Prof. Dr. Helmut Mayer

Prof. Dr. Helmut Mayer
Former head (retired)

Werthmannstrasse 10
79085 Freiburg

Biography 

Helmut Mayer studied Meteorology with minors in Geography and Geophysics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany, where he graduated with a Diploma in Meteorology in 1971. From 1971 to 1974 he pursued a PhD (Dr. rer nat) at the Meteorological Institute in the Faculty of Physics of the University of Karlsruhe on “Temperature and humidity in the near-surface atmosphere over Karlsruhe”. Between 1979 and 1992 he was post-doctoral research assistant at the Chair of Bioclimatology and Applied Meteorology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. In 1985 he was appointed Lecturer (Privatdozent) in Forest Meteorology and Climatology with a habilitation on „Tree vibrations and storm hazards in forests”. Subsequently, he was acting head of the Chair of Bioclimatology and Applied Meteorology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich between 1985 and 1988. In 1992 he was appointed Full Professor of Meteorology and Climatology at the University of Freiburg, Germany; where he served as head of the Chair of Meteorology and Climatology (previously Meteorological Institute) until 2015. Between 1997 and 1999 he was appointed Dean of the Geoscience Faculty. He served as Chairman of the German Meteorological Society (2011-2013), and as Editor of the „International Journal of Biometeorology“ and the journal “Climate Research”.

→ Detailed CV

Awards

• 2019 - Reinhard-Süring-Plakette of the German Meteorological Society (DMG)

Editorial board memberships

• Field Editor of the Journal „Climate Research“ (until Dec 2013)
• Field Editor of the Journal „International Journal of Biometeorology“ (until Dec 2014)

Selected publications

Articles in peer-reviewed journals

• Lee H, Park S, Mayer H, 2023: Statistical Characteristics of Air Quality Index DAQx*-Specific Air Pollutants Differentiated by Types of Air Quality Monitoring Stations: A Case Study of Seoul, Republic of Korea. Sustainability, 15: 8599.
• Lee H, Lee J, Oh S, Park S, Mayer H, 2023: Air pollution assessment in Seoul, South Korea, using an updated daily air quality index. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 14: 101728.
• Lee H, Oertel A, Mayer H, 2022: Enhanced human heat exposure in summer in a Central European courtyard subsequently roofed with transparent ETFE foil cushions. Urban Climate, 44: 101210.
• Lee H, Mayer H, 2021: Solar elevation impact on the heat stress mitigation of pedestrians on tree-lined sidewalks of E-W street canyons – Analysis under Central European heat wave conditions. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 58: 126905.
• Lee H, Mayer H, Kuttler W, 2020: Impact of the spacing between tree crowns on the mitigation of daytime heat stress for pedestrians inside E-W urban street canyons under Central European conditions. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 48: 126558.
• Lee H, Mayer H, Kuttler W, 2019: To what extent does the air flow initialisation of the ENVI-met model affect human heat stress simulated in a common street canyon? International Journal of Biometeorology; 63: 73-81.
• Lee H, Mayer H, 2018: Maximum extent of human heat stress reduction on building areas due to urban greening. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 32: 154–167.
• Lee H, Mayer H, 2018: Thermal comfort of pedestrians in an urban street canyon is affected by increasing albedo of building walls. International Journal of Biometeorology. 62:1199-1209.
• Chen L, Yu B, Yang F, Mayer H, 2016: Intra-urban differences of mean radiant temperature in different urban settings in Shanghai and implications for heat stress under heat waves: A GIS-based approach. Energy and Buildings, 130: 829-842. 
• Lee H, Mayer H, 2016: Validation of the mean radiant temperature simulated by the RayMan software in urban environments. International Journal of Biometeorology, 60 (11), 1775–1785.
• Lee H, Mayer H, Chen, L, 2016: Contribution of trees and grasslands to the mitigation of human heat stress in a residential district of Freiburg, Southwest Germany. Landscape and Urban Planning; 148: 37-50. 
• Lee H, Oertel A, Mayer H, Kapp R, Reuter U, Schmid M, Schulze-Dieckhoff R, Steinerstauch B, Lampen T, 2016: Evaluation method for the human-biometeorological quality of urban areas facing summer heat Gefahrenstoffe Reinhaltung der Luft, 2016; 7-8: 275-282.

Buchkapitel

• Lee H., Mayer H, 2019: Planerische Maßnahmen zur Reduzierung von lokalem Hitzestress für Menschen. In: Lozán, J L, Breckle S-W, Graßl H, Kuttler W, Matzarakis A (Hrsg.). "Warnsignal Klima: Die Städte". Hamburg, pp. 263-268.