Diachronic modeling of (bio)climate conditions at a fine spatial scale in the main cities of North-East Romania (western Moldavia)
Project number 96PCE/15.07.2025; Project code PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-0897
Implementation period: 15.07.2025-14.07.2028
About project
Project title:
Diachronic modeling of (bio)climate conditions at a fine spatial scale in the main cities of North-East Romania (western Moldavia)
Acronym: MOBCLIM
Project number: 96PCE/15.07.2025;
Project code: PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-0897
Implementation period: 15.07.2025-14.07.2028
Budget: 229.473,80 Euro
Acronym: MOBCLIM
Project number: 96PCE/15.07.2025;
Project code: PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-0897
Implementation period: 15.07.2025-14.07.2028
Budget: 229.473,80 Euro
Project summary:
The increased amount of weather observations combined with the higher accuracy of the interpolation methods, fostered by machine learning, drive nowadays the climate assessment toward modeling approaches. The current project proposes an extensive spatial insight of climate and bioclimatic conditions in the main 8 cities of North-East Romania through high spatial resolution modeling. The climate modeling will be performed in MOBCLIM project through satellite image disaggregation, but especially with ENVI-met software, and explored with similar tools (PALM-4U). For each city the (bio)climate modeling will sample the main local climate zones (LCZ), but also the city center, defined by the highest human mobility. Input data for climate modeling and also the validation of modeling results will be represented by gridded datasets, official weather monitoring data, but also from in-situ or mobile measurements planned in the MOBCLIM project. Cold and heat stress will be equally tackled with their characteristics determined by the atmospheric circulation conditions. A diachronic perspective of the proposed analysis will be given by the assessment of the present conditions, as derived from observation (2004-2023), but also of future medium-term conditions, as estimated by climate scenarios (2051-2070). Dissemination of the scientific results is split towards scientific deliverables, but also to the support of the sustainable urban planning in the context of climate change.
Objectives
The main goal of the project is to enlarge the existing knowledge on the field of urban climate in Romania through detailed analysis of 8 primary cities in the north-eastern part of Romania, summing up more than 1.4 million inhabitants.
O1: To update the description of current urban climate conditions for 6 cities and to extend its analysis to 2 other analyzed cities.
O2: To realize an assessment of thermal discomfort in the analyzed cities using some relevant bioclimatic indices (UTCI and WCPI) applied for summer HWs and winter CWa.
O3: The modeling of urban climate at a fine spatial scale for relevant urban areas.
O4: To explore the impact of green and blue solutions for the most relevant key-regions of thermal discomfort.
O5: Climate change education for citizens and stakeholders based on project results.
Project team
Assoc. Prof. PhD Lucian Sfîcă
Prof. PhD. Adina-Eliza Croitoru
Assoc. Prof. PhD Dumitru Mihăilă
SR Marius-Victor Bîrsan
Lect. PhD. Pavel Ichim
Assit. PhD Petruț-Ionel Bistricean
Lect. PhD. Lucian Roșu
PhD Stud. Vlad-Alexandru Amihăesei
PhD Stud. Claudiu-Ștefănel Crețu
PhD Stud. Robert Hrițac
PhD Stud. Alexandru-Constantin Corocăescu
Results
Scientific papers:
1. One scientific article submitted in a WoS journal:
1. Ichim, P., Sfîcă, L., Bistricean, P.B., Crețu, Ș.C., Hrițac, R., 2025. Spatial identification and prediction of thermal spots based on mobile measurements in urban areas. Frontiers in Climatology, submitted November 2025 (submitted, December 2025).
Participations in scientific events and conferences:
1. Hrițac, R., Breabăn, I.G., Sfîcă, L., Ichim, P., 2025. From cold pools to heat islands: machine learning-based urban temperature mapping during cold season, Mediterranean Geosciences Union, 5th Annual Meeting, 10-12 of November, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
B.2. In Romania:
1. Sfîcă, L., 2025. Premise, perspective și oportunități în cercetările de climatologie urbană în România. Workshop: GIS aplicat în climatologie regională, bioclimatologie, topoclimatologie și microclimatologie, Vatra Dornei, 29 of August-1st of September 2025.
2. Ichim, P., 2025. Modela rea climatului urban cu ENVI-met: instrument științific în climatologie aplicată și bioclimatologie. Workshop: GIS aplicat în climatologie regională, bioclimatologie, topoclimatologie și microclimatologie, Vatra Dornei, 29 of August-1st of September 2025.
3. Sfîcă, L., 2025. Progrese în cercetarea climatului urban din nord-estul României. Webinar: Proiecte de cercetare desfășurate de membrii ARMAE, 2 of September 2025, online.
4. Ichim, P., Țurcanu, R.S., Sfîcă, L., Crețu, C.Ș., Hrițac, R., 2025. Microclimatic Impacts of Paved vs. Green Urban Surfaces: ENVI-met-Based Analysis, International Geographical Seminar “Dimitrie Cantemir”, Ediția a XLV-a, 24-26 of October, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași.
5. Corocăescu, A.C., Sfîcă, L., Ichim, P., Grozavu, A., 2025. Assessment of the thermal capacity of urban parks to mitigate the urban heat island in the main cities in Romania, International Geographical Seminar “Dimitrie Cantemir”, Ediția a XLV-a, 24-26 of October, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași.
6. Hrițac, R., Breabăn, I.G., Sfîcă, L., Ichim, P., 2025. Synoptic drivers of high-impact winter hazards in Romania, International Geographical Seminar “Dimitrie Cantemir”, Ediția a XLV-a, 24-26 of October, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași.
7. Corocăescu, A.C., 2025. Multisensor fusion and spatial disaggregation of Land Surface Temperature: a comparative analysis of Landsat 8/9-Sentinel-2 and MODIS-Sentinel-2 Approaches, Simpozionul Național Studențesc “Mihai David”, ediția a XV-a, 21-23 noiembrie 2025, Universitatea “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași (Prezentare premiată).
8. Croitoru, I.M., 2025. Metode moderne de analiză a fenomenelor de inversiune termică. Studiu de caz: Pârtia de Ski din municipiul Iași. Simpozionul Național Studențesc “Mihai David”, ediția a XV-a, 21-23 noiembrie 2025, Universitatea “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași.
9. Țurcanu, R.S., 2025. Evaluarea eficienței vegetației în ameliorarea disconfortului termic urban prin modelare ENVI-met full forcing. Simpozionul Național Studențesc “Mihai David”, ediția a XV-a, 21-23 noiembrie 2025, Universitatea “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași (Prezentare premiată).
10. Pintilie, E., 2025. Analiza confortului termic în sezonul rece pentru municipiul Iași pe baza indicatorilor bioclimatici derivați din datele UCLARIS (2013-2022), Simpozionul Național Studențesc “Mihai David”, ediția a XV-a, 21-23 noiembrie 2025, Universitatea “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași.
Data processing script for fine-scale LST spatialization:
1. https://code.earthengine.google.com/14141fcb73754b73ada8f907054d6679
Press and social media appearances:
1. Participare la Noaptea Cercetătorilor, 26 septembrie 2025, Iași, Grădina Palace.
Contact
Project Leader: Associate Professor PhD. Lucian SFÎCĂ
lucian.sfica (a) uaic.ro
Phone
+40232201074