Abstract This work is taken up to evaluate the relationship between the thermal comfort of spectators and athletes and the prevailing meteorological conditions during Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Empirical and physiological thermal comfort indices are calculated from data collected from an automatic weather station installed near the Olympic Stadium and interviews with the spectators. The study period was marked by a gradual rise in air temperature and by the occurrence of two significant weather events associated with wind gusts, which caused disturbances in some areas of the competitions. ET and NET were below the air temperature, indicating that both humidity and wind contributed to the reduction of the human-biometeorological indices. Majority of the interviewed persons reported comfortable sensation and weather conditions. These perceptions corroborate results of the thermal comfort indices calculated for these resting spectators. The comfort indices calculated for the athletes with high level of physical activity showed that PET estimated hotter thermal sensation those for the individuals at rest, indicating that the physical type of a person may strongly influence the thermal sensation and comfort during intense physical activity. Increasing trend observed in all the indices of human thermal comfort during the period of study shows consistency among them.

Resumo De um modo geral, a interação do oceano com a atmosfera em regiões de intensa atividade da mesoescala oceânica (frentes oceanográficas, meandros e turbilhões de escalas espaciais típicas de cerca de 100-500 km e escalas temporais de cerca de 2-3 meses) apresenta uma correlação positiva entre a temperatura da superfície do mar (TSM) e variáveis meteorológicas tais como a estabilidade da Camada Limite Atmosférica Marinha (CLAM), a intensidade do vento e os fluxos de calor, de momentum e de gases entre o oceano e a atmosfera. Isto sugere que o oceano força a atmosfera nas escalas espaciais e temporais relacionados à mesoescala oceânica. Principalmente com base em dados observacionais, porém não exclusivamente, este trabalho apresenta uma breve revisão científica sobre o impacto das estruturas de mesoescala presentes no Oceano Atlântico Sudoeste em alguns componentes do sistema acoplado oceano-atmosfera que, em certos aspectos, impactam o tempo e o clima da regiões continentais adjacentes na América do Sul. Inclui-se neste artigo também uma breve revisão do estado da arte do conhecimento sobre a parte oceânica da Zona de Convergência do Atlântico Sul. Este artigo apresenta as características oceanográficas gerais da área de estudo, incluindo alguns aspectos sobre a circulação do Atlântico Sul e a variabilidade. Lembrando do fato que o Atlântico Sudoeste e Sul são regiões consideradas como trilha de tempestade, este trabalho também discute os impactos dos gradientes de TSM do Oceano Atlântico Sul Ocidental sobre os sistemas atmosféricos transientes que atravessam frequentemente esta região. Além disso, o artigo discute novos indícios de que os processos oceanográficos que ocorrem no litoral sul do Brasil no inverno tem um forte impacto sobre a modulação CLAM sobre a plataforma continental do sul do Brasil. O artigo aponta também índicos passados e presentes que os processos ecológicos causados pela variabilidade climática atmosférica e marinha na costa sul do Brasil impactam na desova e captura da sardinha (Sardinella Brasiliensis), que é um dos mais importantes recursos marinhos renováveis do Brasil. O artigo termina apresentando alguns dos esforços observacionais atuais do Brasil, visando a coleta de dados meteorológicos e marinhos no Oceano Atlântico Equatorial e Sul. Estes esforços visam aumentar a nossa compreensão do acoplamento oceano-atmosfera nas escalas sinóticas e climáticas, bem como o papel do Oceano Atlântico em controlar o calor, momentum e fluxos de dióxido de carbono para a atmosfera.

Abstract In a general view, the interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere in regions of intense oceanic mesoscale activity (oceanographic fronts, meanders and eddies typical of spatial scales of about 100-500 km and time scales of about 2-3 months) presents a positive correlation between the sea surface temperature (SST) and meteorological variables such as the stability of the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL), the wind intensity and the heat, momentum and gas fluxes between the ocean and the atmosphere. This suggests that the ocean forces the atmosphere at the spatial and temporal scales related to the oceanic mesoscale. Mostly based on observational data, this work presents a brief scientific revision on the impact of the mesoscale structures present in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean on some components of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system that, in certain aspects, impact the weather and the climate of the adjacent continental regions of South America. It is also included in this article a brief review of the state of the art knowledge about the oceanic part of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone. This paper presents the general oceanographic characteristics of the study area, including some aspects about the South Atlantic circulation and variability. Recalling the fact that the subtropical South Atlantic is a Storm Track region, this paper also discusses the impacts of the SST gradients of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean on the transient atmospheric systems that frequently cross the region. In addition, the paper discusses novel indications that the oceanographic processes occurring at the southern coast of Brazil in wintertime have a marked impact on the MABL modulation over the southern Brazilian continental shelf. The paper reports past and present indications that the ecological processes caused by the atmospheric and marine climate variability of the southern coast of Brazil impact the spawning and catches of the Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis), one of most important renewable marine resources of Brazil. The paper finishes presenting some of the current observational efforts of Brazil aiming the collection of marine meteorology data in the South and Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. These efforts intend to widen our understanding of the ocean-atmosphere coupling at the synoptic and climatic scales as well as the role of the Atlantic Ocean in controlling the heat, momentum and carbon dioxide fluxes to the atmosphere.