heat island
City temperature anomaly
A heat island is an urban area significantly warmer than surrounding rural land, caused by buildings, pavement, and human activity absorbing and retaining heat.
The effect is most pronounced at night, when cities cool more slowly than countryside.
Also called urban heat island: Phoenix is a massive heat island, often ten degrees warmer than the desert around it.
Petroleum-based paving material
- concreteSolid building mixture
- pavementHard road covering
- rooftopsUpper surfaces of buildings
- buildingsConstructed enclosed structures
skyscrapers · downtown · parking lots · impervious surfaces · city center · metropolitan · industrialized · built environment
Material storing thermal energy
- ambient temperatureHeat of surroundings
- microclimateLocalized atmospheric zone
- warming trendSustained temperature increase
- surface temperatureWarmth at outer layer
Sun-deflecting roof surfaces
- green roofsPlant-covered building tops
- shade treesTrees grown for cover
- parksPublic recreation grounds
- vegetationPlant life collectively
white roofs · green corridors · urban greening · tree canopy · living walls · water features · open spaces
Pollutants from motorized transport
- building materialsSubstances for erecting structures
- thermal propertiesHow substances respond to temperature
- energy consumptionRate of power use
Rate of power use
- mortality riskLikelihood of death occurring
- public healthCommunity-level disease prevention
- vulnerable populationsGroups disproportionately susceptible to harm
asphalt
Petroleum-based paving material
buildings · skyscrapers · downtown · parking lots · impervious surfaces · city center · metropolitan · industrialized · built environment · urbanization
thermal mass
Material storing thermal energy
- ambient temperatureHeat of surroundings
- microclimateLocalized atmospheric zone
- warming trendSustained temperature increase
surface temperature · air temperature · thermal imaging · seasonal variation
cool roofs
Sun-deflecting roof surfaces
- green roofsPlant-covered building tops
- shade treesTrees grown for cover
- parksPublic recreation grounds
vegetation · white roofs · green corridors · urban greening · tree canopy · living walls · water features · open spaces
vehicle emissions
Pollutants from motorized transport
- building materialsSubstances for erecting structures
- thermal propertiesHow substances respond to temperature
- energy consumptionRate of power use
energy consumption
Rate of power use
- mortality riskLikelihood of death occurring
- public healthCommunity-level disease prevention
- vulnerable populationsGroups disproportionately susceptible to harm
- Urban Environmentair pollution, urban sprawl, population density, congestion, housing density
- urban heathot spots, surface temperature, asphalt, pavement, hot pavement
- micrometeorologyboundary layer, turbulence, energy balance, microclimate, evapotranspiration
- environmental harmair pollution, water pollution, pollution, oil spills, acid rain
- hot weatherheatwave, heatwaves, hot days, scorcher, swelter
- Climate Effectsclimate change, global warming, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, carbon emissions
heat islandgreen space
Vegetated public land
urban forest · parkland · natural landscape · woodland · rural area
heat, island, heats, heated, heating, heater, heaters, heatedly, overheat