Student Research Reports
EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON SURFACE, AIR AND SOIL TEMPERARURE CHANGES IN AKURE, NIGERIA
Organization(s):St. Peter's Unity Secondary School
Country:Nigeria
Student(s):1) Folayan Favour
2) Dunbaiju Promise
3) Oluwaseyi Olamobisi
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Educator(s):Olawunmi Fasakin
Contributors:1. Adeola Odunjo
2. Tope Akinsunmade
3. Kemisola Akomolafe
4. Simire Victor
5. Princewill Orungbemi
6. Toyin-Afe Favour
7. Semudara Favour
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Air Temperature, Clouds, Surface Temperature, Earth As a System, Soil Temperature
Presentation Poster:
View Document
Language(s):English
Date Submitted:03/10/2021
The Earth atmospheric system has been seriously affected by different urbanization processes that greatly impacted natural ecosystem. These have influenced the evapotranspiration and the energy cycle. Data were collected from three observational sites (School Football Field, School Farm and Cement Floor) within SPUSSA study area. The objectives of this project are to evaluate the effect of urbanization and examine the influence of surface temperature on air temperature and soil temperature. These data are weekly surface land, air and soil temperatures for period of five months from October 2020 to February 2021. No soil temperatures were obtained from the Cement Floor. Cloud cover conditions were recorded. Data were analyzed using mean graph and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. The general attributes of the surface and sky conditions are dry ground, leaves on trees, low moisture content, overcast, somewhat hazy sky visibility and opaque cloud opacity. The mean weekly graphs indicate increase surface land temperature, air temperature and soil temperature with time across the three selected sites. This implies increase of surface land, air and soil temperatures with urbanization, that is, increase surface temperature with increase air temperature and increase surface temperature with soil temperature. The ANOVA reveals significant effect of urban island heat effect (urban land transformation) on surface land, air and soil temperatures across the School Field, School Farm and Cement Floor, at probability p<0.05 and 5% error level, with significant values of 0.000 (for the three climatic variables on the School Farm); significant values of 0.004, 0.000 and 0.000 (for the three climatic variables on the School Farm), and significant values of 0.000 and 0.000 (for the two climatic variables). It is recommended that other climatic factors should be included for further studies to give a holistic view to effects of urban land transform in the study area.
Keywords: Observation sites, evapotranspiration, Earth atmospheric system, cloud cover, ANOVA