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Integrated Modeling of Metropolitan Extreme Heat Risk
Olga
Wilhelmi, National Center for Atmospheric Research, olgaw@ucar.edu
(Presenter)
Andrew
Monaghan, National Center for Atmospheric Research, monaghan@ucar.edu
Mary
Hayden, National Center for Atmospheric Research, mhayden@ucar.edu
Keith
Oleson, National Center for Atmospheric Research, oleson@ucar.edu
Johannes
Feddema, University of Kansas, feddema@ku.edu
Nathaniel
Brunsell, University of Kansas, brunsell@ku.edu
Steve
Sain, National Center for Atmospheric Research, ssain@ucar.edu
Michael
Barlage, National Center for Atmospheric Research, barlage@ucar.edu
Matthew
Heaton, National Center for Atmospheric Research, heaton@ucar.edu
Tamara
Greasby, National Center for Atmospheric Research, tgreasby@ucar.edu
Chris
Uejio, Florida State University, cuejio@fsu.edu
Deborah
Banerjee, Houston Department of Health and Human Services, deborah.banerjee@houstontx.gov
Vishnu
Nepal, Houston Department of Health and Human Services, vishnu.nepal@houstontx.gov
Extreme heat is a leading cause of weather-related human mortality in the United States and in many countries world-wide. As global warming patterns continue, researchers anticipate increases in the severity, frequency and duration of extreme heat events. Many cities may have amplified vulnerability to extreme heat due to urban heat island and rapidly evolving socioeconomic fabric (for example, growing elderly populations). This raises a series of questions about the increased health risks of urban residents to extreme heat, and about effective means of mitigation and adaptation in present and future climates. In this presentation, we will describe an interdisciplinary project aimed at addressing these questions via the System for Integrated Modeling of Metropolitan Extreme Heat Risk (SIMMER). The SIMMER aims to advance methodology for assessing current and future urban vulnerabilities from the heat waves through the refinement and integration of physical and social science models, and to build local capacity for heat hazard mitigation and climate change adaptation in the public health sector. The presentation will include key findings from the four research components of the SIMMER: 1) Determining the combined impact of extreme heat and the characteristics of urban environmental and social systems on human health, 2) Characterizing societal vulnerability and the responses (i.e., mitigation and adaptation strategies), 3) Improving representation of urban land cover and its accompanying radiative and thermal characteristics at local and regional scales, and 4) Characterizing and modeling present and future extreme heat events at regional and local scales. We will highlight the partnership between the SIMMER research team and the public health stakeholders and will discuss how the urban modeling experiments, together with the remotely sensed data (i.e., MODIS), land surface and population characteristics support the comprehensive analysis of societal vulnerability and adaptive capacity to extreme heat health outcomes.
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Poster Session 2-B
(Wed 4:30 PM)
Associated Project(s):
Poster Location ID: 86
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