2. Week 4.1
Introduction
Update on course assessment
Summary of “present climate” section of course
Microclimates and microclimatology
3. Introduction
Emma Carson
BSc Chemistry, marine science, geology. Otago
University, NZ
Master of Development Practice. JCU
Some work in environmental labs, forestry, natural
resource management.
5. EA2404 5404 Assessment Tasks
Task 1: Presentations (20%)
Start this week in tutorials
Please come and support your fellow students
Ask useful questions
Learn from your peers
Task 2: Tutorial participation (10%)
See above!
6. EA2404 5404 Assessment Tasks
Task 3: Essay (30 % for EA2404 students, 20 % for EA5404 students)
Due Saturday 17th September (4 weeks)
Essay questions are up on LearnJCU
Eight Questions. Choose ONE question to answer
2000 words
Referencing (your choice, just get it right)
7. EA2404 5404 Assessment Tasks
Assessment Task 5: Grant Proposal (10 %)
FOR EA5404 STUDENTS ONLY
Due 10th October
Have a look on LearnJCU under “EA5404”
Assessment will be to fill out the grant proposal worksheet uploaded to LearnJCU
We will talk in person more to the EA5404 students to make sure that you are
prepared for this assessment.
13. Summary So Far: Week 1
Study points:
Climate: An average. Studied by climatologists.
Weather: At a particular time. Studied by meteorologists.
Climate system components: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Crysosphere,
Biosphere/lithosphere, Human Interaction.
Climate forcing: Climatic responses to cyclic changes can be delayed. This concept
includes feedback systems, where changes and responses can feed off of each other
and produce a cycle, or greater change, than expected.
15. Summary So Far: Week 1
Study points:
The weather map: Interactions between density, pressure and
temperature.
Key Terms:
Pressure systems
front
cold front
warm front
stationary front
occluded front
isobars
trough
16. Summary So Far: Week 2
The Atmosphere
Study Points:
The Atmosphere:
- A gaseous envelope around the earth.
- Formed with the earth around 3.6 Ba, has changed since!
- Is held to Earth by gravity.
- Five layers.
Earth’s Energy: How do these energies effect the atmosphere and atmospheric
movement?
- Solar
- Geothermal
- Geochemical
23. Summary So Far: Week 3
Geology and Climate change
Why look at Geology when you’re talking about climate?
- The formation of the Earth is very important for the structure and chemistry of the atmosphere and the
oceans.
- The inner structure of the Earth has implications for thermal energy that affects the climate
- The movement of Lithospheric plates affects climate processes and cycles
The Lithosphere is particularly important
- The structure and shape of the Lithosphere strongly affects climate (glaciers, mountains, valleys,
oceans)
- The mineral/chemical makeup of the lithosphere is important for climate processes (these minerals and
chemicals are available to be moved around…i.e volcanic aerosols, CO2)
25. Where are we now?
We are up to week 4!
We have covered a lot so far, don’t panic.
Most of what we have covered up until now is to help us explain the next few weeks,
about Earth’s past climate and predictions of future climate.
This means that we will revisit several of the ideas presented so far.
If there are concepts that are difficult to understand, there are many online videos and
tutorials about this subject matter, so you can find media to suit your own learning
style.
Please bring questions to tutorials, Kristen and I will do our best to help you
understand and find answers!
26. Week 4: Microclimates and Microclimatology
1. What is a microclimate?
- Microclimate inputs
- Defining a microclimate
2. Human Interactions with Microclimates
3. Microclimatology: the study of microclimates
- case studies
27. What is a Microclimate?
Microclimate: Any climatic condition in a relatively small area, within a
few metres or less above and below the Earth’s surface and within
canopies of vegetation.
Key Words: Surface, atmospheric layer, surface effects, spatially defined
28. What is a Microclimate?
The term usually deals with the atmospheric layer
from just below the earth’s surface, to the height
where the effects of surface features cannot be
distinguished from the local climate.
Microclimates are spatially defined and can span
a spatial scale.
Scale can range from Millimetres to Kilometres
Image source: http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F1-4020-
3266-8_137
29. What is a Microclimate?
This image shows heaps of possible microclimates
that we could define and study, some examples
are circled in red.
Examples:
• The forest canopy
• The ground leaf litter layer
• The surface of the pond
30. Microclimate Inputs
Microclimates arise in response to the external forces of energy, precipitation and
wind, and the magnitude of these forces establishes the boundaries and character of
the microclimates found.
Forces/inputs that affect microclimates include: solar energy, radiation heat, winds,
synoptic systems (mesoclimates) and precipitation (rain or snow).
Some of these inputs are cyclical. E.g. Solar energy is diurnal and seasonal.
Some inputs are quasiperiodic (random) in character. E.g. seasonal movement of
storm systems.
31. Defining/Locating a Microclimate
Microclimates are located within a geography by latitude, altitude, continentality and
location in relation to mesoscale flows and cycles (global wind circulations and
ocean circulations).
32. Defining/Locating a Microclimate
Latitude
Tropics (equatorial)
Sub-Tropics
Temperate Zones
Cold Temperate Zones
Antarctic Zone
Arctic Zone
http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v2/n4/fig_tab/nclimate1430_F2.html
33. What is a Microclimate?
On a smaller spatial scale, microclimates are integrated by radiative, aerodynamic,
thermal and moisture attributes.
34. What is a Microclimate?
Radiative
—Surface albedo, surface emissivity, surface temperature, geometric positioning of the surface and the
surrounding environment that will influence radiant energy receipt and loss
Aerodynamic
—Surface roughness length, zero plane displacement, presence of elements upwind that obstruct or channel
wind flow
Thermal —Thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, thermal admittance
Moisture
—The surface character (vegetation, soil, etc.) that impacts plant transpiration and/or surface evaporation; the
moisture status of the substrate and its availability for evaporation and/or transpiration
35. What is a Microclimate?
Image source: http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F1-4020-3266-8_137
36. What is a Microclimate?
Image source: http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F1-4020-3266-8_137
37. What is a Microclimate?
Image source: http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F1-4020-3266-8_137
39. What is a Microclimate?
• Water currents
(aerodynamics)
• Thermo-conductivity
• Thermal difusion
• Wind flow obstruction
• Radiation retention
• Solar radiation
• Moisture
• Plant transpiration
• Moisture
• Heat radiation (from
decomposition)
40. Human interactions with Microclimate
Throughout history, humans have been affected by the
microclimates within which we build our houses, sleep,
bathe, travel and find and grow our food.
Humans have also manipulated our surroundings, and
altered microclimates across many spatial scales.
41. Microclimatology: The study of Microclimates
Whereas microclimatology is a subdivision of climatology based primarily on spatial scale
attributes, microclimates themselves are often subdivided to consider specific surfaces or
habitats.
Examples:
• Microclimatology of plant and animal habitats
• agricultural microclimatology
• forest microclimatology
• urban microclimatology
• landscape design
• air quality
• the microclimatology of natural heritage??
• Crypto-microclimatology (the microclimatology
of small spaces)
43. Microclimatology: The study of Microclimates
Shinji Yamamura, Ph.D: Study showing the heat island effect in an area of Tokyo, and proposes
changes in land use aimed at creating heat corridors to minimise the effect.
44. Microclimatology of plant and animal habitats
Source: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11258-015-0545-x
45. Microclimatology of plant and animal habitats
Aim was to determine the degree to which vegetation structure and microclimate
influence fire spread.
46. Microclimatology of plant and animal habitats
Just, Homann and Hoffman found that microclimates between their two study areas
(Savannah and Wetland) were different. The differences included different levels of
photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and significant microclimate differences
relative to time of day.
The PAR difference caused the fuel vegetation in the savannah area was much drier
(and more flammable) than the vegetation in the wetland area.
47. Microclimatology of plant and animal habitats
Animals have certain external temperature ranges at which they can live. The microclimates
where species live reflect these biological restrictions.
48. Crypto-microclimatology (the microclimatology of small spaces)
Caves have their own microclimates. Deeper parts of
the cave can be freezing and icy, openings of a cave
can be breezy and warm.
50. The microclimatology of natural heritage
Excavation of the Sphinx of Giza has created a wind vortex along each flank of the monument.
This human created microclimate is detrimental to the excavators, as sand is now blown into the
excavation pits.
51. Summary
We are in Week 4: The last week discussing “current climate”….or the basics of
climate.
Essays due 17th September, a month away.
52. Summary
Microclimate: a spatially defined area with its own climate
Effected by several inputs: radiation and heat, humidity and precipitation, airflow.
Microclimatology: The study of microclimates.
Why are microclimates important in the study of climate change?
They are often habitats for animals
Microclimates affect, and are affected by, where people live and build
