A simplified model to predict diurnal water temperature dynamics in a shallow tropical water pool

Water temperature is a critical regulator in the growth and development of malaria mosquito immatures, as they are poikilothermic. Measuring or estimating the diurnal temperature ranges to which these immatures are exposed is of the utmost importance, as these immatures will develop into adults that can transmit malaria. Recent attempts to predict the daily water temperature dynamics in mosquito breeding sites in Kenya have been successful. However, the developed model may be too complex, as the sophisticated equipment that was used for detailed meteorological observations is not widely distributed in Africa, making it difficult to predict the daily water temperature dynamics on a local scale. Therefore, we compared two energy budget models with earlier made observations of the daily water temperature dynamics in a small, shallow and clear water pool (diameter 0.96 m, depth 0.32 m) in Kenya. This paper describes (1) a complex 1-Dimensional model, and (2) a simplified second model, and (3) shows that both models mimic the water temperature dynamics in the water pool accurately. The latter model has the advantage that it only needs common weather data (air temperature, air humidity, wind speed and cloud cover) to estimate the diurnal temperature dynamics in breeding sites of African malari

Sensitivity analysis of leaf wetness duration within a potato canopy

A description and analysis is given of a wetness duration experiment, carried out in a potato field in the centre of the Netherlands in September 2005. The observations are used to design and evaluate a within-canopy dew model which provides the leaf wetness distribution within the canopy caused by dew processes and by precipitation. This withincanopy dew model consists of three layers (bottom, centre, top) each with equal contribution to the leaf area index. The model results compared favourably with experimental evidence. The sensitivity of the dew and precipitation interception on the amount of free water and the duration of the leaf wetness was analysed by varying the leaf area index and some important weather variables. The findings suggest that the leaf area index affects the amount of free water, but is barely sensitive to leaf wetness duration. Wind speed has hardly any effect on the amount of free water collection as well as on leaf wetness duration. The net radiation, however, appears to be sensitive to the amount of collected free water as well as the leaf wetness duratio

Use of a mobile platform for assessing urban heat stress in Rotterdam

In this study, an assessment of the intensity of the urban heat island (UHI) in Rotterdam was carried out using an innovative mobile bio-meteorological measuring platform mounted on a cargo bicycle. The goal was to assess whether or not heat stress is currently or likely to become a critical issue. Physiological equivalent temperatures were calculated directly from the measurements. Preliminary results show how effective urban parks and greenery are in reducing the UHI. The maximum UHI was about 7 K warmer than the rural area, whereas greener urban configurations were under 3 K warmer. City parks show marked cooling effects during daytime. The preliminary results clearly demonstrate the presence of a considerable UHI in Rotterdam, which is expected to be found in other Dutch cities, and confirms the important role of green spaces in mitigating urban heat stress

Modelling and observing urban climate in the Netherlands

Volgens de klimaatscenario’s van het KNMI uit 2006 zal de gemiddelde temperatuur in Nederland in de komende decennia verder stijgen. Hittegolven zullen naar verwachting vaker voorkomen en de intensiteit van met name zomerse buien kan toenemen. In steden zijn de gevolgen van de opwarming extra voelbaar, omdat de temperaturen er door het zogenoemde Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect veel hoger kunnen zijn dan in het omliggende gebied. Zulke periodes met hoge temperaturen gaan veelal gepaard met verslechterde luchtkwaliteit en droogte. Dit alles kan grote gevolgen hebben voor de leefbaarheid en de gezondheid van de bevolking in stedelijke gebieden. Veranderingen in de buienintensiteit beïnvloeden de waterhuishouding van de stad

Carbon dioxide and water vapour flux densities over a grassland area in the Netherlands

Measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapour flux densities were carried out for a grassland area in the centre of the Netherlands during a 12 month continuous experiment using the eddy-covariance technique. Lolium perenne and Poa trivialis mainly dominated the vegetation of the area. The leaf area index (LAI) of the grassland varied between 2.5 and 3.4, depending on the mowing scheme at the site. Fluxes are also calculated by using a canopy model in which the canopy resistance is related to the assimilation rate (A-g, model). The calculated evapotranspiration fluxes agree within 7% of the measured fluxes (R-2 = 0.93; SEE = 23 W m(-2)). The calculated net carbon dioxide fluxes agree within 12% of the measured fluxes (R-2 = 0.79;SEE = 0.16 mg m(-2)s(-1)). The net carbon dioxide fluxes consist of two opposite components: the uptake via assimilation and release via soil and plant respiration. It appears that nearly the whole year round the assimilation term dominates, which means an accumulation of carbon dioxide if no other exchange processes are present. For 2002 a net carbon uptake was found of 6.8 tonnes ha(-1)

Leaf Wetness within a Lily Canopy

A wetness duration experiment was carried out within a lily field situated adjacent to coastal dunes in the Netherlands. A within-canopy model was applied to simulate leaf wetness in three layers, with equal leaf area indices, within the canopy. This simulation model is an extension of an existing model. It appeared that in most cases leaf wetness started in the uppermost layer followed by the middle and bottom layer, respectively. The same occurred during the early morning drying process. Just after sunrise the upper layer started to dry, followed by the middle and bottom layer, respectively. The longest leaf wetness duration occurred in the bottom layer. The calculated leaf wetness durations were within 10 minutes of the results obtained using a leaf wetness senso

Ruimtelijke analyse van het stadsklimaat in Rotterdam

Om een inzicht te verkrijgen in de opwarming van stedelijk gebied zijn ruimtelijk veel metingen nodig. Een mobiel meetplatform werd toegepast om langs verschillende trajecten de hitte overdag en ’s nachts in kaart te brengen. Belangrijkste resultaten uit de eerste verkenningen laten zien dat Rotterdam ’s nachts een aanzienlijk stedelijk hitte-eiland effect ontwikkelt gedurende zonnige dagen met weinig wind (verschil luchttemperatuur en buitengebied >7 °C). Overdag was het verschil in luchttemperatuur veel minder groot. ’s Ochtends werden zelfs lagere luchttemperaturen gemeten dan in het buitengebied. In de middag bleef de opwarming beperkt tot 2 °C en met name groene wijken blijven dan koeler. Opvallend was dat tijdens het warmste moment van de dag een park zelfs 2 °C koeler bleek dan het buitengebied. De koelste wijken waren de wat oudere laagbouwwijken met veel groen (zoals Kralingen)

Contribution of dew to the water budget of a grassland area in the Netherlands

The annual amount of dew input to the water budget in the midlatitudes is mostly neglected, possibly because direct dew measurements are very difficult and time-consuming. As the Netherlands has a very high frequency of dew events, a grassland area was selected to determine whether dew input could be significant. The study site is situated within the Wageningen University meteorological station. Dew measurement experiments were carried out in 2004. Data were used to verify a surface energy dew model, which was then applied to an 11-year data set. A mean annual dew amount of 37 mm was obtained with a standard deviation of 8 mm, while the mean annual precipitation was 830 mm with a standard deviation of 200 mm. Dew contributed about 4.5% of the mean annual precipitation. The average number of dew nights per year was 250 (70%) with a standard deviation of 25 nights. This frequency significantly affects leaf wetness and possible vegetation diseases

Continuous Quantum Measurement and the Quantum to Classical Transition

While ultimately they are described by quantum mechanics, macroscopic mechanical systems are nevertheless observed to follow the trajectories predicted by classical mechanics. Hence, in the regime defining macroscopic physics, the trajectories of the correct classical motion must emerge from quantum mechanics, a process referred to as the quantum to classical transition. Extending previous work [Bhattacharya, Habib, and Jacobs, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 85}, 4852 (2000)], here we elucidate this transition in some detail, showing that once the measurement processes which affect all macroscopic systems are taken into account, quantum mechanics indeed predicts the emergence of classical motion. We derive inequalities that describe the parameter regime in which classical motion is obtained, and provide numerical examples. We also demonstrate two further important properties of the classical limit. First, that multiple observers all agree on the motion of an object, and second, that classical statistical inference may be used to correctly track the classical motion.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, Revtex