Applied climatology

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Introduction

• Applied climatology

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Hippocrates, Air Waters and Places (300BC)

• as the season and the year advances, he can tell
  what epidemic diseases will attack the city,
  either in summer or in winter, and what each
  individual will be in danger of experiencing from
  the change of regimen
• Those which lie to the rising of the sun are all
  likely to be more healthy than such as are turned
  to the North, or those exposed to the hot winds
  both the heat and cold are more moderate. Then
  such waters as flow to the rising sun, must
  necessarily be clear, fragrant, soft, and
  delightful to drink, in such a city. For the sun
  in rising and shining upon them purifies them, by
  dispelling the vapors which generally prevail in
  the morning. The persons of the inhabitants are,
  for the most part, well colored and blooming,
  unless some disease counteract.

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Humboldt in the Andes

• Harper College

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Koeppen Climate Classification
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Climate determinism
To-day, the strongest nations of the world live
where the climatic conditions are most
propitious. Japan and north China in Asia
Russia, Austria, Germany, France, and England in
Europe, and the United States and Canada in
America, all occupy regions where the climate is
of the kind which we have defined as most
favorable to the progress of mankind. -Ellsworth
Huntington (1907)
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Krakatau (1883)
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Recent decades

• Advance of computer models and forecasting
• Globalization of the worlds economy
• Understanding of the climate system
• Climate change
• Incorporation of applied climatology in many
  components of life
• Stakeholders, weather derivatives, etc.

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Temporal aspects of applied climatology
Beniston and Goyette 2007
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Evolution of variables

• Qualitative extreme event
• Quantitative temperature and precipitation
• Additional surface variables pressure,
  humidity,etc.
• Upper atmospheric variables
• Remotely sensed data

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Applied climatology vs. applied
meteorology

• Our data collection is still largely focused on
  meteorological purposes, especially forecasting
• From the AMS glossary
• applied meteorologyA field of study where
  weather data, analyses, and forecasts are put to
  practical use. Examples of applications include
  environmental health, weather modification, air
  pollution meteorology, agricultural and forest
  meteorology, transportation, value-added product
  development and display, and all aspects of
  industrial meteorology.
• applied climatologyThe scientific analysis of
  climatic data in the light of a useful
  application for an operational purpose.
  Operational is interpreted as any specialized
  endeavor within such as industrial,
  manufacturing, agricultural, or technological
  pursuits This is the general term for all such
  work and includes agricultural climatology,
  aviation climatology, bioclimatology, industrial
  climatology, and others.

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Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
mission statement

• Published monthly by the American Meteorological
  Society, the Journal of Applied Meteorology and
  Climatology covers applied research related to
  physical meteorology, weather modification,
  satellite meteorology, radar meteorology,
  boundary layer processes, air pollution
  meteorology (including dispersion and chemical
  processes), agricultural and forest meteorology,
  and applied meteorological numerical models. The
  journal also covers applied climatology research
  related to the use of climate information in
  decision making, impact assessments, seasonal
  climate forecast applications and verification,
  climate risk and vulnerability, development of
  climate monitoring tools, urban and local
  climates, and climate as it relates to the
  environment and society.

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AMS Conference on Applied Climatology announcement

• The theme selected for the 2010 Annual Meeting is
  Weather, Climate, and Society New Demands on
  Science and Services, and papers are being
  solicited to reflect this subject as it relates
  to the area of applied climatology. Papers for
  this conference are solicited on integrated
  themes, such as making climate services matter
  the use of climate model projections and
  downscaling to inform public policy effective
  climate and weather outreach and education for
  decision-makers climate discussion and decision
  support for policy and operations integrating
  non-official observations into climate analysis
  and decisions the economic considerations of
  climate change and the inclusion of climate
  change in economic forecasting misuse and
  misinterpretation of climate products, model
  projections, and data and drought including
  drought monitoring and assessment, impacts,
  drought prediction including snowpack/water
  supply forecasting, seasonal predictions As
  always, papers on traditional topics in applied
  climatology topics are sought, including but not
  limited to data quality climate data sets
  links between climate and weather and applied
  climate studies in sectors, such as agriculture,
  fire, flood mitigation, water supply, resource
  management and economic development.

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So applied climatology

• Is it narrow? Or broad?
• Is it hurt or helped... by its interdisciplinary
  nature?

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Smith (1987) fields of applied climatology

• Applied climatology can involve
• The design of something
• The location and use of something
• Planning an operation
• Impact on biological activity

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Chagnon (1995) diagram of applied climatology
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Issues

• Education
• Potential users do not know how to use data

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Physical and biological environments

• Hydrologic Cycle / Water resources
• Glaciers
• Geomorphology
• Soils
• Vegetation
• Animal responses to climate
• From book chapters in Thompson and Perry (1997)

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Cultural and social environments

• Comfort, clothing, health
• Urban design and construction
• Industry and commerce
• Transport systems
• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Recreation and tourism
• Energy
• Behavior
• Insurance / Legal
• From book chapters in Thompson and Perry (1997)

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Changing environments

• Climate change / urban heat island
• Air pollution
• Extreme events
• The future
• From book chapters in Thompson and Perry (1997)

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Theoretical framework

• Positivism has dominated much applied work done
  by physical geographers/ climatologists
• In what ways has this changed / can this change?

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Goals of this course

• An overview of weather and climate data that are
  out there, and how we synthesize these data for
  use in applied work
• To provide an appreciation for the diversity of
  fields in which applied climatological work is
  done
• Real-world experience of working through an
  applied climatological project

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Challenges of this course

• Trying to cover a lot in a very interdisciplinary
  subject!

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Components of this course

• Mid-term exam (20)
• Final project (35)
• Applied climatology report (20)
• Homework (15)
• Attendance/Participation (10)

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Growing season, Cuya. Valley

• Days from last 32F in spring to first 32F in
  fall
• 142 Alpena, MI
• 194 Lexington, KY
• Regionalization is a human construct

Growing season (days), 2007, Cascade Valley Metro
Park