Heat Islands and Their Global Impact

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Heat Islands and Their Global Impact

What are heat islands, and why might you be affected by them without even knowing it? Do you live in a heat island? And how might living in a heat island be affecting your health? Read on to find out everything you need to know about heat islands and their global impact.

Heat islands are a term that are used to describe urban areas where the surface and air temperatures and notably higher than the surround rural areas. Many major cities or metropolitan areas are described as heat islands because they tend to be ten degrees Fahrenheit or higher in temperature than the surround rural or suburban areas. It is not uncommon that urban areas be described as heat islands, but how does an urban area come to be called a heat island? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a heat island is formed whenever an urban area covers over natural land areas with such things as buildings, cement, pavement and other typically urban infrastructure. These changes to the land produce the effects that create a heat island.

There are many characteristics which may contribute to the overall profile of a heat island. For instance, most heat islands include urban areas that have displaced tress and where vegetation has been minimized. Trees and vegetation have a natural cooling effect caused by shading and evaporation of water from a plant’s leaves and soil. Other factors that contribute to the profile of a heat island include narrow streets and tall buildings. These are factors which help keep air trapped in between streets. Another factor of heat islands is that they are typically warmed further by the trapped waste from vehicles, air conditioner, factories, and other surroundings. Heat islands may be further exacerbated by local weather conditions and climate. If an urban center is located near a large body of water, it is much less likely to fit the profile of a heat island.

Are there some benefits to living in a heat island? It has been suggested that there may be some wintertime benefits to heat islands? Some cities may benefit from the infrastructure of heat island during the cold wintertime months. The warmth trapped in by the structure of most heat islands can help cities located in colder climates to trap in heat, thus helping to reduce the need for heating energy. Heat islands can also be effective in helping to melt snow and ice off the road. However, it is generally agreed upon that the harm caused by heat islands generally outweigh the wintertime benefits. Heat islands can be detrimental to people’s health, trapping in air pollutants, rising temperature levels, and causing overall discomfort and pollution.

Moreover, in recent years researchers have been studying the global impact of heat islands around the world. Although heat islands cannot be directly blamed for the insurgence of global warming effects, it appears certain that they are not helpful. Heat islands produce more heat, which causes people to spend more energy in staving off the heat. This leads to a cycle of more pollution. In general, then, heat islands are seen as a problem in most urban centers since they are prone to producing more pollution and causing health problems to people prone to respiratory difficulties. Heat islands are also recently beginning to be viewed as part of the larger problem of global warming.

What are urban centers doing about heat islands? The effects of heat islands can be staved off by planting trees and building in a way that promotes the circulation of air. Many cities are seeking to plant more greenery, build artificial lakes, as well as design their city centers in a way that staves off the symptoms of heat islands.