Temperature Events Research Articles

A new nonparametric copula framework for the joint analysis of river water temperature and low flow characteristics for aquatic habitat risk assessment

This study proposed a nonparametric copula hazard framework in the joint risk of river water temperature (RWT) and low flow (LF) events for aquatic ecosystems, specifically ectotherm fish. This nonparametric copula density can adapt to any mutual dependence structure, providing greater flexibility. This can reduce the risk of misspecification if the underlying assumption is violated compared to conventional parametric or semiparametric copula settings. The analysis uses nonparametric copulas densities like Beta kernel copula estimator (BKCE), Bernstein copula estimator (BCE), and Transformation kernel estimator (TKE), conjoined with Gaussian Kernel density estimations (GKDEs) and parametric marginals for joint annual maximum RWT (AMRWT) and LF. The study compares different models for analyzing five Swiss river basins: parametric copulas with best-fitted GKDE and parametric margins, versus nonparametric copula. Six bandwidth selectors are estimated to fit GKDE. BKCE with GKDE margins outperformed most stations, while TKE and BCE density with GKDE margins work best for only one station. However, at one station, BKCE with best-fitted parametric margins is outperformed. All stations except Station 2473 are characterized by temperature and low flows that may be conducive to stress of a number of aquatic species, causing high AMRWT (exceeding 19 °C) and minimum LF or specific discharge, SD) quantiles at low AND-joint return periods (RP). AND (i.e. low flow AND high temperature) hazard events are less likely to occur together than OR hazard events, while univariate RPs happen more often than OR-joint RPs. In addition, the joint RP of AMRWT, given LF at different percentiles, significantly affected AMRWT for various LF conditions. Higher AMRWT with low flow conditions results in lower joint RP (except station 2473), and this stress level would be reduced when conditioned with high LF events at the same AMRWT. Station 2473 has high LF even at low percentiles, and with low AMRWT makes it very less stressful than other station under different LF conditions. Summer river flow maintenance can improve aquatic environments with high RWT. Analyzing joint statistics is crucial to understanding mutual risk in freshwater ecosystems.

Human influence on the duration of extreme temperature events in Asia's hotspot regions

Observations and models indicate that human activities exert a considerable impact on the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature events, which are associated with global warming. However, changes in the duration of extreme temperature events and their association with human influence have not been considered in most studies. Thus, the possible relationship between the observed changes in the warm and cold spell duration (WSDI and CSDI) in hotspot regions during 1960–2014 and human influence was investigated based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis version 1 and Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) data. Constraint projection based on these attribution results was also performed. The optimal fingerprinting technique was used to compare observed changes in WSDI and CSDI to simulated changes averaged across eight CMIP6 models. Results show that anthropogenic (ANT) forcing contributed to the observed increase in WSDI in the three hotspot regions (West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia), with the majority of the changes being attributed to greenhouse gas forcing. However, a generally weak ANT signal can be observed in the decreasing trend of CSDI and can be detected in South and Southeast Asia. The influence of aerosol forcing remains undetected in either WSDI or CSDI, which differs from the results for frequency and intensity of extreme temperatures. The attribution results revealed that the constrained projection of WSDI is lower than the raw projection for 2015–2100 in West Asia and Southeast Asia. However, no differences in future CSDI changes are found in Southeast Asia between the constrained and raw projections.

Abstract MP74: Ambient Temperature and Blood Pressure Are Associated in the Jackson Heart Study

Extreme temperature events related to climate change may impact blood pressure (BP). Communities of color, especially African-American populations, are disproportionately affected by temperature extremes due to structural inequities. We assessed the association between ambient outdoor temperature and BP among participants in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), a cohort of African American adults residing in the tri-county area of Jackson, Mississippi. We hypothesized that higher outdoor ambient temperatures would be associated with lower BP. The exposure was average outdoor ambient temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, obtained from Daymet Daily Surface Weather dataset for North America accurate to 1km of Jackson, MS. The two outcomes were systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP). A total of 5309 participants were included across 3 visits: Visit 1 (2000-2004), Visit 2 (2005- 2008), Visit 3 (2009-2013). We used a linear mixed effects model to determine the relationship between ambient temperature and SBP/DBP at three visits. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, BP medication and visit number were included as adjustment variables. Age, sex, socioeconomic status (captured by level of education, income, and occupation), physical activity, history of cardiovascular disease, BP medications and perceived stress were conceptualized as effect modifiers. To account for non-temperature related seasonal variation in BP, we added season specific coefficients to SBP and DBP readings. The average temperature at each visit was 63.8°F (range: 24.5, 85.6), 64.3°F (range: 30.5, 87.8), 66.3°F (range: 21.9, 90.0), respectively. The average age at baseline was 55.3 years and 63% of the study population was female. For every 10 degrees higher temperature in Fahrenheit, SBP was 0.87 mm Hg (standard error: 0.097, p<0.001) and 0.83 mm Hg (standard error: 0.104, p<0.001) lower in unadjusted and adjusted models respectively. DBP was 0.49 mm Hg (standard error: 0.054, p<0.001) and 0.46 mm Hg (SE: 0.058, p<0.001) lower for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher temperature, in unadjusted and adjusted models, respectively. We did not find any significant interactions between the effect modifiers listed and ambient temperature. In conclusion, there was an association between higher ambient temperature and lower blood pressure, independent of season. This study is crucial in understanding how ambient temperature affects BP among African American adults. Greater temperature extremes could lead to greater fluctuation in BP levels with uncertain short and long-term health effects.

Magnetic Supraparticles Capable of Recording High‐Temperature Events

AbstractSuperparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are prone to oxidation at elevated temperatures (>300 °C) and lose their magnetizability upon transition from magnetite/maghemite (γ‐Fe2O3 / Fe3O4) to hematite (α‐Fe2O3). Silica (SiO2) shells can effectively prevent this undesired effect up to ≈1000 °C. Herein, the study shows how to utilize SPIONs with varying SiO2 shell thickness and thus, different oxidation susceptibility, and how to combine them in micrometers sized assemblies – so‐called supraparticles (SPs), to create a structurally emerging magnetic temperature recording functionality. The desired oxidation of non or weakly‐protected SPIONs within SPs upon temperature events reduces dipole–dipole interactions of well‐protected SPIONs in the confined SP entity. The resulting change of magnetic interactions therefore contains information on the thermal history of the SP, which can be spectrally read out via magnetic particle spectroscopy within seconds. Their working range can be tuned from 400 to 1000 °C on two independent structural hierarchy levels, namely the SiO2 shell thickness and the freely selectable ratios of different building blocks in the SP. The application of such SPs as particulate additives for magnetic recording of high‐temperature events, especially relevant in metal, alloy, and ceramic processing, representing a yet unexplored and optically‐independent option for bulk temperature recording is proposed.

Assessing the impact of dust events on the Holiday Climate Index in the Taklimakan Desert region.

As a significant sector within the tourism industry, desert tourism has developed rapidly in recent years, contributing significantly to local economic development. On the other hand, desert tourism is constantly influenced by the desert climate, characterized by high temperatures, aridity, and dust events. This study examines and analyzes the impact of dust events on the Holiday Climate Index (HCI) using an improved methodology. It incorporates comprehensive meteorological data including temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and dust events of Tazhong, located in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert. The results indicate that the maximum mean monthly HCI dips from an ideal level (91) to a very good level (73), the minimum dips from good level (66) to a marginal level (47), and the annual comfortable days (HCI ≥ 80) decrease from 180.5 to 95.3 after considering the impacts of dust events. The corrective HCI indicates that autumn, especially October, offers relatively comfortable climatic conditions for tourism, with the mean monthly comfortable days reach 20.1. These findings can better guide desert tourism activities and also demonstrate that the impact of dust weather on tourism activities cannot be ignored.

The phase change in the annual cycle of sea surface temperature

In recent decades, many research efforts focused on global climate change, multidecadal, decadal, interannual variability, and the increasing extreme events of sea surface temperature. In contrast, the continuous evolution of the reference frame, the annual cycle of SST used to quantify the aforementioned variability and changes, has long been overlooked, resulting in difficulties in understanding the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for these variability and changes. In this study, we strive to bridge this gap on the phase changes in SST annual cycle. By devising a running correlation-based method, we can now quantify the non-sinusoidal shape of the evolving SST annual cycle, such as the advancing or delaying of summer and winter peaking times. It is revealed that the varying phases of summer or winter are more closely linked to multidecadal SST variability than to long-term climate change. Both the systematic shift of the phase and alterations in the annual cycle shape contribute to the phase changes, which explain 0.4~1.0 °C of monthly SST anomaly with respect to the climatological annual cycle in a multidecadal timescale. Furthermore, it is evident that the SST phases in historical simulations are better captured in winter than in summer and exhibit stronger variation compared with observation.

People quasi-randomly assigned to farm rice are more collectivistic than people assigned to farm wheat

The rice theory of culture argues that the high labor demands and interdependent irrigation networks of paddy rice farming makes cultures more collectivistic than wheat-farming cultures. Despite prior evidence, proving causality is difficult because people are not randomly assigned to farm rice. In this study, we take advantage of a unique time when the Chinese government quasi-randomly assigned people to farm rice or wheat in two state farms that are otherwise nearly identical. The rice farmers show less individualism, more loyalty/nepotism toward a friend over a stranger, and more relational thought style. These results rule out confounds in tests of the rice theory, such as temperature, latitude, and historical events. The differences suggest rice-wheat cultural differences can form in a single generation.

Modulation of Western South Atlantic Marine Heatwaves by Meridional Ocean Heat Transport

AbstractMarine heatwaves and cold spells are extreme surface temperature events that have been associated with adverse societal and ecosystem impacts in several regions around the globe. Predicting these events presents a challenge because of their generally short‐lived nature and dependence on air‐sea interactions, both locally and remotely. Here we analyze oceanic propagating features that promote the occurrence of marine heatwaves and cold spells in the western subtropical South Atlantic. The main interannual feature detected from satellite sea level data since 1993 shows a westward propagating zonal pattern with a periodicity of 3–5 years. The pattern has a significant in‐phase correlation with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the western South Atlantic, explaining 82% of the daily extreme warm (90th percentile) and cold (10th percentile) SST anomalies and consequently modulating interannual variations in the intensity and duration of marine heatwave and cold spell events. It is found that meridional oceanic advection plays an important role in the regional heat budget associated with the westward‐propagating mode, modulating the meridional exchange of tropical (warm) and extratropical (cold) waters in the western subtropical South Atlantic region and thereby setting a baseline for temperature extremes on interannual timescales. This propagating mode is well correlated (r > 0.6) with the strength of the meridional overturning circulation at 25°S and 30°S with a lag of approximately 3–9 months. The lagged response provides a potential source of predictability of extreme events in the western South Atlantic.

Seeing is more than believing: Personal experience increases climate action.

Although global warming is a serious problem that influences numerous people worldwide, individuals are still reluctant to change their behaviours. The present research investigates how local hot temperatures affect climate action in non-Western groups. In Study 1, an analysis of temperature and information acquisition by Shanghai residents in 122 days found that heat increased attention and awareness of climate change. In Study 2 and Study 3, participants who were primed with heat-related perceptions were more likely to take climate action in private and public spheres. In Study 4, we further identified that people who experienced hot temperature events increased their beliefs and efficacy about climate change, which in turn motivated them to take more climate action. Importantly, the mediating effects were significant both in the manipulation of heat and real-world settings. Consistent with our theoretical perspective, seeing is more than believing because personal experience increases climate action by fostering climate change beliefs and efficacy.

Co-designed agro-climate indicators identify different future climate effects for grape and olive across Europe

Co-design processes involving the scientific community, practitioners, end users and stakeholders can efficiently characterize harmful weather events during the growing season that potentially result in losses of crop yield and quality. This study builds on the experience of the EU Horizon 2020 project MED-GOLD for grape and olive. The identified agro-climate indicators are extended from the MED-GOLD regions to the entire ones where grape and olive are currently grown in Europe and Turkey, and used to assess climate change impacts with intrinsic adaptation relevance stemming from the co-design process. Before 2000, only a low fraction of the European grape and olive growing areas was exposed to extreme weather events as revealed by the agro-climate indicators, but this has changed rapidly afterward. Projections show increasingly widespread extreme high temperature events from 2020 to 2080. Approximately one-third of grapevine regions and over half of olive cultivation areas are expected to experience extreme drought conditions. Additionally, the frequency of compound extreme events will increase in the future, especially in the Mediterranean region and under the high-end emission scenario RCP8.5. This outcome calls for a new decision-making mindset that embeds expected levels of climate variability and extremes as the “new normal” for grape and olive in Europe. This will facilitate deployment of the required biophysical, economic and policy adaptation tools.

An attempt using equatorial waves to predict tropical sea surface temperature anomalies associated with the Atlantic zonal mode

IntroductionThe forecast for anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) events associated with Atlantic zonal mode, also known as Atlantic Niño/Niña, is full of challenge for both statistical and dynamical prediction models. MethodsThis study combines SST, wind and equatorial wave signal to construct a linear model, aiming to evaluate the potential of equatorial waves in extending the lead time of a skilful prediction for Atlantic Niño/Niña events. Wave-induced geopotential simulated by linear ocean models and potential energy flux calculated using a group-velocity-based wave energy flux scheme are involved to capture the signal of equatorial waves in the model establishment. ResultsThe constructed linear prediction model has demonstrated comparable prediction skill for the SST anomaly to the dynamical models of the North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME) during the test period (1992-2016). Compared with the statistical forecast using SST persistence, the model notably improves the six-month-lead prediction (Anomaly correlation coefficient increases from 0.07 to 0.28), which owes to the conservation of wave energy in the narrow Atlantic basin that the Rossby waves reflected in the eastern boundary will transfer the energy back to the central equatorial basin and again affect the SST there. ConclusionThis study offers a streamlined model and a straightforward demonstration of leveraging wave energy transfer route for the prediction of Atlantic Niño/Niñas.

Exploring multi-decadal time series of temperature extremes in Australian coastal waters

Abstract. The intensity and frequency of extreme ocean temperature events, such as marine heatwaves (MHWs) and marine cold spells (MCSs), are expected to change as our oceans warm. Little is known about marine extremes in Australian coastal waters, particularly below the surface. Here we introduce a multi-decadal observational record of extreme ocean temperature events starting in the 1940s and 1950s between the surface and the bottom (50–100 m) at four long-term coastal sites around Australia: the Australian Multi-Decadal Ocean Time Series EXTreme (AMDOT-EXT) data products (https://doi.org/10.26198/wbc7-8h24, Hemming et al., 2024). The data products include indices indicating the timing of extreme warm and cold temperature events, their intensity and the corresponding temperature time series and climatology thresholds. We include MHWs, MCSs and shorter-duration heat spikes and cold spikes. For MHWs and MCSs, which are defined as anomalies above the daily varying 90th and 10th percentiles, respectively, and lasting more than 5 d, we also provide further event information, such as their category and onset and decline rates. The four data products are provided as CF-compliant NetCDF files, and it is our intention that they be updated periodically. It is advised that data users seek the latest data product version. Using these multi-decadal data products, we show the most intense and longest extreme temperature events at these sites, which have occurred below the surface. These data records highlight the value of long-term full water column ocean data for the identification of extreme temperature events below the surface.

Heatwave‐mediated decreases in phytoplankton quality negatively affect zooplankton productivity

Abstract Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme temperature events. The effect of heatwaves on phytoplankton is of particular concern because they are a key source of C, N, P and essential fatty acids to aquatic ecosystems. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that phytoplankton grown at warmer temperatures are a lower quality food source, but how heatwaves affect phytoplankton quality at the community scale is currently unclear. Here we address this knowledge gap by growing natural assemblages of freshwater phytoplankton at “ambient”, “constant warming” or “heatwave” conditions. We next fed these phytoplankton communities to natural assemblages of zooplankton to test the prediction that zooplankton that consume heatwave‐exposed phytoplankton will exhibit reductions in biomass. Our experiment demonstrated that zooplankton that consumed “heatwave” phytoplankton attained lower community biomass than those fed “constant warming” or “ambient” phytoplankton. Additionally, despite receiving similar total heat input, phytoplankton exposed to “heatwave” conditions contained lower C, N, P and fatty acid concentrations compared to phytoplankton grown in “constant warming” conditions. Correlations between zooplankton biomass and all measured phytoplankton traits revealed that decreases in zooplankton biomass were best explained by low quantities of C, N and monounsaturated fatty acids in “heatwave” phytoplankton. Our study demonstrates that the effects of heatwaves on phytoplankton quality are clearly distinct from those caused by constant warming temperatures and that heatwave‐mediated decreases in resource quality have immediate effects on consumer productivity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Investigating the non-linear impacts of seven types of natural disasters on inbound tourism: Insights from the EM-DAT database

The growing frequency and intensity of disasters due to climate change present considerable risks for tourist destinations, necessitating comprehensive research on their economic impacts. This study investigates the contemporaneous dose-response relationship between natural disasters and inbound tourism by estimating a flexible binned regression model. The analysis is conducted in a panel data setting from 1995 to 2019, spanning over 150 countries and accounting for the impact of more than 8,300 individual disasters from seven distinct categories. Examining seven natural disaster types (earthquakes, epidemics, extreme temperature events, floods, landslides, storms and wildfires) and five disaster impact metrics reflecting their human and economic impacts, the analysis reveals that increased disaster impact, except for earthquakes, correlates with reduced levels of tourist arrivals and travel expenditure. The paper provides valuable insights into the relationship between disasters, climate change, and tourism economics, informing disaster mitigation strategies and broader climate change assessments for tourism sector policy and decision-makers.

Holocene temperature and cold events recorded in arid Central Asian peatlands

Despite being exceptionally sensitive to global warming, Holocene temperature records for Central Asia are sparse. Here we report on two high-resolution peatland humification records from Northwestern China. These provide a continuous warm-season temperature record for this region during the Holocene. Warm-season temperatures generally followed summer insolation in the early Holocene. However, these deviated from summer insolation trends in the mid- and late-Holocene, likely due to intensified greenhouse gas forcing at that time. We identify 17 cold events that lasted from ∼1 to 6 centuries that are associated with solar activity. Severe cold events that occurred during the early and late Holocene appear to be related to strengthened westerlies.

Sensitivity of amphibian embryos to timing and magnitude of present and future thermal extremes.

Ongoing climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature events. Unlike the gradual increase on average environmental temperatures, these short-term and unpredictable temperature extremes impact population dynamics of ectotherms through their effect on individual survival. While previous research has predominantly focused on the survival rate of terrestrial embryos under acute heat stress, less attention has been dedicated to the nonlethal effects of ecologically realistic timing and magnitude of temperature extremes on aquatic embryos. In this study, we investigated the influence of the timing and magnitude of current and projected temperature extremes on embryonic life history traits and hatchling behavior in the alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris. Using a factorial experiment under controlled laboratory conditions, we exposed 3- or 10-day-old embryos to different regimes of extreme temperatures for 3 days. Our results show that exposure to different extreme temperature regimes led to a shortened embryonic development time and an increase in hatchling length, while not significantly affecting embryonic survival. The duration of development was sensitive to the timing of temperature extremes, as early exposure accelerated embryo development. Exposure to temperature extremes during embryonic development heightened the exploratory activity of hatched larvae. We conclude that the timing and magnitude of ecologically realistic temperature extremes during embryogenesis have nonlethal effects on life history and behavioral traits. This suggests that species' vulnerability to climate change might be determined by other ecophysiological traits beyond embryonic thermal tolerance in temperate pond-breeding amphibians.

A multiple baseline approach for marine heatwaves

AbstractMarine heatwaves and other extreme temperature events can drive biological responses, including mass mortality. However, their effects depend on how they are experienced by biological systems (including human societies). We applied two different baselines (fixed and shifting) to a time series of North Sea water temperature to explore how slowly vs. quickly adapting systems would experience extreme temperatures. We tested if the properties of marine heatwaves and the association with atmospheric heatwaves were robust to a change in baseline. A fixed baseline produced an increase in the frequency and duration of marine heatwaves, which would be experienced as the new normal by slowly adapting systems; 7 of the 10 most severe heatwaves occurred between 1990 and 2018. The shifting baseline removed the trend in the frequency but not duration of heatwaves; the 1990s appeared as a period of change in the frequency of strong and severe heatwaves as compared to the 1980s. There were also common patterns among baselines: marine heatwaves were more frequent in late summer when temperatures peak; temperature variability was characterized by low frequency, large amplitude fluctuations (i.e., as red noise), known to drive extinction events. In addition, marine heatwaves occurred during or just after atmospheric heatwaves. Our work highlights the importance of identifying properties of marine heatwaves that are robust or contingent on a change in baseline.

Estimation of non-stationary return levels of extreme temperature by CMIP6 models

Abstract This study aims to investigate the effects of climate change on return level of extreme maximum temperature (EMT) events in Iran. To this end, the CRU gridded dataset was used to collect EMT for the 1901–2014 period and future data were projected from four available CMIP6 models, where the BCC-CSM2-MR performed best under the latest Shared Socioeconomic Pathways-Representative concentration pathways (SSPs-RCPs) emission scenarios for the 2015–2100 period. The non-stationary state of the distribution was considered under three models GEV0 (location and scale parameters are constant), GEV1 (nonstationary of location), and GEV2 (nonstationary of scale) based on the evaluation criteria . The findings indicate that, when using a non-stationary approach and considering the SSP5-8.5 scenario for a 2-year return period, the return level of extreme temperature increased by up to +4°C compared with the stationary approach, while considering a non-stationary approach without climate change, the increase in the return level of extreme temperature was much smaller(up to +0.7°C). MCMC and DE-MC showed no significant differences and demonstrated that all stations are non-stationary in terms of the location parameter (GEV1).

Influence of high temperature and drought stress at jointing stage on crop physiological responses and growth in summer maize plants (Zea mays L.)

The combination of low precipitation and high temperature stresses at jointing stage can severely threaten maize production. However, to date, few studies have been conducted on the effects of combined stress on maize plants expression at jointing stage. In the current research, plant growth, root morphology, and yield components were determined after exposure to the single and combined stress of high temperature and drought stress. Leaf gas exchange, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and antioxidant enzymes activities were conducted to identify potential mechanisms of stress responses. The single stress of high temperature and drought significantly reduced the biomass of various organs and the total aboveground biomass, which reduced the yield of maize plants. High temperature substantially decreased aboveground biomass and yield under mild and severe water stress, which indicated that the inhibitory effects of combined stress were more significant than that of high temperature or drought individually. High temperature exacerbated the negative impacts of water stress on plants growth and yield as shown by the reduced leaf photosynthetic rate (Pn), probably related to the increasing MDA content. Leaf-level water use efficiency (WUE) was enhanced as the reduction in leaf transpiration (Tr) was greater than the decrease in leaf photosynthesis under high temperature, even for those plants were suffering water stress. High temperature, drought stress and their combination all greatly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), but were ineffective in mitigating oxidative damage. The MDA content and antioxidant enzymes activities showed an increasing trend following 12 days of combined stress. This substantiated the irreversible damage induced by combination of high temperature and desiccation stresses. The combined stress optimized roots length, root volume, root surface area, and thinned the average root diameter, which improved the adaptation of maize to high temperature, drought and combined stress. This study has provided meaningful references for improved understanding the impacts of drought, high temperature, and concurrent events on the physiology and growth of maize plants during the jointing period.

Intranasal dexmedetomidine as premedication for magnetic resonance imaging examinations in dogs with neurological disorders mitigates hypotension and hypothermia.

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of intranasal administration of dexmedetomidine as a premedication for preventing hypotension and hypothermia in canine patients undergoing MRI examinations. Dogs undergoing MRI examinations for neurological disorders were enrolled in this study. The dogs were randomly assigned: 15 to the N-Dex group (without premedication) and 13 to the Dex group (125 μg/m2 of dexmedetomidine, intranasally, as a premedication). During the examination, pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure were recorded every 5 minutes for the first 30 minutes. Body temperature was measured before and after the examination. Any adverse events during the procedure were documented. Significant changes in pulse rate during the examination were not distinguishable. Although blood pressure and body temperature decreased in both groups under anesthesia, dogs in the Dex group had a significantly smaller drop in blood pressure and body temperature and fewer hypotension events than those in the N-Dex group MRI examinations of 1 hour's duration. Two dogs in the Dex group exhibited bradycardia at 45 and 60 minutes of MRI examination, which resolved after receiving atipamezole. Our results indicate that intranasal administration of 125 μg/m2 of dexmedetomidine as premedication is safe and can potentially mitigate hypothermia and hypotension in dogs with neurological disorders during MRI examinations.