at the Zagreb Grič Observatory in the period from 1 Jan. 1881 to 31 Dec. 2017. The following five air temperatures indices (ATI) are analysed: (1) absolute minimum yearly, monthly, and daily; (2) mean yearly, monthly, and daily minimum; (3) average mean yearly, monthly, and daily; (4) mean yearly, monthly, and daily maximum; (5) absolute maximum yearly, monthly, and daily. Methods of Rescaled Adjusted Partial Sums (RAPS), regression and correlation analyses, F-tests, and t-tests are used in order to describe changes in air temperature regimes over 137 years. Using the RAPS method the five analysed yearly ATI time series durations of 137 years were divided into two sub-periods. The analyses made in this paper showed that warming of minimum air temperatures started in 1970, mean air temperatures in 1988, and maximum air temperatures in 1998. Results of t-tests show an extreme statistically significant jump in the average air-temperature values in the second (recent time) sub-periods. Results of the t-tests of monthly temperatures show statistically significant differences between practically all five pairs (except in two cases) of analysed monthly ATI subseries for the period from January to August. From September to December the differences for most of pairs (except in six cases) of the analysed monthly ATI subseries are not statistically significant. It can be concluded that the urban heat island influenced the increase in recent temperatures more strongly than global warming. It seems that urbanisation firstly and chiefly influenced the minimum temperatures, as well as that Zagreb’s urbanisation had a bigger impact on minimum temperatures than on maximums. Increasing trend in time series of maximum temperatures started 20 years later.


Geografie ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-55
Author(s):  
Martin Hynčica ◽  
Radan Huth

Long-term changes in precipitation phase are investigated at ten stations in Czechia. Trends are calculated from 1983 to 2018 for the period between November and April. Daily SYNOP reports and daily precipitation totals are used at every station, where number and occurrence of specific codes in SYNOP report determine daily precipitation totals as solid, combined (which represents, to a large extent, category of mixed precipitation), or liquid. Thereafter, it is possible to calculate trends of all precipitation phases as well as the proportion of solid to total precipitation (S/P; in %). The average S/P trend over all Czech stations is significantly negative (−0.60%·year-1) and accompanied by a sharp decrease in solid precipitation (−1.66 mm·year-1) and an increase in combined precipitation (1.50 mm·year-1). Thus, our results show a ship of precipitation phase from solid to combined. Because of the dependence of S/P on air temperature, we suppose that the current S/P decline is a manifestation of rising air temperatures in the past decades.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. S. Demyanyuk ◽  
О. V. Sherstoboeva ◽  
A. A. Bunas ◽  
O. V. Dmitrenko

Groups of microorganisms in soils perform the role of global biogeochemical membrane which provides metabolism of substances and energy between the pedosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and living organisms. Сlimate change has resulted in a complex combination of unpredictable changeability of the environment, which is a serious test for the stability and productivity for the natural and anthropogenically transformed ecosystems. Changeability of the hydrothermal factors causes serious changes in the structure and metabolic activity of soil microorganisms, the quality and properties of soil. We studied the impact of hydrothermal factors on the content of carbon, microbial biomass and organic substance in deep chernozem of a natural ecosystem (fallow) and an agroecosystem under different systems of fertilization of winter wheat. A close relationship (r = 0.69–0.79) was determined between the content of microbial biomass in soil and hydrothermal factors (air temperature and moisture). Excessive drought and high parameters of air temperature led to decrease in the content of microbial biomass by 1.5–2.8 times compared to the years with optimum parameters of hydrothermal regime (HTC = 1.0). Leveling out the impact of high temperatures on the productivity of the soil microbiota occurs at a sufficient amount of moisture, and also available nutrients. Drought (HTC = 0.4) and excessive moisture (HTC = 2.0) following heightened air temperatures reduce the release of СО2 from soil. Fallow soil usually has a high content of microbial carbon in the organic compounds of soil (Сmic/Сorg was 2%). In the agroecosystem, there was recorded a decrease by 26–32% of the Сmic specific share in the content of the organic compound of the soil compared to the natural analogue. With organic and organic-mineral systems of fertilization, an increase in Сmic/Сorg parameter occurs and the soil parameters become close to the soil of a natural ecosystem. The calculated ecological coefficients of the orientation of microbial processes in soil indicate a possibility of a balanced functioning of the microbial group and introducing organic and organic-mineral fertilizers, creating optimum conditions for the productivity of winter wheat.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammad Abbasi ◽  
Majid Motamedzadeh ◽  
Mohsen Aliabadi ◽  
Rostam Golmohammadi ◽  
Leili Tapak

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect size (ES) of air temperature on the executive functions of human brain and body physiological responses. Methods: In this empirical study, the participants included 35 male students who were exposed to 4 air temperature conditions of 18°C, 22°C, 26°C and 30°C in 4 separate sessions in an air conditioning chamber. The participants were simultaneously asked to take part in the N-backtest. The accuracy, electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and the respiration rate were recorded to determine the effect of air temperature. Results: Compared to moderate air temperatures (22°C), high (30°C) and low (18°C) air temperatures had a much more profound effect on changes in heart beat rate, the accuracy of brain executive functions and the response time to stimuli. There were statistically significant differences in the accuracy by different workload levels and various air temperature conditions(P<0.05). Although the heart beat rate index, the ratio between low frequency and high frequency (LF/HF), and the respiratory rate were more profoundly affected by the higher and lower air temperatures than moderate air temperatures (P<0.05), this effect was not statistically significant, which may be due to significant reduction in the standard deviation of normal-to normal intervals (SNND) and the root of mean squared difference between adjacent normal heart beat (N-N) intervals (RMSSD) (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results confirmed that the unfavorable air temperatures may considerably affect the physiological responses and the cognitive functions among indoor employees.Therefore, providing them with thermal comfort may improve their performance within indoor environments.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans J. De Boeck ◽  
Helena Van De Velde ◽  
Toon De Groote ◽  
Ivan Nijs

Abstract. Climate change models project an important increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves. In gauging the impact on plant responses, much of the focus has been on air temperatures while a critical analysis of leaf temperatures during heat extremes has not been made. Nevertheless, direct physiological consequences from heat depend primarily on leaf rather than on air temperatures. We discuss how the interplay between various environmental variables and the plants' stomatal response affects leaf temperatures and the potential for heat stress by making use of both an energy balance model and field data. The results demonstrate that this interplay between plants and environment can cause leaf temperatures fluctuations in excess of 10 °C (for narrow leaves) to even 20 °C (for big broad leaves) at the same air temperature. In general, leaves tended to heat up when radiation was high and when stomates were closed, as expected. But perhaps counterintuitively, also high air humidity raised leaf temperatures, while humid conditions are typically regarded as benign with respect to plant survival since they limit water loss. High wind speeds brought the leaf temperature closer to the air temperature, which can imply either cooling or warming (i.e. abating or reinforcing heat stress) depending on other prevailing conditions. The results thus indicate that heat waves characterized by similar extreme air temperatures may pose little danger under some atmospheric conditions, but could be lethal in other cases. The trends illustrated here should give ecologists and agronomists a more informed indication about which circumstances are most conductive for heat stress to occur.


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