Do you want to learn how to take surface temperature observations? The students at the Toledo Public School Natural Science Technology Center (NSTC) show how it can be done in this short video.
https://www.facebook.com/globemissionearth/videos/2581539525466417/
December is the second month of Urban Heat Island Effect Research Campaign. Take as many observations in the month of December as you can. Take observations from two different sites such as asphalt, concrete, grass or shrubs. There was great participation since October. Surface temperature observations were taken at over 200 sites around the world. There are focus areas with many schools participating including the Great Lakes, Croatia, Saudi Arabia and Oman, and Taiwan. And, there are first time participants from Brazil, South Korea and India.
Unlike much of the year when urban heat island effect leads to increased energy consumption in cities to cool buildings, during the winter, urban heat island can lead to less energy consumption in urban areas versus rural areas. Urban areas can be warmer than rural areas therefore, when it is cold outside in the winter, houses may need to be heated less. This year, many of the locations that participate in the GLOBE Urban Heat Island Campaign have snow on the ground. Below is a map showing the snow cover in Norther America and Europe. Parts of the northeastern US, Great Lakes and eastern Europe have significant snow cover. The question that we can answer with the GLOBE surface temperature observations is how snow cover will affect the temperature.
Keep taking surface temperature observations. It will be great to have more data to study the impact of the built environment.
Dr. C
