Abstract
Africa was seasonally analyzed by 4 different indices:Effective Temperature, Predicted 4-hr Sweat Rate, Relative Strain and Still-Air Temperature. These classifications were applied to approximately 800 station on the continent, resulting in 9 maps which were reduced from an original scale of 1:15,000,000.Some of the major findings indicate that areas often considered as "tropical" actually indicate lesser climatic stress than those in very hot-dry regions or transition areas between very hot-dry and hot-humid. The northern hemisphere summer is by far the most severe, physiologically, over vast areas of northern Africa. Regions of greatest stress are located along the southern Red Sea, interior southern Somalia and, to a lesser degree, the Djouf Basin and Bodele Depression. The year-round mildest areas occur most frequently in parts of the eastern highlands and Atlantic coast (those influenced by cold currents). Few really oppressive conditions during nighttime could be observed.
Zusammenfassung
Afrika wird jahreszeitlich nach 4 verschiedenen Indices analysiert: effektive Temperatur, vorhergesagte 4-stündige Schweissmenge,Relative Belastung und Temperatur bei Windstille. Diese Klassifizierung wurde bei etwa 800 Stationen des Kontinents angewandt. Sie ergab 8 Karten, die vom ursprünglichen Massstab von 1:15 000 000 reduziert wurden. Einige der Hauptergebnisse zeigen, dass Gebiete, die oft als "tropisch" angesehen werden, in Wirklichkeit eine geringere klimatische Belastung aufweisen, als die in sehr warm-trockenen oder in Ubergangsgebieten zwischen sehr heiss-trocken und heiss-feucht. Der Sommer der nördlichen Hemisphäre ist über weiten Gebieten Nordafrikas bei weitem die physiologisch belastendste Jahreszeit.Gebiete mit grösster Belastung liegen längs des südlichen Roten Meeres, im inneren südlichen Somalia, in geringem Ausmass im Djouf-Becken und der Bodele-Mulde. Die im Jahresverlauf mildesten Gebiete liegen am häufigsten in Teilen der östlichen Hochländer und der Atlantikküste, die durch kalte Strömungen beeinflusst wird. Nur wenig wirklich drückende Bedingungen wurden während der Nacht beobachtet.
Resume
On analyse par saison le climat de l'Afrique selon quatre critères différents: la température effective, la quantité de sueur prévue pour 4 heures, la tension relative des individus et la température par temps calme.On a appliqué ces critères à environ 800 stations du dit Continent. Il en est résulté 9 cartes qui ont été ensuite réduites à l'échelle de 1:15 000 000.Un des principaux résultats est de démontrer que des régions qui sont souvent considérées comme "tropicales"sont moins éprouvantes pour l'homme que ce n'est le cas dans des climats secs et très chauds ou dans des zones de transition entre les climats très chauds-secs et chauds-humides. L'été de l'hémisphère nord est de loin le plus rude, physiologiquement parlant, et cela surtout dans de vastes régions de l'Afrique du Nord.Les régions offrant le climat le plus éprouvant sont situées sur les côtes sud de la Mer Rouge, à l'intérieur de la Somalie du sud et, mais à un degré moindre,dans le Bassin du Djouf et dans la dépression de Bodele. Les régions les meilleures tout le long de l'année se rencontrent en général dans certaines partie des hauts plateaux de l'est ainsi que sur les côtes de l'Atlantique où l'on rencontre des courants frais. On n'enregistre que peu de conditions vraiment éprouvantes pendant la nuit.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
HEATING, VENTILATING AIR CONDITIONING GUIDE (1955): Amer.Soc.Heat.Air-condit. Eng., Waverly Press, Baltimore, 1680 pp.
BEDFORD, T. (1954): Comfort in relation to warmth and ventilation:the results of recent studies. J.Inst.Heat.Vent.Eng., 23: 85–104.
BLUM, H.F. (1964): Effects of sunlight on the human body. In: Medical Climatology. S.Licht (ed.), Waverly Press, Baltimore, pp. 229–256.
BURTON, A.C. and EDHOLM, O.G. (1955): Man in a Cold Environment.Arnold,London,273 pp.
DUBIEF, J. (1959): Le Climat du Sahara. Univ. d'Alger, Algiers, 312 pp.
DUNHAM, W., HOLLING, H.E., LADELL, W.S.S., McARDLE, B., SCOTT, J.W., THOMSON, M.L. and WEINER, J.S. (1946): The effects of air movements in severe heat. Roy. Naval Pers.Res.Com., Med.Res.Counc., London, Report No.46/316.
EICHNA, L.W., ASHE, W.F. and SHELLEY, W.B. (1945): The upper limits of environmental heat and humidity tolerated by acclimatized men working in hot environments. J.Industr.Hyg., 27: 59–84.
GREAT BRITAIN, METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE (1958): Tables of Temperature,Relative Humidity and Precipitation for the World, Part IV. H.M.Stationery Office, London, 220 pp.
HOUGHTEN, F.C. and YAGLOU, C.P. (1923): Determining lines of equal comfort. Trans. Amer.Soc.Heat.Vent.Eng., 29: 163–176.
JACKSON, S.P. (1961): Climatological Atlas of Africa. Government Printer, Pretoria.
LADELL, W.S.S. (1957): Influence of environment in arid regions on the biology man. In: Human and Animal Ecology: Reviews of Research, Arid Zone Research (UNESCO), 8: 43–99.
LEE, D.H.K. (1964): Heat and Cold Effects and their Control. U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.Public Health Monograph No. 72, Washington, 35 pp.
LEE, D.H.K. (1965): Climatic stress indices for domestic animals. Int.J.Biometeor., 9: 29–35.
LEITHEAD, C.S. and LIND, A.R. (1964): Heat Stress and Heat Disorders. Cassell, London, 304 pp.
LIND, A.R. (1964): Physiological responses to heat.In: Medical Climatology. S.Licht (ed.), Waverly Press, Baltimore, 164–195.
MacFARLANE, W.V. (1948): Thermal comfort zones. Rev.Architect.Sci., 1: 1–14.
MALHOTRA, M.S. (1955): Environmental comfort zone in a warm and humid atmosphere. J.Sci.Ind.Res. (India), 14A: 469–473.
McARDLE, B., DUNHAM, W., HOLLING, H.E., LADELL, W.S.S., SCOTT, J.W., THOMSON, M.L. and WEINER, J.S. (1947): The prediction of the physiological effects of warm and hot environments: the P4SR index. Roy.Naval Pers.Res.Co., Med.Res.Counc., London, Report No. 47/391.
MOM, C.P., WIESEBRON, J.A., COURTICE, R. and KIP, C.J. (1947): The application of the effective temperature scheme to the comfort zone of the Netherlands Indies. Chronica Naturae, 103: 19–31.
PEEL, C. (1961): Thermal comfort zones in northern Nigeria.J.Trop.Med.Hyg., 64: 113–121.
SMITH, F.E. (1955): Indices of heat stress: a statistical comparison of effective temperature and an index based on sweat rates. Mem.No. 29, Med.Res.Counc., London.
TERJUNG, W.H. (1966): Physiological Climates of Africa. Ph.D. dissertation,Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, 183 pp.
THOMPSON, B.W. (1965): The Climate of Africa. Oxford University Press, London, 132 pp.
TROMP, S.W. (1963): Medical Biometeorology. Elsevier Public.Comp.,Amsterdam, 991 pp.
VAN VALKENBURG, S., WARMAN, H.J. and ROBINSON, W.C. (1959): Atlas of mean daily minimum temperatures. Tech.Report EP-110.QuartermasterRes. & Eng.Center, Environm.Port.Res.Div., Natick, Mass.
WEBB, C.G. (1952): On some observations of indoor climate in Malaya.J.Inst. Heat.Vent.Eng., 20: 189–197.
WHITTOW, G.C. (1962): Body temperatures of heat-acclimatized subjects in the equatorial tropics. In: Biometeorology. S.W.Tromp (ed.), Pergamon Press, Oxford, 427–433.
WYNDHAM, C.H. (1964): Heat reactions of different ethnic groups. In: Environmental Physiology and Psychology in Arid Conditions.Arid Zone Research (UNESCO), 24: 143–156.
WYNDHAM, C.H. (1965): The adaptation of some of the different ethnic groups in Southern Africa to heat, cold and exercise. South Afr.J. Sci., 61: 11–29.
WYNDHAM, C.H., BOUWER, W.V.D., DEVINE, M.G. and PATERSON, H.E. (1952):Physiological responses of African laborers at various saturated air temperatures, wind velocities and rates of energy expenditure. J.appl.Physiol., 5: 290–310.
YAGLOU, C.P. and MILLER, W.E. (1925): Effective temperature with clothing. Trans. Amer.Soc.Heat.Vent.Eng., 21: 89–99.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This article is a partial condensation of the Ph.D. dissertation "Physiological Climates of Africa", completed at the University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Geography, 1966. Committee in charge: Profs.R.F.Logan (chairman),R.M. Glendinning (geography), B.E.Thomas (geography), M.Neiburger (meteorology), D.T. Rice (M.D., public health).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Terjung, W.H. The geographical application of some selected physio-climatic indices to Africa. Int J Biometeorol 11, 5–19 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01424270
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01424270