The microclimate, surface energy flux and human skin burn risks of artificial turf as compared to natural turf

This dataset contains the measured hourly mean microclimate and surface energy flux data from a field experiment. The experiment consisted of three treatments: unirrigated artificial turf, unirrigated natural turf, and irrigated natural turf (4 mm/day, 13:00-13:23 local time). The experiment was conducted from 2024-01-28 to 2024-03-18 in Burnley, Melbourne, Australia.For each treatment, the measured hourly mean data included albedo, soil moisture content, air temperature, vapour pressure of water, wind speed, black globe temperature, mean radiant temperature, universal theraml climate index, wet-bulb globe temperature, soil temperature, turf surface temperature, incoming and outgoing longwave and shortwave radiant fluxes, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and ground heat flux. Turf surface temperature, and incoming and outgoing longwave and shortwave radiant fluxes were measured at 1.5 m above ground surface.Air temperature and vapour pressure of water were measured at 0.6 and 1.1 m above ground surface.Wind speed, black globe temperature, mean radiant temperature, universal thermal climate index, and wet-bulb globe temperature were measured at 1.1 m above ground surface.Soil moisture content, soil temperature and ground heat flux were measured at 0.1 m below ground surface.Sensible heat flux and latent heat flux were calculated using the Bowen ratio-energy balance method.Additionally, the hourly mean background weather conditions (air temperature and cloud amount) from the nearest public climate station in the study period were included in 'ReferenceClimateStation.csv'. Hourly total rainfall data measured at the study site was also included. The aims of this study was to:1. Compare the microclimate and human heat stress among the three treatments.2. Assess and compare the human skin burn risks of the three treaments from their turf surface temperatures.3. Analyse the surface energy fluxes of the three treatments to identify the mechanisms by which artificial turf develops any microclimate, human heat stress and turf surface temperature differences.This study was published in:

Cheung, P. K., & Livesley, S. J. (2025). The microclimate, surface energy flux and human skin burn risks of artificial turf as compared to natural turf. Building and Environment, 112679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112679Contact person: Dr Paul Cheung ([e-mail])