Digital Maps of Physiological Comfort Levels in the Gulf of Sirt Area for the Period 1970 – 2010 Using GIS

Abstract

The research aims to prepare a geographic database for climatic comfort in the Gulf of Sirt Area for the period 1970-2010, and produce digital maps showing the geographic distribution of its levels using geographic information systems, By applying a number of composite bioclimatic comfort indicators, such as the Tom index and the Oliver index, based on the analysis of monthly averages of temperature and relative humidity based on a number of six climatic stations, namely: Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Gallo, Sirte, Hun, and Misurata stations for the period 1970-2010. To analyse the monthly averages of temperature and relative humidity based on a number of six climate stations, namely: Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Gallo, Sirt, Hon, and Misurata stations for the period 1970-2010, To represent the relationship between climatic conditions and a person’s feeling of comfort or distress, annoyance and discomfort cartographically, the study concluded that the climate of the Gulf of Area was comfortable for the population for the period 1970-2010, as the Tom’s index reached between 19.2 and less than 20.6, falling within the limits of complete climatic comfort. The results of the Oliver Index revealed the emergence of levels of comfort with severe discomfort for residents, especially in the months of July and August in all stations, where the Oliver discomfort values ranged between 75.6 in July at the Hon station and 89.6 in July at the Benghazi station, and the month of September recorded levels of discomfort in the Sirte, Misurata and Gallo stations, with variation in climatic comfort levels spatially and temporally in the Gulf of Sirt Area.