Abstract
The stations of the Metropolitan Station Network in Olomouc (Czech Republic) were assigned to local climatic zones, and the temperature characteristics of the stations were compared. The classification of local climatic zones represents an up-to-date concept for the unification of the characterization of the neighborhoods of climate research sites. This study is one of the first to provide a classification of existing stations within local climate zones. Using a combination of GIS-based analyses and field research, the values of geometric and surface cover properties were calculated, and the stations were subsequently classified into the local climate zones. It turned out that the classification of local climatic zones can be efficiently used for representative documentation of the neighborhood of the climate stations. To achieve a full standardization of the description of the neighborhood of a station, the classification procedures, including the methods used for the processing of spatial data and methods used for the indication of specific local characteristics, must be also standardized. Although the main patterns of temperature differences between the stations with a compact rise, those with an open rise and the stations with no rise or sparsely built areas were evident; the air temperature also showed considerable differences within particular zones. These differences were largely caused by various geometric layout of development and by unstandardized placement of the stations. For the direct comparison of temperatures between zones, particularly those stations which have been placed in such a way that they are as representative as possible for the zone in question should be used in further research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnfield AJ (2003) Two decades of urban climate research: a review of turbulence, exchanges of energy and water, and the urban heat island. Int J Climatol. doi:10.1002/joc.859
Bechtel B (2012) Classification of local climate zones from multitemporal remote sensing data. Urban Clim News 46:7–14
Bechtel B, Daneke C (2012) Classification of local climate zones based on multiple earth observation data. IEEE J Sel Top Appl. doi:10.1109/JSTARS.2012.2189873
Bokwa A (2011) The urban heat island in Kraków, Poland: interaction between land use and relief. Mor Geogr Rep 19(3):2–7
Fenner D, Meier F, Scherer D, Polze A (2014) Spatial and temporal air temperature variability in Berlin, Germany, during the years 2001–2010. Urban Clim. doi:10.1016/j.uclim.2014.02.004
Fortuniak K, Kłysik K, Wibik J (2006) Urban–rural contrasts of meteorological parameters in Łódź. Theor Appl Climatol. doi:10.1007/s00704-005-0147-y
Grimmond CSB (2006) Progress in measuring and observing the urban atmosphere. Theor Appl Climatol. doi:10.1007/s00704-005-0140-5
Houet T, Pigeon G (2011) Mapping urban climate zones and quantifying climate behaviors—an application on Toulouse urban area (France). Environ Pollut. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2010.12.027
Huwald H, Higgins CW, Boldi MO, Bou-Zeid E, Lehning M, Parlange MB (2009) Albedo effect on radiative errors in air temperature measurements. Water Resour Res. doi:10.1029/2008WR007600
Kłysik K, Fortuniak K (1999) Temporal and spatial characteristics of the urban heat island of Łódź. Pol Atmos Environ. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00131-4
Lelovics E, Unger J, Gál T, Gál V (2014) Design of an urban monitoring network based on local climate zone mapping and temperature pattern modelling. Clim Res. doi:10.3354/cr01220
Merbitz H, Buttstädt M, Michael S, Dott W, Schneider C (2012) GIS-based identification of spatial variables enhancing heat and poor air quality in urban areas. Appl Geogr. doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2011.06.008
Muller CL, Lee C, Grimmond CSB, Young DT, Cai XM (2013) Toward a standardized metadata protocol for urban meteorological networks. Bull Am Meteorol Soc. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00096.1
Nakamura R, Mahrt L (2005) Air temperature measurement errors in naturally ventilated radiation shields. J Atmos Ocean Technol. doi:10.1175/JTECH1762.1
Offerle B, Grimmond CSB, Fortuniak K (2005) Heat storage and anthropogenic heat flux in relation to the energy balance of a central European city centre. Int J Climatol. doi:10.1002/joc.1198
Offerle B, Grimmond CSB, Fortuniak K, Kłysik K, Oke TR (2006) Temporal variations in heat fluxes over a central European city centre. Theor Appl Climatol. doi:10.1007/s00704-005-0148-x
Oke TR (2004) Urban Climate Zones [unpublished]. In: Oke TR (2006b) Initial guidance to obtain representative meteorological observations at urban sites. IOM Report 81. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva
Oke TR (2006a) Towards better scientific communication in urban climate. Theor Appl Climatol. doi:10.1007/s00704-005-0153-0
Oke TR (2006b) Initial guidance to obtain representative meteorological observations at urban sites. IOM Report 81. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva
Ptáček P, Fňukal M, Szczyrba Z (2007) Metamorphoses of the spatial structure of Olomouc; featuring the residential function. Urbanismus a územní rozvoj 10(2):19–26 (in Czech)
Roth M (2000) Review of atmospheric turbulence over cities. Quart J Roy Meteor Soc. doi:10.1002/qj.49712656409
Ryan PH, LeMasters GK (2007) A review of land-use regression models for characterizing intraurban air pollution exposure. Inhal Toxicol. doi:10.1080/08958370701495998
Scherer D, Fehrenbach U, Beha HD, Parlow E (1999) Improved concepts and methods in analysis and evaluation of the urban climate for optimizing urban planning processes. Atmos Environ. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00161-2
Stewart ID (2007) Landscape representation and the urban–rural dichotomy in empirical urban heat island literature, 1950–2006. Acta Climatol Chorol Univ Szegediensis 40–41:111–121
Stewart ID (2011) A systematic review and scientific critique of methodology in modern urban heat island literature. Int J Climatol. doi:10.1002/joc.2141
Stewart ID, Oke TR (2009a) A new classification system for urban climate sites. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 90:922–923
Stewart ID, Oke TR (2009b) Classifying urban climate field sites by local climate zones: The case of Nagano, Japan. Preprints, Seventh Int. Conf. on Urban Climate, Yokohama, Japan, Int. Assoc. Urban Climate. http://www.ide.titech.ac.jp/~icuc7/extended_abstracts/pdf/385055-1-090515165722-002.pdf. Accessed 5 April 2013
Stewart ID, Oke TR (2012) Local climate zones for urban temperature studies. Bull Am Meteorol Soc. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00019.2
Stewart ID, Oke TR, Krayenhoff ES (2013) Evaluation of the ‘local climate zone’ scheme using temperature observations and model simulations. Int J Climatol. doi:10.1002/joc.3746
Unger J, Zoltán S, Zoboki J (2001) Temperature cross-section features in an urban area. Atmos Res. doi:10.1016/S0169-8095(01)00087-47
Acknowledgments
This research project was funded by the Czech Grant Agency, Project No. 205/09/1297: “Multilevel analysis of the urban and suburban climate taking medium-sized towns as an example”.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lehnert, M., Geletič, J., Husák, J. et al. Urban field classification by “local climate zones” in a medium-sized Central European city: the case of Olomouc (Czech Republic). Theor Appl Climatol 122, 531–541 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1309-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1309-6