Abstract

Urban heat and human health: GIS applications in climate modeling
Track: Climate Change and Conservation
Authors: Olga Wilhelmi, Jennifer Boehnert, Keith Oleson

Empirical studies and model simulations suggest increasing health risks associated with climate change and extreme heat events in cities across the world. Global simulations of present-day and future climates from NCAR's Community Climate System Model have been analyzed in a GIS with respect to the urban heat island effect, future heat waves and exposure of urban population to extreme heat. This presentation will focus on spatial and temporal trends in future heat waves across the globe. We will also discuss the effect of the urban heat island on temperature extremes. Geoprocessing techniques for working with the climate model output in a netCDF format in ArcGIS will be presented. The results will highlight potential changes in exposure of urban residents to extreme heat and the need for heat hazard mitigation and climate adaptation.