Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bioclimatic evaluation of the human discomfort level for several Antarctic regions

  • Published:
Human Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A set of unfavorable climatic factors determines how extreme the environment is for humans in particular regions. The Arctic and Antarctic (polar) regions are generally considered to be the most extreme environments. Assessing the extreme conditions is of importance for developing life support systems and personal protective equipment, implementing proper labor management, and preventing frostbite. Several methods are currently used to assess the climate severity, but none of them addresses the level of discomfort for humans. Two indices, the Wind Chill Index (WCI) and Bioclimatic Index of Severity of Climatic Regime (BISCR), were previously developed to estimate the level of bioclimatic discomfort. With the indices, bioclimatic parameters were evaluated for eight Antarctic stations: Amundsen–Scott, Bellingshausen, Byrd, McMurdo, Mirny, Molodezhnaya, Novolazarevskaya, and Vostok. Monthly and annual data on air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, altitude, and air pressure were used to calculate the WCI and BISCR. The BISCR, which includes hypoxia as a component of bioclimatic discomfort, was found to better predict the impact of meteorological conditions on the human body in Antarctica and to allow comparisons of outdoor climatic conditions and indoor microclimate for Antarctic stations. The WCI proved to detect no difference between stations from different climatic zones, especially in indoor conditions, thus being unsuitable for comparisons. The findings can be used for labor management at inland Antarctic stations to minimize possible health risks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Soroko, S.I., Neirofiziologicheskie mekhanizmy individual’noi adaptatsii cheloveka v Antarktide (Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Individual Adaptation of Humans in the Antarctic), Leningrad: Nauka, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Strange, R.E. and Klein, W.J., Emotional and social adjustment of recent US winter-over parties in isolated Antarctic stations, Polar Hum. Biol., 1973, pp. 410–416.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Natani, K. and Shurley, J.T., Sociopsychological aspects of a winter vigil at south pole station, Antarct. Res. Ser., 1974, no. 22, p. 89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sel’e, G., Ocherki ob adaptatsionnom sindrome (Essays on Adaptation Syndrome), Moscow: Nauka, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Dajoz, R., Osnovy ekologii (Fundamentals of Ecology), Moscow: Nauka, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Vasilevskii, N.N., Soroko, S.I., and Bogoslovskii, M.M., Psikhofiziologicheskie aspekty adaptatsii cheloveka v Antarktide (Psychophysiological Aspects of Human Adaptation in the Antarctic), Leningrad: Meditsina, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Shepoval’nikov, V.N. and Soroko, S.I., Meteochuvstvitel’nost’ cheloveka (Human Meteosensitivity), Bishkek: Ilim, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Alisov, B.P. and Poktarus, B.V., Klimatologiya (Climatology), Moscow: Nauka, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Chubinskii, S.M., Bioklimatologiya (Bioclimatology), Moscow: Meditsina, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Undeheuer, H., Ein meteorologischer Beitrag zu Grundproblemen der Medizin, Meteorologie, 1955, vol. 3, no. 16, p. 187.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Tromp, S.W., Biometeorology, London: Heyden, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gosling, S., Bryce, E., Dixon, P., et al., A glossary for biometeorology, Int. J. Biometeorol., 2014, vol. 58, no. 2, p. 277.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Kobysheva, N.V., Stadnik, V.V., Klyueva, M.V., et al., Guidelines for Specialized Climate Services Economy, Kobysheva, N.V., Ed., Saint Petersburg: Gl. Geofiz. Ob–vo im. A.I. Voeikova, 2008. http://voeikovmgoru/ download/publikacii/2008/Rukovodstvopdf.

  14. Soroko, S.I. and Novikov, V.S., Development concept of medicophysiological studies in the framework of the state-sponsored program for complex research on the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, Vestn. Ross. Akad. Estestv. Nauk, 2015, vol. 19, no. 2, p. 7.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Matzarakis, A., Hämmerle, M., Endler, Ch., et al. Assessment of tourism and recreation destinations under climate change conditions in Austria, Meteorol. Z., 2012, vol. 21, p. 157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Tkachuk, S.V., Review of weather comfort indices and their relation to mortality characteristics, Tr. Gidrometeotsentra Ross. Gidrometeorol. Prognozy, 2012, vol. 347, p. 223. URL: http://methodmeteorfru/publ/tr/ tr347/tkachukpdf.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Sinitsyn, I.S., Georgitsa, I.M., and Ivanova, T.G., The bioclimatic characteristic of the territory in medicalgeographical purposes, Yarosl. Pedagog. Vestn., 2013, vol. 3, no. 4, p. 279.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Omonijo, A.G. and Matzarakis, A., Climate and bioclimate analysis of Ondo State, Nigeria, Meteorol. Z., 2011, vol. 20, no. 5, p. 531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Roshan, G., Mirkatouli, G., Shakoor, A., and Mohammad-Nejad, V., Studying wind chill index as a climatic index effective on the health of athletes and tourists interested in winter sports, J. Sports Med., 2010, vol. 1, no. 2, p. 108.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Sipple, P.A. and Passel, C.D., Measurements of dry athmospheric cooling in subfreezing temperatures, Proc. Am. Philos. Soc., 1945, vol. 89, p. 177.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Williamson, S.P., Report on Wind Chill Temperature and Extreme Heat Indices: Evaluation and Improvement Projects FCM-R19-2003, Williamson, S.P., Ed., Washington, DC, 2003. URL: http://wwwofcmgov/jagti/ r19-ti-plan/pdf/entire_r19_tipdf.

  22. Osczevski, R., Martian windchill in terrestrial terms, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 2014, vol. 95, no. 4, p. 533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Ben, S.Y. and Shitzer, A., Facial convective heat exchange coefficients in cold and windy environments estimated from human experiments, Int. J. Biometeorol., 2012, vol. 56, no. 4, p. 639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Wang, F., Modeling of cold stress and cold strain in protective clothing, in Protective Clothing, Wang, F. and Gao, C., Eds., Elsevier, p. 366.

  25. Jendritzky, G., De Dear, R., and Havenith, G., UTCI—why another thermal index?, Int. J. Biometeorol., 2012, vol. 56, no. 3, p. 421. https://dspace. lboroacuk/2134/9744, http://dxdoiorg/10.1007/ s00484-011-0513-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Cattermole, T.J., The epidemiology of cold injury in Antarctica, Aviat., Space Environ. Med., 1999, vol. 70, no. 2, p. 135.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Khentshel, G., Large-scale and local climate classification from the point of biometeorology, in Klimat i zdorov’e cheloveka (Climate and Human Health) (Proc. Int. Symposium WMO/WHO/UNEP), Leningrad, 1986, no. 1, p. 139.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Dyurgerov, M.B., Problems and new methods to measure air humidity in the Antarctica, in Antarktika (The Antarctic), Moscow: Nauka, 1986, vol. 25, p. 133.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Belkin, V.Sh., Biomedical aspects of the development of mountain regions: case-study for the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomic region. Tajikistan, J. Mt. Res. Dev., 1992, vol. 12, p. 63. doi 10.2307/3673748

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Belkin, V.Sh., Livshitz, G., Otremsky, I., and Kobyliansky, E., Aging bone score and climatic factors, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 1998, vol. 106, no. 3, p. 349.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Belkin, V.Sh., Korostyshevskii, M.A., Batsevich, V.A., et al., Correlation of morphological characteristics in human populations with climatogeographic, Vestn. Mosk. Gos. Univ. Ser. XXIII. Antropol., 2012, no. 1, p. 63.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Maksimov, A.L. and Belkin, V.Sh., Biomedical and climatic-ecological aspects of zoning in regions with extreme environmental conditions, Vestn. Sev.-Vost. Nauchn. Tsentra Dal’nevost. Otd. Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2005, no. 3, p. 28.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Finaev, A.F., Assessment of climatic conditions influence on labour activity of the human, in Arkheologiya i paleoekologiya Evrazii (Archeology and Palaeoecology of Eurasia), Novosibirsk: Inst. Arkheol. Etnogr. Sib. Otd. Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2004, p. 359.

  34. Spravochnik po klimatu Antarktidy (Data Book on Antarctic Climate), Dolgin, L.M., Ed., Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1977, vol. 2.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Aviv, Israel

    V. Sh. Belkin

  2. Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, USA

    M. B. Dyurgerov

  3. Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower Engineering, and Ecology, Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Tajikistan, Russia

    A. F. Finaev

  4. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia

    S. I. Soroko

Authors
  1. V. Sh. Belkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. B. Dyurgerov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. F. Finaev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. I. Soroko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Sh. Belkin.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © V.Sh. Belkin, M.B. Dyurgerov, A.F. Finaev, S.I. Soroko, 2016, published in Fiziologiya Cheloveka, 2016, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 5–15.

V.Sh. Belkin, M.B. Dyurgerov, and S.I. Soroko participated in many Antarctic expeditions.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Belkin, V.S., Dyurgerov, M.B., Finaev, A.F. et al. Bioclimatic evaluation of the human discomfort level for several Antarctic regions. Hum Physiol 42, 119–127 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119716020043

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119716020043

Keywords

Search

Navigation