Urban Heat Island
Urban Heat Island – Cause, Effects and Mitigation Measures in USA
Table of Contents
• Introduction • The Phenomenon of Urban Heat Island • Causes and Effects of UHI • Mitigation Efforts • Urban Heat Island (UHI) of Urban Cities of United States • UHI and Climate Trends of Some Major cities of US • Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation Strategies in United States • Conclusion
Urban Heat Islands
Introduction
Urban Heat Island – UHI is one of the important phenomenons of meteorology. It refers to a metropolitan area that becomes significantly warmer as compared with the areas surrounding it. Urban heat island is a well-documented and widely accepted outcome of the human modifications to the environment. The temperature of the metropolitan area differs from those surrounding areas mostly at night time, especially in summer, and during the dry clear, and calm weather when there is flow of weaker winds. The urban heat islands draw some very significant atmospheric, biological, and economic impacts that strongly affect the human life in most of the urban areas (Runnalls and Oke, p283). The paper discusses the phenomenon of the urban heat island in general as well as specifically in relation to some major cities of United States including cities of New York and New Jersey. In this regard, the paper traces the evolution of the phenomenon of the urban heat islands and discusses the major causes that led towards the occurrence of urban heat islands. The potential effects of the urban heat inland are also discussed in this paper along with the mitigation measures that can be taken to reduce the increasing temperature of the urban heat islands. Furthermore, the paper discusses the existence of urban heat island specifically in New York, New Jersey and the surrounding cities of the United States and it also compares the temperature of the region with the temperature of the surrounding areas. The socio-economic effects of urban
Table of Contents
• Introduction • The Phenomenon of Urban Heat Island • Causes and Effects of UHI • Mitigation Efforts • Urban Heat Island (UHI) of Urban Cities of United States • UHI and Climate Trends of Some Major cities of US • Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation Strategies in United States • Conclusion
Urban Heat Islands
Introduction
Urban Heat Island – UHI is one of the important phenomenons of meteorology. It refers to a metropolitan area that becomes significantly warmer as compared with the areas surrounding it. Urban heat island is a well-documented and widely accepted outcome of the human modifications to the environment. The temperature of the metropolitan area differs from those surrounding areas mostly at night time, especially in summer, and during the dry clear, and calm weather when there is flow of weaker winds. The urban heat islands draw some very significant atmospheric, biological, and economic impacts that strongly affect the human life in most of the urban areas (Runnalls and Oke, p283). The paper discusses the phenomenon of the urban heat island in general as well as specifically in relation to some major cities of United States including cities of New York and New Jersey. In this regard, the paper traces the evolution of the phenomenon of the urban heat islands and discusses the major causes that led towards the occurrence of urban heat islands. The potential effects of the urban heat inland are also discussed in this paper along with the mitigation measures that can be taken to reduce the increasing temperature of the urban heat islands. Furthermore, the paper discusses the existence of urban heat island specifically in New York, New Jersey and the surrounding cities of the United States and it also compares the temperature of the region with the temperature of the surrounding areas. The socio-economic effects of urban
Cited: David Sailor (2007), the Urban Heat Island (UHI) – Causes, Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies, Mechanical and Materials Engineering Portland State University, Presented to: State Clean Energy-Environment Technical Forum, U.S. EPA Oke TR, Maxwell GB (1975) urban heat island dynamics in Montreal and Vancouver. http://eetd.lbl.gov/HeatIsland/HighTemps/IncreasingTemps.html Renou E (1862) Difference de temperature entre Paris et Choisyi-Roi Meorologique de France Annuaire10: 105–109 Runnalls KE, Oke TR (2000) Dynamics and controls of the near-surface heat island of