The Urban Heat Island Effect: Climatic Consequences of Development
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is a well-documented climatic phenomenon wherein metropolitan areas experience significantly higher temperatures than their surrounding rural landscapes. This thermal discrepancy is primarily attributed to the modification of land surfaces integral to urban development. Infrastructure composed of materials like concrete, asphalt, and dark roofing absorbs and retains a greater quantity of solar radiation compared to natural ground cover. Concurrently, the relative scarcity of vegetation in dense urban environments limits evapotranspiration, a natural cooling process. Another critical contributor is the release of anthropogenic heat, which is waste energy generated by vehicles, industrial facilities, and climate-control systems.
The consequences of the UHI effect are considerable and interconnected. The most immediate impact is elevated energy consumption for air conditioning, which increases both utility costs and the emission of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, higher temperatures can exacerbate the formation of ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant. This thermal stress also presents substantial health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Effective mitigation of this issue necessitates a comprehensive environmental strategy, involving solutions like the installation of green roofs, the use of reflective construction materials, and the careful integration of more parklands into city designs.
Câu hỏi luyện tập
1. What is the primary purpose of this passage?
2. What natural cooling process is limited in cities due to a lack of plants?
3. According to the text, which of the following is a direct result of the UHI effect?
4. What term is used to describe the waste energy generated by vehicles and industry?
5. In the second paragraph, the word 'exacerbate' is closest in meaning to:
6. Besides increased energy use, what other environmental problem can be made worse by higher temperatures in cities?
7. What is needed to effectively address the challenges posed by the Urban Heat Island effect?