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Comparing Approximated Heat Stress Measures Across the United States
Yoonjung Ahn1,2, Cascade Tuholske3,4, Robbie M Parks5
1Geography & Atmospheric Science Department University of Kansas Lawrence KS USA.
Geohealth
|January 24, 2024
Summary
Accurate weather data is vital for understanding heat stress. Gridded data sets show strong agreement with ground measurements for heat index and WBGT, aiding public health efforts.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Climate Science
Background:
- Climate change intensifies heat waves, posing a significant global public health risk.
- Accurate measurement of heat stress is critical for mitigating health impacts.
- Existing heat stress metrics like Heat Index (HI) and Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) rely on meteorological data, but systematic comparisons of data sets are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically compare gridded weather data sets used for heat stress metrics.
- To evaluate the agreement between approximated HI and WBGT measures and ground-based data across different climates.
- To identify the influence of meteorological variables on heat stress measurement accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Compared three heat measures (HImax, WBGT_Bernard, WBGT_Liljegren) using gridded data (ERA5-Land, PRISM, Daymet) against ground-based measurements.
- Analyzed discrepancies across Köppen-Geiger climates and various meteorological input variables (temperature, humidity, wind, solar radiation).
- Utilized statistical measures including R-squared and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE).
Main Results:
- Strong agreement observed between HI and WBGT_Bernard approximations and ground data (R² 0.76-0.95).
- Discrepancies in heat measures varied significantly by climate zone and input meteorological variables.
- Relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed showed notable impacts on measurement accuracy.
Conclusions:
- Gridded weather data sets provide a reliable basis for assessing heat exposure.
- Further research and local monitoring networks are necessary to reduce measurement errors.
- Improved understanding of heat stress measures is crucial for enhancing public health outcomes related to extreme heat.
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