Exploring the Subtleties in Measuring Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)

The wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is the standard heat stress assessment index for the United States military and has gained increased usage in heat hazard decision making in occupational health and athletics. Measuring the WBGT accurately can be challenging as seemingly insignificant sensor design features can have considerable influence on black globe and natural wet-bulb temperature measurements. The Range Commanders Council Meteorology Group (RCC-MG), a consortium of personnel from United States military and NASA ranges, conducted a campaign in 2021 to measure WBGT-related variables at several different climatic regions across the United States over several months using full-scale platforms with similar sensor arrangement. This presentation will highlight findings from several sensor configuration tests completed during the platform development phase of the campaign and from additional tests in 2023 performed in response to discoveries in the campaign data. Attention to such detail is important in assessing the quality of the observational data that will be used in upcoming RCC-MG projects to evaluate WBGT-related models and develop new algorithms for WBGT estimation. This presentation will also touch upon tests at White Sands Missile Range and Edwards Air Force Base comparing data from smaller-scale heat stress monitors and full-scale measurement platforms.