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Topic: Heat island


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In the News (Tue 10 Nov 09)

  
  Urban heat island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Another consequence of urban heat islands is the increased energy required for air conditioning and refrigeration in cities that are in comparatively hot climates.
The 'heat island' warming does unquestionably affect cities and the people who live in them, but it is not at all clear that it biases trends in historical temperature record: for example, urban and rural trends are very similar.
If the urban heat island theory is correct then instruments should have recorded a bigger temperature rise for calm nights than for windy ones, because wind blows excess heat away from cities and away from the measuring instruments.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Urban_heat_island   (2447 words)

  
 Encyclopedia: Heat island   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
One consequence of urban heat islands is the increased energy required for air conditioning and refrigeration, but only for cities that are already in comparatively hot climates.
The 'heat island' warming does unquestionably affect cities and the people who live in them, but it is not at all clear that it biases the historical temperature record: for example, urban and rural trends are very similar.
If the urban heat island theory is correct then instruments should have recorded a bigger temperature rise for calm nights than for windy ones - because wind blows excess heat away from cities and away from the measuring instruments.
www.nationmaster.com /encyclopedia/Heat-island   (1533 words)

  
 WXWISE Urban Heat Islands   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
Because of this relative warmth, a city may be referred to as an urban heat island.
The urban heat island may also increase cloudiness and precipitation in the city, as a thermal circulation sets up between the city and surrounding region.
The urban heat island is clearly evident in a statistical study of surface air temperatures (Woolum, 1964).
cimss.ssec.wisc.edu /wxwise/heatisl.html   (603 words)

  
 Urban heat island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The absence of solar heating causes the atmospheric convection to decrease, and the urban boundary layer begins to stabilize.
The explanation for the night-time maximum is that the principal cause of UHI is blocking of "sky view" during cooling: surfaces lose heat at night principally by radiation to the (comparitavely cold) sky, and this is blocked by the buildings in an urban area.
The energetic basis of the urban heat island.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Urban_heat_island_effect   (2458 words)

  
 Encyclopedia: Urban heat island
Convection is the transfer of heat by the motion of or within a fluid.
Refrigeration (from the Latin frigus, frost) is generally the cooling of a body by the transfer of a portion of its heat away from it.
The IPCC states that "it is well-known that compared to non-urban areas urban heat islands raise night-time temperatures more than daytime temperatures." [5].
www.nationmaster.com /encyclopedia/Urban-heat-island   (2283 words)

  
 Heat island - Articles and Information   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
It is common to believe that the heat island effect is primarily due to the difference in heat absorption between the generally dark surfaces of a city - tarmac from roads, etc - and the vegetation that the city/suburbs has replaced (see albedo).
The urban heat island effect has a bearing on the global warming controversy, since if thermometers located near heat islands recorded slightly higher values (increasing over time as urbanisation progressed) as a result of the heat island effect, this could potentially distort the record.
However, although 'heat island' warming does unquestionably affect cities and the people who live in them, it is not so clear that it biases the historical temperature record - which includes ground-based thermometers as an important, but not the sole, part of that record.
www.breakpt.org /article/Heat_island   (1315 words)

  
 EPA Global Warming Site: Inside the Greenhouse - Heat Island Reduction Initiative   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
Moreover, the heat island's higher temperatures encourage the formation of ground-level ozone, the principle component of smog.
The Heat Island Reduction Initiative (HIRI), initiated in 1997 and headed by Edgar Mercado, is collaborating with five pilot cities to investigate the potential improvements in air quality and energy use associated with mitigation measures.
An increase of 5° F in a heat island greatly increases the rate at which ozone precursors "cook" into ozone, the main ingredient in smog.
www.epa.gov /globalwarming/greenhouse/greenhouse14/reduction.html   (765 words)

  
 EPA: Heat Island - Basic Information   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
The term "heat island" refers to urban air and surface temperatures that are higher than nearby rural areas.
Waste heat from vehicles, factories, and air conditioners may add warmth to their surroundings, further exacerbating the heat island effect.
While they are distinct phenomena, summertime heat islands may contribute to global warming by increasing demand for air conditioning, which results in additional power plant emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.
www.epa.gov /heatisland/about   (604 words)

  
 Urban heat island   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
An urban heat island (UHI) is a populated territory which is consistently hotter than the surrounding area.
Some cities exhibit a heat island effect, largest at night (see below), and particularly in summer [1], or perhaps in winter [1], with several degrees between the center of the city and surrounding fields.
The urban heat island effect has a bearing on the global warming controversy, since if thermometers located in cities suffered from increased UHI and recorded significantly higher temperatures (increasing over time as urbanisation progressed), this could contaminate the temperature record.
www.portaljuice.com /urban_heat_island.html   (1458 words)

  
 Urban Heat Island
Storage heat is energy that is absorbed by the various materials of the surface environment: buildings, pavement, soil, etc. During the day the energy from the sun heats different areas of the city to different degrees.
Heat is also lost to the upper atmosphere by vertical sensible heat transfer as boundary layer air is vertically mixed.
Latent heat is transferred from the surface to the upper atmosphere as water is vaporized at the surface either by simple evaporation or by transpiration through plants.
www.ruf.rice.edu /~sass/UHI.html   (7742 words)

  
 urban heat island
The higher temperatures in urban heat islands increases air conditioning and raises pollution levels.
Urban heat islands are not only uncomfortably hot, they are also smoggier.
Higher temperatures in urban heat islands bring with them increased energy use, mostly due to a greater demand for air conditioning.
home.pusan.ac.kr /~imyunkyu/research/about_UHI.html   (821 words)

  
 Heating - Latent Heat Latent Heat   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
Latent heat is the heat energy involved in the phase change of water.
Latent heat is the heat energy required to change a substance from one state to another.
Huisman, Johannes (1964-05-08) I. Latent Heat of Vaporization of...
heating.fast24hourservice.com /latentheat   (735 words)

  
 NASA/GHCC Project Atlanta
The resulting higher temperature caused by the urban heat island has the effect of increasing the demand for cooling energy in commercial and residential buildings.
In addition, increased electricity generation by power plants leads to higher emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and suspended particulates, as well as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas known to contribute to global warming and climate change.
Finally, summer heat islands often accelerate the formation of harmful smog, as ozone precursors such as nitrous oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) combine photochemically to produce ground level ozone.
wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov /urban/urban_heat_island.html   (370 words)

  
 The Urban Heat Island Phenomenon and Potential Mitigation Strategies - 1999 APA Proceedings   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
A survey of urban heat island research is provided to describe how heat islands develop, urban landscape and meteorological characteristics that facilitate development, use of aircraft remote sensing data, and why heat islands are of interest to planners, elected officials, and the public.
A typical profile of the urban heat island effect and its relationship to the urban landscape is shown in (figure 1) below.
The NPS is interested in working with the urban heat island research team to establish a measurement protocol and monitoring program to asses the thermal differences between the porous paving material and concrete and asphalt surfaces.
www.asu.edu /caed/proceedings99/ESTES/ESTES.HTM   (5414 words)

  
 FEMA: Fact Sheet: Extreme Heat   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
Know the symptoms of heat disorders and overexposure to the sun, and be ready to give first aid treatment.
Storm windows can keep the heat of a house in the summer the same way they keep the cold out in the winter.
During periods of extreme heat, people tend to use a lot more power for air conditioning which can lead to a power shortage or outage.Stay indoors as much as possible.
www.fema.gov /hazards/extremeheat/heatf.shtm   (600 words)

  
 Atlanta An "Urban Heat Island," With Higher Temperatures Than Surrounding Area, New NASA Study Shows   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
All large urban areas are warmed by their own urban heat islands as a result of the removal of trees and the paving of land, according to Dale Quattrochi and Jeffrey Luvall of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, who lead the Atlanta Land-use Analysis: Temperature and Air-quality (ATLANTA) project.
Smog levels are intensified by the urban heat island because with a 10-degree rise in temperature, the chemical reaction that creates ozone-the molecule responsible for smog-doubles, according to Luvall.
When land is covered by plants or soil containing water, heat absorbed during the day is quickly removed by evaporation and plant transpiration-the way that plants lose water through their leaves.
www.junkscience.com /mar99/urbanhi.htm   (965 words)

  
 Living on the heat island
The urban-heat island in the Valley can't be blamed on Phoenix alone.
The truth is that the warmer temperatures caused by heat being retained in dark building materials follow the land-use map very closely.
A little bit of the heat island in what used to be a farmer's field.
www.azcentral.com /weather/monsoon/articles/0611heatisland.html   (1062 words)

  
 Urban Heat Island
Other implications of growing urban heat islands include increases in carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, municipal water demand, concentrations of smog, and human discomfort and disease.
Warmer air temperature in cities compared to air temperatures in surrounding rural area is the principal diagnostic feature of the urban heat island.
Alterations of the urban surface by people result in diverse microclimates whose aggregate effect is reflected by the heat island.
www.eslarp.uiuc.edu /la/LA338-S99/part1/f/heatisle.htm   (690 words)

  
 RealClimate » The Surface Temperature Record and the Urban Heat Island
Urban heat islands occur mainly at night and are reduced in windy conditions.
The reasoning behind this is that the major cause of urban heat islands is the reduced cooling that occurs at night when the "view to space" of the surface is blocked by buildings.
The heated airstreams from south will be restricted to reach the same northern latitudes as before; thus a heat concentration is accumulated as happened extremely in 2002 in central Europe (e.g.
www.realclimate.org /index.php?p=43   (2267 words)

  
 ScienceWeek
Absorbing aerosols heat the air, alter regional atmospheric stability and vertical motions, and affect the large-scale circulation and hydrologic cycle with significant regional climate effects.
Much of the mortality attributable to heat waves is a result of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory disease.[5] A 1995 heat wave in Chicago that caused 514 heat-related deaths (12 per 100 000 population) may be part of a recent trend of longer, more frequent heat waves and record-setting temperatures.
Long- term global warming trends are further exacerbated by the "heat island" effect, whereby high concentrations of heat-retaining surfaces such as asphalt and tar roofs sustain higher temperatures through the night.
scienceweek.com /2003/sw030502.htm   (9356 words)

  
 Heat island - Articles and Information   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-12)
The first, uncontroversial, is that cities tend to be warmer than their surroundings.
The second, controversial, is that this effect significantly effects the (global) temperature record.
Incidentally, this study too supports the idea that the heat island is largest at night, saying "temperatures...
www.essentialresults.com /article/Urban_heat_island   (1315 words)

  
 HEAT ISLAND
Areas with lower temperatures are typically moist surfaces such as agriculture, irrigated residential, or areas at higher elevations (note yellow to green areas).
Nighttime is famous for development of the urban heat island in Phoenix - note the warmer temperatures over 34
Heat is retained by artificial surfaces which slowly release their stored heat from daytime absorption, such as dark asphalt/concrete surfaces, canyon-like street level areas with buildings, etc
caplter.asu.edu /home/capltertour/heat_island.htm   (211 words)

  
 EPA : Global Warming : Actions : Local : Heat Island Effect
Not to be confused with global climate change, scientists call this phenomenon the "heat island effect." Heat islands form as cities replace natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure.
Public Health: Heat islands can amplify extreme hot weather events, which can cause heat stroke and lead to physiological disruption, organ damage, and even death – especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly.
The Environment: Summertime heat islands increase energy demand for air conditioning, raising power plant emissions of harmful pollutants.
yosemite.epa.gov /oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/ActionsLocalHeatIslandEffect.html   (310 words)

  
 Urban Heat Island Phenomenon
Urban Heat Island is essentially a ‘bubble’ of hot air which can engulf an entire city.
It is generated by the radiant heat emanating from all of the paved areas and buildings in the city.
Note the red areas showing the high heat levels being generated by the buildings and pavement in the city.
www.greenroofplants.com /urban_heat_island_phenomenon.htm   (87 words)

  
 Reducing an Urban Heat Island Effect with Energy Crops.
Reducing an Urban Heat Island Effect with Energy Crops.
Urban Sprawl not only results in the loss of native habitats (where animal and plant species are becoming extinct or endangered), but creates "Urban Heat Islands" -- where man-made materials such as asphalt store much of the sun's energy producing a dome of elevated air temperatures over the urban area.
There are many ways to reduce temperatures in "Urban Heat Islands" ranging from using lighter colored asphalts and roof shingles that reflect light -- to planting trees.
www.treepower.org /heatisland.html   (417 words)

  
 Cool Savings Program - Cool Roofs
An excellent introduction to cool roofs, including a discussion of the benefits (energy savings and reduced "urban heat island" impacts), a database of materials, and how to measure actual savings.
Heat Island research is conducted to find, analyze, and implement solutions to the summer warming trends occurring in urban areas, the so-called 'heat island' effect.
SCCP works to cool Sacramento's heat island and reduce energy use and smog by promoting three strategies: trees and vegetation, cool roofing and cool pavements.
www.consumerenergycenter.org /coolroof/links.html   (487 words)

  
 CAP
The Urban Heat Island Summit was a unique gathering of leading researchers, municipal leaders and practitioners from across Canada and the United States.
For more information on heat island adaptation and mitigation measures, please visit the Cool Toronto Project, or the Heat Island Reduction Initiative.
The Urban Heat Island Summit was a place to gather the most recent information and new approaches on heat island adaptation and mitigation measures.
www.cleanairpartnership.org /uhis_summit.htm   (378 words)

  
 CNN - Team probes Atlanta heat island - March 24, 1999
A hot time in the old town tonight is quite possible in Atlanta, Ga., where the temperature is often 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding area because of the urban heat island effect.
The heat coming off of Atlanta's urban area is being measured by Robert Gillies, a Utah State University geographer, using an instrument aboard a NOAA satellite.
Colorado State researchers are studying how the urban heat island interacts with clouds and influences cloud cover.
www.cnn.com /NATURE/9903/25/heat.island.enn   (882 words)

  
 Project ATLANTA - Urban Heat Island Study
Thus, we are incorporating an assessment of land cover/land use change as measured from remote sensing data, with temporal numerical modeling simulations to better understand the effects that the growth of Atlanta has had on local and regional climate characteristics and air quality.
This information is critical to resolving the underlying surface responses that lead to development of local and regional-scale urban climate processes, such as the urban heat island phenomenon and related characteristics.
This illustrates that although air temperatures were cooler than optimal for development of the urban heat island effect, there was still significant heating by artificial urban surfaces to permit good contrast with nighttime cooling.
wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov /atlanta   (2730 words)

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