Daily Temperature Fluctuations Research Articles

Thermal tolerances differ between diurnal and nocturnal foragers in the ant Ectatomma ruidum

Physiological constraints can limit thermal niche breadth in organisms, particularly for small-bodied ectotherms. Daily temperature fluctuations often surpass annual (seasonal) temperature variation in the tropics, suggesting diel temperature cycles could drive thermal specialization by individuals that are active at different times of the day. We used foraging workers of the Neotropical ant Ectatomma ruidum to assess whether diurnally and nocturnally active workers differed in thermal tolerance. We compared critical thermal maxima (CTmax) of nocturnal and diurnal foraging workers to explore thermal niche specialization over the diel cycle. We predicted that diurnally active workers would have higher CTmax because they occupy a warmer thermal niche. As predicted, diurnal foragers exhibited significantly higher CTmax (mean 1.1 °C difference) than nocturnal foragers. Diurnal and nocturnal foragers were similar in body size, and there was no relationship between worker size and CTmax. We discuss possible mechanisms for this pattern, and the implications of within- versus between-colony differences in CTmax.

Environmental constraints on transpiration and stomatal conductance in a Siberian Arctic boreal forest

AbstractBoreal forest ecosystems are experiencing changes in plant productivity that are likely to continue with ongoing climate change. Transpiration (T) and canopy stomatal conductance (gc) are a key influence on plant productivity, and a better understanding of drivers and limitations of T and gc is necessary for constraining estimates of boreal ecosystem change. We describe patterns in T and gc of a deciduous conifer, Larix cajanderi, in an arctic boreal forest in northeastern Russia across three growing seasons from 2013 to 2015. We examine the influence of environmental drivers on gc using a phenomenological model. T was highly variable across days and varied between 0.03 and 0.75 L m−2 d−1. T and gc largely covaried with daily fluctuations in air temperature and vapor pressure deficit. gc was highly suppressed on days when the vapor pressure deficits exceeded 0.75 kPa with an average daily gc of 37.55 mmol m−2 s−1, and the average daily gc was almost double (71.25 mmol m−2 s−1) when vapor pressure deficits stayed below 0.75 kPa. Daily variation in gc was significantly related to air temperature, permafrost thaw depth, and past precipitation. The influence of past precipitation and permafrost thaw depth on gc indicates that belowground conditions relating to soil moisture status are a key limitation for T. Such limitations on gc and T suggest that soil water and plant water stress play an important role in plant productivity and water relations in far northeastern Siberia.

Seasonal Changing Effect on Airflow and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics in Urban Street Canyons

In this study, the effect of seasonal variation on air flow and pollutant dispersion characteristics was numerically investigated. A three-dimensional urban canopy model with unit aspect ratio (H/D = 1) was used to calculate surface temperature distribution in the street canyon. Four representative time events (1000 LST, 1300 LST, 1600 LST and 2000 LST) during typical clear summer and winter days were selected to examine the air flow diurnal variation. The results revealed the seasonal variation significantly altered the street canyon microclimate. Compared with the street canyon surface temperature distribution in summer, the winter case showed a more evenly distributed surface temperature. In addition, the summer case showed greater daily temperature fluctuation than that of the winter case. Consequently, distinct pollutant dispersion patterns were observed between summer and winter scenarios, especially for the afternoon (1600 LST) and night (2000 LST) events. Among all studied time events, the pollutant removal performance of the morning (1000 LST) and the night (2000 LST) events were more sensitive to the seasonal variation. Lastly, limited natural ventilation performance was found during the summer morning and the winter night, which induced relatively high pollutant concentration along the pedestrian height level.

Base flow-driven shifts in tropical stream temperature regimes across a mean annual rainfall gradient

Climate change is expected to affect air temperature and watershed hydrology, but the degree to which these concurrent changes affect stream temperature is not well documented in the tropics. How stream temperature varies over time under changing hydrologic conditions is difficult to isolate from seasonal changes in air temperature. Groundwater and bank storage contributions to stream flow (i.e., base flow) buffer water temperatures against seasonal and daily fluctuations in solar radiation and air temperature while rainfall-driven runoff produces flooding events which also influence stream temperature. We used a space-for-time substitution to examine how shifts in base flow and runoff alter thermal regimes in streams by analyzing hydrological and temperature data collected from similar elevations (400-510 m above sea level) across a 3500 mm mean annual rainfall gradient on Hawai‘i Island. Sub-daily water temperature and streamflow gathered for three years were analyzed for daily, monthly, and seasonal trends and compared to air temperature measured at multiple elevations. Results indicate that decreases in median base flow increased mean, maximum and minimum water temperatures as well as daily temperature range. Monthly and daily trends in stream temperature among watersheds were more pronounced than air temperature, driven by differences in groundwater inputs and runoff. Stream temperature was strongly negatively correlated to base flow during the dry season but not during the wet season due to frequent wet season runoff events contributing to total flow. In addition to projected increases in global air temperature, climate driven shifts in rainfall and runoff are likely to affect stream flow and groundwater recharge, with concurrent influences on base flow resulting in shifts in water temperature that are likely to affect aquatic ecosystems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Effect of daily fluctuations in ambient temperature on reproductive failure traits of Landrace and Yorkshire sows under Thai tropical environmental conditions.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of daily ranges and maximum ambient temperatures, and other risk factors on reproductive failure of Landrace (L) and Yorkshire (Y) sows under an open-house system in Thailand. Daily ambient temperatures were added to information on 35,579 litters from 5929 L sows and 1057 Y sows from three commercial herds. The average daily temperature ranges (ADT) and the average daily maximum temperatures (PEAK) in three gestation periods from the 35th day of gestation to parturition were classified. The considered reproductive failure traits were the occurrences of mummified fetuses (MM), stillborn piglets (STB), and piglet death losses (PDL) and an indicator trait for number of piglets born alive below the population mean (LBA). A multiple logistic regression model included farrowing herd-year-season (HYS), breed group of sow (BG), parity group (PAR), number of total piglets born (NTB), ADT1, ADT2, ADT3, PEAK1, PEAK2, and PEAK3 as fixed effects, while random effects were animal, repeated observations, and residual. Yorkshire sows had a higher occurrence of LBA than L sows (P = 0.01). The second to fifth parities sows had lower reproductive failures than other parities. The NTB regression coefficients of log-odds were positive (P < 0.01) for all traits. Narrower ranges of ADT3 increased the occurrence of MM, STB, and PDL (P < 0.01), while higher PEAK3 increased the occurrence of MM, STB, PDL, and LBA (P < 0.001). To reduce the risk of reproductive failures, particularly late in gestation, producers would need to closely monitor their temperature management strategies.

Locomotor Activity and Body Temperature Patterns over a Temperature Gradient in the Highveld Mole-Rat (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae).

African mole-rats are strictly subterranean mammals that live in extensive burrow systems. High humidity levels in the burrows prevent mole-rats from thermoregulating using evaporative cooling. However, the relatively stable environment of the burrows promotes moderate temperatures and small daily temperature fluctuations. Mole-rats therefore display a relatively wide range of thermoregulation abilities. Some species cannot maintain their body temperatures at a constant level, whereas others employ behavioural thermoregulation. Here we test the effect of ambient temperature on locomotor activity and body temperature, and the relationship between the two parameters, in the highveld mole-rat. We exposed mole-rats to a 12L:12D and a DD light cycle at ambient temperatures of 30°C, 25°C and 20°C while locomotor activity and body temperature were measured simultaneously. In addition, we investigated the endogenous rhythms of locomotor activity and body temperature at different ambient temperatures. Mole-rats displayed nocturnal activity at all three ambient temperatures and were most active at 20°C, but least active at 30°C. Body temperature was highest at 30°C and lowest at 20°C, and the daily cycle was highly correlated with locomotor activity. We show that the mole-rats have endogenous rhythms for both locomotor activity and body temperature. However, the endogenous body temperature rhythm appears to be less robust compared to the locomotor activity rhythm. Female mole-rats appear to be more sensitive to temperature changes than males, increased heterothermy is evident at lower ambient temperatures, whilst males show smaller variation in their body temperatures with changing ambient temperatures. Mole-rats may rely more heavily on behavioural thermoregulation as it is more energy efficient in an already challenging environment.

Анализ погрешностей расчетов нагрузочных потерь электроэнергии в проводах воздушных линий электропередачи

The errors introduced in calculations of load-induced loss of electric energy in the wires of overhead power lines due to omitting the effect of meteorological factors are analyzed. The load loss in the overhead power line wires depend directly on the wire temperature, which, in turn, depends on the wire current, ambient air temperature, and various meteorological factors, such as solar radiation and wind velocity and direction. The methods through which these factors can be taken into account are rather intricate in nature and inconvenient for use in engineering calculations. In view of this, there is a need to analyze the cumulative effect of all factors, to evaluate the errors arising from neglecting the influence of meteorological conditions, and to identify the input data boundaries within which the calculations can be carried out according to a simplified procedure. Load-induced losses of electric energy in the overhead power line wires having standard cross-sections are calculated for different combinations of current density in the wires, load curve shapes, and meteorological factors characteristic for some cities of Russia. The error of the electric energy loss calculation carried out without taking into account the actual wire temperature is estimated. The error in the load-induced loss of electric energy in the wires of overhead power lines calculated assuming the wire temperature equal to the monthly average air temperature is presented as a function of the daily temperature fluctuation amplitude. The ranges in which the load-induced loss of electric energy can be calculated at satisfactory accuracy without taking the actual wire temperature into account are defined. Recommendations on calculating the load-induced loss of electric energy in the wires of overhead power lines are elaborated.

Predicted Cold Shock Proteins from the Extremophilic Bacterium Deinococcus maricopensis and Related Deinococcus Species.

While many studies have examined the mechanisms by which extremophilic Deinococci survive exposure to ionizing radiation, very few publications have characterized the cold shock adaptations of this group, despite many species being found in persistent cold environments and environments prone to significant daily temperature fluctuations. Bacterial cold shock proteins (Csps) are a family of conserved, RNA chaperone proteins that commonly play a role in cold temperature adaptation, including a downward shift in temperature (i.e., cold shock). The primary aim of this study was to test whether a representative, desert-dwelling Deinococcus, Deinococcus maricopensis, encodes Csps as part of its genome. Bioinformatic approaches were used to identify a Csp from D. maricopensis LB-34. The Csp, termed Dm-Csp1, contains sequence features of Csps including a conserved cold shock domain and nucleic acid binding motifs. A tertiary model of Dm-Csp1 revealed an anticipated Csp structure containing five anti-parallel beta-strands, and ligand prediction experiments identified N-terminally located residues capable of binding single-stranded nucleic acids. Putative Csps were identified from 100% of (27 of 27) Deinococci species for which genome information is available; and the Deinococci-encoded Csps identified contain a C-terminally located region that appears to be limited to members of the class Deinococci.

Cooling and Thermal Insulating Effects in Layers of Roof Garden

This paper presents partial results of measurements in the layers of roof garden in winter and summer. In winter, the roof garden acts as additional insulator for buildings, reducing energy needed to provide heating. Layer of soil on intensive vegetative roof in the winter can considerably reduce daily temperature fluctuations. On hot summer days, the roof garden can considerably reduce the heat flux through the roof. Transpiration in plants cools the surrounding air, thus lowering the temperature of the surface of the soil.

Towards a mechanistic understanding of the responses of large terrestrial mammals to heat and aridity associated with climate change

In the face of climate change, the life history traits of large terrestrial mammals will prevent them from adapting genetically at a sufficient pace to keep track with changing environments, and habitat fragmentation will preclude them from shifting their distribution range. Predicting how habitat-bound large mammals will respond to environmental change requires measurement of their sensitivity and exposure to changes in the environment, as well as the extent to which phenotypic plasticity can buffer them against the changes. Behavioural modifications, such as a shift to nocturnal foraging or selection of a cool microclimate, may buffer free-living mammals against thermal and water stress, but may carry a cost, for example by reducing foraging time or increasing predation risk. Large mammals also use physiological responses to buffer themselves against changing environments, but those buffers may be compromised by a changing physical environment. A decrease in the available food energy or water leads to a trade-off in which the precision of homeothermy is relaxed, resulting in large daily fluctuations in body temperature. Understanding how large mammals prioritise competing homeostatic systems in changing environments, and the consequences of that prioritisation for their fitness, requires long-term monitoring of identifiable individual animals in their natural habitat. Although body size predicts general ecological and energetic patterns of terrestrial mammals, high intraspecific and interspecific variability means that a species-directed approach is required to accurately model responses of large mammals to climate change.

Multiple extreme environmental conditions of intermittent soda pans in the Carpathian Basin (Central Europe).

Soda lakes and pans represent saline ecosystems with unique chemical composition, occurring on all continents. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterise the main environmental gradients and trophic state that prevail in the soda pans (n=84) of the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe. Underwater light conditions, dissolved organic matter, phosphorus and chlorophyll a were investigated in 84 pans during 2009-2010. Besides, water temperature was measured hourly with an automatic sensor throughout one year in a selected pan. The pans were very shallow (median depth: 15 cm), and their extremely high turbidity (Secchi depth median: 3 cm, min: 0.5 cm) was caused by high concentrations of inorganic suspended solids (median: 0.4 g L-1, max: 16 g L-1), which was the dominant (>50%) contributing factor to the vertical attenuation coefficient in 67 pans (80%). All pans were polyhumic (median DOC: 47 mg L-1), and total phosphorus concentration was also extremely high (median: 2 mg L-1, max: 32 mg L-1). The daily water temperature maximum (44 °C) and fluctuation maximum (28 °C) were extremely high during summertime. The combination of environmental boundaries: shallowness, daily water temperature fluctuation, intermittent hydroperiod, high turbidity, polyhumic organic carbon concentration, high alkalinity and hypertrophy represent a unique extreme aquatic ecosystem.

Synergistic effect of daily temperature fluctuations and matching light-dark cycle enhances population growth and synchronizes oviposition behavior in a soil arthropod

Some major aspects of insect life, like development time and reproduction, can benefit from fluctuating temperatures rather than a constant temperature regime. The benefit of fluctuating temperature has generally been attributed to the non-linear properties of the relationship of many life history traits with temperature. Daily temperature rise, however, usually coincide with the light phase of the photoperiodic cycle and there could be a benefit in linking daily temperature fluctuations with light and dark phases e.g. to anticipate the change in temperature. Such synergistic effects have primarily been studied in the light of activity patterns and gene expression, but have not yet been shown to extend to population dynamics and aspects of individual fitness like oviposition behavior. We therefore explored possible synergistic effects on life history traits of the springtail Orchesella cincta. We first test the primary effect of ecologically relevant temperature fluctuations of different amplitudes on population growth and total population mass. The slowest population growth was observed in the constant temperature regime treatment and the highest population growth in the regime with high amplitude fluctuations. In a second experiment, population growth and oviposition rhythm were measured under four different regimes; a constant light and temperature regime, thermoperiod only, photoperiod only and thermoperiod and photoperiod aligned as under natural conditions. The regime in which thermoperiod was aligned with photoperiod resulted in a higher population growth than could be realized by either factor alone. Also, significantly fewer eggs were laid in the constant temperature/light regime than in the other three regimes, strongly suggesting that this regime is stressful to O. cincta. Additionally, the fraction of eggs laid at night was highest in the regime with the combined temperature and light cycle. In conclusion, our results show that under these experimental conditions there is a synergistic effect of daily temperature fluctuations in combination with light/dark phases that can considerably influence important life history traits and affect behavior. Such effects are likely to be relevant under natural conditions.

Influence of Time-of-Day on Maximal Exercise Capacity Is Related to Daily Thermal Balance but Not to Induced Neuronal Activity in Rats

In the present study, we investigated whether the daily fluctuations of internal body temperature (Tb) and spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA) interact with the thermal and neuronal adjustments induced by high-intensity aerobic exercise until fatigue. The body temperature and SLA of adult Wistar rats (n = 23) were continuously recorded by telemetry for 48 h. Then, the rats were subjected to a protocol of graded exercise until fatigue or rest on the treadmill during light and dark-phases. Tb, tail skin temperature and ambient temperature during each experimental session were recorded. At the end of the last experimental session, the animals were anaesthetized; the brains were perfused and removed for immunohistochemical analysis of c-fos neuronal activation. The daily rhythms of SLA and Tb were strongly correlated (r = 0.88 and p < 0.001), and this was followed by a daily oscillation in both the ratio and the correlation index between these variables (p < 0.001). Exercise capacity was associated with a lower resting Tb (p < 0.01) and was higher in the light-phase (p < 0.001), resulting in an increased capacity to accumulate heat during exercise (p < 0.01). Independent of time-of-day, high intensity exercise strongly activated the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the supra-optic nucleus (SON) and the locus coeruleus (LC) (p < 0.001) but not the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Taken together, our results points toward a role of the circadian system in a basal activity control of the thermoregulatory system as an important component for the onset of physical activities. In fact, rather than directly limiting the adjustments induced by exercise the present study brings new evidence that the effect of time-of-day on exercise performance occurs at the threshold level for each thermoregulatory system effector activity. This assumption is based on the observed resilience of the central clock to high-intensity exercise and the similarities in exercise-induced neuronal activation in the PVN, SON, and LC.

Mitigation impact of minimum tillage on CO2 and N2O emissions from a Mediterranean maize cropped soil under low-water input management

Reduced tillage might reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cropped soils. However the topic is somehow still controversial, since lower CO2 emissions achieved through reduced soil mineralization might be offset by higher N2O losses from less disturbed soil, because of higher water filled pore space. This work aimed to clarify the potential GHG mitigation benefits of minimum tillage (MT), as opposed to mouldboard ploughing (CT), for Mediterranean maize cultivations under low water input management. To this end, soil CO2 and N2O fluxes were monitored at high time resolution by means of a newly developed automated system of closed static chambers coupled to a field gas photoacoustic detector. Relative to CT, cumulated CO2 emissions appeared significantly reduced in MT over three months after the autumn ploughing (by about 30%) and along the spring-summer cultivation (by about 28%), for similar maize yields. N2O emissions from MT showed restrained averaged values relative to CT (by 40% and 18% for fallow and maize periods, respectively); however differences might not be significant. For both treatments, N2O emission factors were lower than the 1% IPCC default value (0.40 and 0.28 for CT and MT, respectively), following the restrained irrigation water input along the drought period. Results indicate that MT reduced GHG emissions both (i) in the short-term, likely due to the increased decomposition of soil organic matter in the ploughed soil (CT), mainly concentrated within the first week after deep tillage; (ii) in the longer-term, likely through its capacity to constrain the daily soil temperature fluctuations in the drought periods along the spring-summer maize cultivation. At this stage, the low-water input management might have played a key role in mediating the response of N2O emissions to MT treatment.These findings suggest that minimum tillage could entail consistent GHG benefits under the drip irrigation management in Mediterranean croplands.

A stage structured mosquito model incorporating effects of precipitation and daily temperature fluctuations

An outbreak of dengue fever in Guangdong province in 2014 was the most serious outbreak ever recorded in China. Given the known positive correlation between the abundance of mosquitoes and the number of dengue fever cases, a stage structured mosquito model was developed to investigate the cause of the large abundance of mosquitoes in 2014 and its implications for outbreaks of the disease. Data on the Breteau index (number of containers positive for larvae per 100 premises investigated), temperature and precipitation were used for model fitting. The egg laying rate, the development rate and the mortality rates of immatures and adults were obtained from the estimated parameters. Moreover, effects of daily fluctuations of temperature on these parameters were obtained and the effects of temperature and precipitation were analyzed by simulations. Our results indicated that the abundance of mosquitoes depended not only on the total annual precipitation but also on the distribution of the precipitation. The daily mean temperature had a nonlinear relationship with the abundance of mosquitoes, and large diurnal temperature differences can reduce the abundance of mosquitoes. In addition, effects of increasing precipitation and temperature were interdependent. Our findings suggest that the large abundance of mosquitoes in 2014 was mainly caused by the distribution of the precipitation. In the perspective of mosquito control, our results reveal that it is better to clear water early and spray insecticide between April and August in case of limited resources.

The effect of simulated heat-shock and daily temperature fluctuations on seed germination of four species from fire-prone ecosystems

Seed germination in many species from fire-prone ecosystems may be triggered by heat shock and/or temperature fluctuation, and how species respond to such fire-related cues is important to understand post-fire regeneration strategies. Thus, we tested how heat shock and daily temperature fluctuations affect the germination of four species from fire-prone ecosystems; two from the Cerrado and two from the Mediterranean Basin. Seeds of all four species were subjected to four treatments: Fire (F), temperature fluctuations (TF), fire+temperature fluctuations (F+TF) and control (C). After treatments, seeds were put to germinate for 60 days at 25oC (dark). Responses differed according to species and native ecosystem. Germination percentage for the Cerrado species did not increase with any of the treatments, while germination of one Mediterranean species increased with all treatments and the other only with treatments that included fire. Although the Cerrado species did not respond to the treatments used in this study, their seeds survived the exposure to heat shock, which suggests they possess tolerance to fire. Fire frequency in the Cerrado is higher than that in Mediterranean ecosystems, thus traits related to fire-resistance would be more advantageous than traits related to post-fire recruitment, which are widespread among Mediterranean species.

Management of the margins in cutover bogs: ecological conditions and effects of afforestation

Several studies contributed to the development of restoration techniques for open Sphagnum-dominated habitats on peat-extracted bogs. Yet, in exception to some afforestation efforts, connectivity between restored sites and surrounding landscapes has received little attention. The general goal of this study is to ameliorate management of very shallow peat fields (<30 cm) located within the margins of peat-extracted bogs. Firstly, to assist decision making in peatland management, baseline ecological conditions, peat physicochemistry and spontaneous vegetation recolonization were assessed for 18 of these fields. This first study revealed that (1) concentrations of several macro-nutrients are almost one order of magnitude lower for unrestored fields than previously characterized natural lagg habitats of the same region, and (2) there is little spontaneous colonization. In a second study, peat chemistry and soil/air microclimate were evaluated in plantations established on shallow residual peat (a 21-year-old Larix laricina plantation and an 18-year-old Picea mariana plantation) and compared to adjacent unrestored shallow bare-peat fields. This second study showed that afforested peat fields are characterized by (1) a soil enriched in nutrients, notably in N, P, and K, and (2) a more humid and cooler microclimate at the soil/air interface, with less daily humidity and temperature fluctuations. These results indicate that afforestation is an appropriate approach to start an ecological recovery. Yet, the absence of natural recolonization by herbs and mosses in the understory of afforested peat fields suggests that reintroduction of appropriate understory species should also be considered if the goal is to restore a fully functional ecosystem.

Additive effects of mean temperature, temperature variability, and chlorothalonil to red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas) larvae.

Amphibian populations are declining globally, and multiple anthropogenic stressors, including contamination by pesticides and shifting climates, are driving these declines. Climate change may increase average temperatures or increase temperature variability, either of which may affect the susceptibility of nontarget organisms to contaminants. Eight-day ecotoxicological assays were conducted with red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas) larvae to test for additive and interactive effects of exposure to the fungicide chlorothalonil, average temperature, and temperature variability on tadpole growth and survival. Egg masses were collected from seasonal ponds at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, and tadpoles were exposed to a series of chlorothalonil concentrations across a range of ecologically relevant mean temperatures (23.4-27.3 °C) and daily temperature fluctuations (1.1-9.9 °C). Survival was measured each day, and tadpole growth was measured at the end of each trial. Concentrations of chlorothalonil ≥60 µg/L reduced survival, although survival was not affected by mean temperature or daily temperature range, and there were no synergistic interactions between chlorothalonil and temperature regime on survival. Chlorothalonil suppressed tadpole growth at relatively low concentrations (∼15 µg/L). There were impacts of both average temperature and daily temperature range on tadpole growth, although there were no synergistic interactions between temperature regimes and chlorothalonil. The results should inform efforts to manage ecosystems impacted by multiple large-scale anthropogenic stressors as well as methods for the design of ecologically appropriate toxicology trials. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2998-3004. © 2016 SETAC.

Investigation on seasonal variation of thermal-induced strain in flexible pavements based on field and laboratory measurements

Pavement temperature variation has a large influence on the structural response of flexible pavements. Daily and seasonal temperature fluctuation causes expansion and contraction of pavement material, which then leads to the generation of thermal strain. In this study, field observation and laboratory tests were conducted to investigate seasonal variation of thermal-induced strain in flexible pavement. Field observations were conducted at the Integrated Road Research Facility (IRRF)’s test road in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, which is fully equipped with structural and environmental monitoring instruments. The main objective of the field study was to compare the variation of thermal-induced strain in warm and cold seasons. Field results indicated that thermal-induced strain is 1.4–2.0 times greater in cold seasons than in warm seasons following the same pavement temperature variations; however, strain generation rate was greater in warm seasons. Laboratory testing of asphalt slab and cylindrical samples produced comparable ratios. Moreover, field observation and laboratory testing showed a similar trend of temperature and thermal strain variations.

Effects of Environmental Temperature Change on the Efficiency of Coal- and Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants.

Modeling studies predict that droughts and hotter water and air temperatures caused by climate warming will reduce the efficiency (η) of thermoelectric plants by 0.12-0.45% for each 1 °C of warming. We evaluate these predictions using historical performance data for 39 open- and closed-loop coal and natural gas plants from across the U.S., which operated under daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations multiples greater than future average warming projections. Seven to 14 years of hourly water (Tw), dry-bulb air (Ta), and wet-bulb air (Twb) temperature recordings collected near each plant are regressed against efficiency to attain estimates of Δη per 1 °C increase. We find reductions in η with increased Tw (for open-loop plants) up to 1 order of magnitude less than previous estimates. We also find that changes in η associated with changes in Ta (open-loop plants) or Twb (closed-loop plants) are not only smaller than previous estimates but also variable; i.e., η rises with Ta or Twb for some plants and falls for others. Our findings suggest that thermoelectric plants, particularly closed-loop plants, should be more resilient to climate warming than previously expected.