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Travel Grant Teaching Computation Online with MATLAB Educator Workshop

UD ADVANCE Institute Leadership Mini-grant

American Association of Geographers

American Geophysical Union

American Meteorological Society

Water vapor in cold and clean atmosphere: a 3-year data set in the boundary layer of Dome C, East Antarctic Plateau

Detecting Fog Occurrence on the Eastern Antarctic Plateau Using a Suite of In Situ and Remotely Sensed Observations

Twenty-First-Century Urbanization and Climate Change: Regional Climate Modeling of Coastal Winds in the Mid-Atlantic

Numerical Weather Models Were Not Made to Be Perfect: How Realistically Can They Simulate a Sea Breeze?

10 years of temperature and wind observation on a 45 m tower at Dome C, East Antarctic plateau

Dr. Dana Veron has participated in several Antarctic research campaigns, particularly in Eastern Antarctica, focused on improving understanding of the energetic and mass balances in this region. Her first excursion to Antarctica took place in 2017 with a French-led initiative known as CALVA, an international collaboration of climate researchers working to improve calibration and validation of satellite observations and climate modeling in Antarctica. Such modeling is essential for the safety of researchers and support staff on the continent and contributes to scientists’ understanding of global climate change. Dr. Veron also investigates marine and coastal boundary layers processes, particularly focusing on coastal winds such as the sea breeze and on the radiative impact of boundary layer clouds. Dr. Veron combines observational data from remote sensing and in situ stations from research vessels, buoys, and land-based platforms with state of the art high resolution modeling to improve understanding and prediction of coastal processes. These efforts improve weather forecasting, disaster planning and responses, and the utilization of offshore wind power. Dr. Veron is director of the Climate Scholars program, and is co-director of the Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub, which focuses on training future climate leaders who are able to design and implement interdisciplinary solutions to climate change challenges such as enhanced urban heat, coastal flooding, and extreme weather.

climate education

sea breeze

Polar climate

Coastal Meteorology

Offshore wind power

University of Delaware Faculty Profile

Veron Lab Website

made clear Staff Profile

Google Scholar Citations

Understanding Earth’s Climate System

Clouds of Antarctica

Wind power fiercer than expected, study finds

Creating Meaningful Internship and Placement Opportunities in Online and Hybrid Courses

Clouds on the Antarctic horizon

Pop Up Fireside Chat on “Picture a Scientist”

Developing the Environmental Education Workforce in Delaware

An Integrated Evaluation of the Simulated Hydroclimate System of the Continental US.

Improving Model Parameterization of Energetic Fluxes in the Boundary Layer over Antarctica

the-road-to-heat-resilience

Professor, Geography and Spacial Sciences; Co-Director, Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub

Director, Climate Change Science & Policy Hub | Core Faculty, Disaster Research Center | Associate Professor, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration & Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences

 University of Delaware researchers are leading a heat mapping project  to address the urban heat island effect caused by climate change. Dana Veron and A.R. Siders, co-directors of the Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub, have laid out a plan of action that aims to understand the heat distribution, particularly in vulnerable communities.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related death in the United States, making urban heat islands a significant public health concern. 

In an effort to tackle this issue head on, Veron and Siders – who are also professors at UD – have been working with UD’s Center for Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (CEMA) and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to map heat in Wilmington, Delaware.

 The 2023 WiST (Wilmington and Surrounding Townships) Heat Watch has been in the works since late 2021. The initial proposals were developed by CEMA and DNREC. UD’s Climate Hub became the coordinating entity soon after.

“This was our first externally funded project that allowed the Hub to serve the role we envisioned for it, as a central point of contact and communication, a facilitator networking amongst many partners across different sectors,” said Dana Veron,

High heat-absorbance in urban areas leads to increased energy consumption, emissions, and strains on energy systems. The mapping project is part of a broader trend in urban sustainability planning and cooling strategies, driven by the need to mitigate the urban heat island effect. 

The researchers anticipate using the data to influence future city planning, incorporating green infrastructure to reduce the urban heat island effect. The Climate Hub team plans to present the preliminary results in a virtual town hall meeting, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and collaboration in addressing climate-related challenges. The campaign demonstrates the potential for universities to lead collaborative efforts and engage students in climate research and community outreach.

Dozens of other Heat Watch campaign teams have incorporated their findings into climate and heat mitigation strategies. In Virginia, Richmond officials have made heat vulnerability and urban heat islands a determining factor in their upcoming city and sustainability planning endeavors. In New Jersey, the city of Newark introduced several proposals offering equitable solutions to heat emergencies, including increased funding for cooling centers and urban green spaces.

Every Heat Watch mapping campaign develops a report detailing heat distribution across the target city. Digital maps that display predictive heat-index models mindful of land coverage and topography are also publicly released.

“This is the beginning of the work,” said Veron. “All the partners are anxious to get the map because what’s really exciting is what happens next.”

To set up an interview with Veron or Siders, visit their profiles and click the "contact" button.


The road to heat resilience

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