How do urban heat islands occur, and what exactly causes their effect?
Watch this animation to find out.
As you view the segment, look ot for some specific glossary terms. In addition to urban heat island effect, the terms absorb, radiate, refect, and impermeable will be described.
Stop the animation at any time, watch it again, or read the transcript.
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The world is getting hotter, but not at the same rate in all places. Different landscapes, areas and regions are taking the brunt of the global temperature increase.
One area at risk of higher temps are cities and urban areas - this is called the Urban Heat Island Effect – the temperature increase caused by things like buildings, roads, concrete, and other materials all in a dense and compact area.
These urban materials do a few things to increase heat:
They absorb and store heat.
They radiate heat.
They can reflect heat – which leads to more absorption and radiation by other objects.
They are impermeable. They don’t soak up moisture, which means they lose out on the cooling effects of evaporation .
They reduce wind flow.
And urban environments produce heat. Things like cars, A/C units, and all the machines we use to make our lives convenient and keep ourselves cool, actually create more heat.
All of this can increase temps up to 7℉ . It might not seem like much, but as temps climb higher, it is the difference between just plain hot & dangerous.
And heat islands create a vicious cycle- heat leads to more use of energy which leads to more heat, which impacts the health and lives of more than half of all humans on the planet.
Type your answers to the following questions in the Notes box, below:
1) What are urban heat islands, and how can their effect impact people?
2) What is the vicious cycle of heat and energy use?