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The Heat Island of the Urban Boundary Layer: Characteristics, Causes and Effects

  • Chapter
Wind Climate in Cities

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSE,volume 277))

Abstract

Urban heat islands (UHI) are defined. The importance of distinguishing between different types is stressed and a simple classification scheme is forwarded. Emphasis in this paper is upon the heat island in the urban boundary layer (UBL) above roof-level (the UHIUBL).

The observed characteristics of the daytime and nocturnal UHIUBL are illustrated including the evolution of its thermal structure and the transition between the day and night régimes. Effects of weather controls on the UBL are mentioned.

The essential physics underlying the genesis of the daytime and nocturnal UHIUBL is outlined including radiative flux divergence, heating from below due to the altered surface energy balance, and heating from above due to entrainment.

UHIUBL effects on urban airflow and air pollution dispersion are numerous. Examples given include effects on thermal turbulence, atmospheric stability, convective structures, nocturnal inversions, mixed layer depth, local circulation systems, plume trajectories, intra- and inter-urban fumigation, humidity and rates of chemical reactions and biogenic emission.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V6T 1Z2

    T. R. Oke

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  1. T. R. Oke
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

    Jack E. Cermak

  2. Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Alan G. Davenport

  3. Fakultät für Bauingenieur- und Vermessungswesen, Universität Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Erich J. Plate

  4. Fluid Mechanics Center, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Domingos X. Viegas

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© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Oke, T.R. (1995). The Heat Island of the Urban Boundary Layer: Characteristics, Causes and Effects. In: Cermak, J.E., Davenport, A.G., Plate, E.J., Viegas, D.X. (eds) Wind Climate in Cities. NATO ASI Series, vol 277. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3686-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3686-2_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4485-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-3686-2

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