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Objectively mapping accumulated temperature for Ireland
Author(s) -
Hargy Vincent T.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
international journal of climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.58
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-0088
pISSN - 0899-8418
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0088(199707)17:9<909::aid-joc163>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - degree (music) , variation (astronomy) , scale (ratio) , spatial variability , heating degree day , climatology , environmental science , terrain , spatial ecology , northern ireland , geography , physical geography , energy consumption , meteorology , statistics , cartography , mathematics , geology , history , ecology , physics , ethnology , astrophysics , acoustics , biology
Heating degree‐days are a measure of accumulated temperature that have been used by heating engineers to compare with fuel consumption figures for energy analysis. One of the problems with using degree‐days is estimating their spatial variation which can be significant over short distances. Objective mapping of the spatial variation in degree‐days for Ireland has been achieved by applying statistical models of the spatial variation, over monthly, annual and heating season periods, to a specially constructed digital terrain model of Ireland. The resulting maps lend themselves to a more positive geographical appreciation of the variation involved and indicate areas with anomalous temperature regimes which invite further micro‐scale studies. These maps will be of benefit to the energy industry and similar maps of growing degree‐days could be constructed for use by the agricultural industry in Ireland. © 1997 the Royal Meteorological Society.