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
A. Scientific
papers:
1. Scientific article submitted in a WoS journal:
1.
Schlechtweg, P., Brenning, A., Khaykho, J., Sfîcă, L., 2025. Mapping heat-related risk in three mid-sized
European cities. City and Environment Interactions (submitted, October
2025).
2.
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).
B. Participations
in scientific events and conferences:
B.1. Abroad:
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. Premises, perspectives and
opportunities in urban climatology research in Romania. Workshop: GIS
applied in regional climatology, bioclimatology, topoclimatology
and microclimatology, Vatra Dornei,
29 of August-1st of September 2025 (in Romanian).
2. Ichim, P.,
2025. Urban climate modeling with ENVI-met: scientific tool in
applied climatology and bioclimatology. Workshop: GIS applied in regional climatology,
bioclimatology, topoclimatology and microclimatology,
Vatra Dornei, 29 of
August-1st of September 2025 (in Romanian).
3. Sfîcă, L., 2025. Progress in urban
climate research in northeastern Romania. Webinar: Research projects carried out by ARMAE
members, 2 of September 2025, online (in Romanian).
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 (Award-winning presentation). National Student
Symposium “Mihai David”, 15th edition, November 21-23, 2025, “Alexandru Ioan
Cuza” University of Iași (in Romanian).
8. Croitoru,
I.M., 2025. Modern methods for analyzing
thermal inversion phenomena. Case study: Ski slope in Iași municipality.
National Student Symposium “Mihai David”, 15th edition, November 21-23, 2025,
“Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași (in Romanian).
9. Țurcanu,
R.S., 2025. Evaluating the effectiveness
of vegetation in alleviating urban thermal discomfort through ENVI-met full
forcing modeling (Award-winning
presentation). National Student Symposium “Mihai
David”, 15th edition, November 21-23, 2025, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of
Iași (in Romanian).
10. Pintilie,
E., 2025. Analysis of thermal comfort in
the cold season for the municipality of Iași based on bioclimatic
indicators derived from UCLARIS data (2013-2022). National Student
Symposium “Mihai David”, 15th edition, November 21-23, 2025, “Alexandru Ioan
Cuza” University of Iași (in Romanian).
C. Data
processing script for fine-scale LST spatialization:
1. https://code.earthengine.google.com/14141fcb73754b73ada8f907054d6679
D. Cognitive and socio-economic impact
a. Social-media posting:
1. Facebook: https://shorturl.at/01TnD (in Romanian)
2. Facebook: https://shorturl.at/rrYu6 (in Romanian)
b. Public
events:
Participation in the European Researchers'
Night, September 26, 2025, Iași, Palace Garden.
Contact
Project Leader: Associate Professor PhD. Lucian SFÎCĂ
lucian.sfica (a) uaic.ro
Phone
+40232201074