BioKlima - Universal tool for bioclimatic and thermophysiological studies
Evaluation of bioclimate is more and more frequently undertaken by climatologists and other specialists, e.g. physicians, physiologists, land use planners etc. However there is not exist one manual presented methods available. They are dispersed in various sources.
BioKlima is a new software which gathers different methods of bioclimatic studies. Using BioKlima you can easy calculate about 60 various biometeorological and thermophysiological indices.
BioKlima can be used both, by competent bioclimatologists and physiologists as well as by new adepts of this kind of research. The two groups of users will find BioKlima as a friendly guide in bioclimatology. The BioKlima can be used for various purposes:
- general evaluation of bioclimatic conditions (based on mean values of meteorological elements),
- detail analysis of bioclimatic conditions (based on daily meteorological data),
- general evaluation of the human heat balance,
- detail analysis of the human heat balance in different environmental conditions.
Main features of BioKlima
- Easy calculation of various biometeorological and thermophysiological indices (see Table 1).
- Input data representing two groups of values: meteorological and physiological (see Table 2). You can input your data directly from the keyboard. The data can be also imported from ASCII files or directly from Excel worksheet (using Copy/Cut/Paste). The most efficient way to calculate in BioKlima is to prepare data file in Excel (or another worksheet) with proper, accepted by BioKlima abbreviations of input data, and next save it as text file (.txt or .csv extension).
- When you intend to calculate UTCI you must use wind speed from 10 m height (variable v10m). Another indices use wind speed from 1.2 m (human body level, variable v).
- You can optionally use cloudiness in % (variable N) or in octants (variable N8).
- Default values of some input data (used if no data present). Some input data can be also calculated from other input data (for example sun altitude, global solar radiation, skin temperature). Before you start to calculate bioclimatic indices you must calculate Sun altitude (hSl). Indices derived from human heat balance need hSl as input data. How to calculate hSl see HELP file (BioKlima.hlp).
- Possible indices feature tells you what indices can be calculated using the data you have.
- BioKlima can also calculate principal statistical characteristics (sum, mean, variance, standard deviation, their errors, etc.). At some indices BioKlima assumes default limits of intervals which refer to mostly considered in bioclimatology scales of thermal sensations and/or heat stroke. However you can define your own intervals and also make histograms.
- Unlimited number of data tables and columns and rows in each table. Tables can contain numbers or text.
- The tables content can be loaded from and save to an ASCII file.
- You can use the common Copy, Cut and Paste functions to transfer the data between BioKlima and other Windows applications (for example MS Excel).
- MS Windows version is ready to download. It performs all of the functions mentioned above and now (English version with Help, Search, Drag&drop support is ready).
- Read the file HistoryEn.txt to see what's new in actual version 2.6.
Downloading the software
BioKlima ver. 2.6 for MS Windows is a freeware - it can be used and re-distributed absolutely freely. You can download it in two options:
- as ZIP-ed, executable file (especially prepared for WINDOWS 7 users); after downloading you can simply unpack the file to your own directory and use it.
- as ZIP-ed, setup file; after downloading unpack the file and use setup command to install BioKlima on your computer.
If you have any questions or problems or have found any bugs please contact the author: Prof. Krzysztof Błażejczyk, PhD