The urban heat island in a small city in coastal Portugal |
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Authors: | O S Pinho M D Manso Orgaz |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Physics, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal, PT |
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Abstract: | This project arose from the need to study the phenomenon of the urban heat island, since only by recognising this phenomenon
can we moderate it to improve the human and urban environments. Not only big cities develop urban heat islands. This study
detected the presence and recorded the characteristics of an urban heat island in the small coastal city of Aveiro, Portugal.
The study was developed through the scheduled measurements of air temperature and the analysis of the geographical, meteorological
and urban conditions. The form and intensity of Aveiro’s heat island are a response to the interaction of three principal
factors: the urban morphology (the hottest zones in the city are those with the tallest and the highest density of buildings,
without green spaces and with intense generation of heat from traffic, commerce and services); the meteorological conditions
(the intensity of the island is at its maximum when the sky is totally clear and there is no wind, and at its minimum in those
situations when there is atmospheric instability, such as wind, cloud and precipitation); and the proximity of the coastal
lagoon (which borders the city to the west and northwest and moderates seasonal temperatures. The urban heat island influences
the comfort and health of its inhabitants, thus urban planning is very important in the moderation and prevention of this
phenomenon.
Received: 7 July 1999 / Revised: 24 April 2000 / Accepted: 26 April 2000 |
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Keywords: | Urban heat island Coastal city Meteorology Aveiro (Portugal) |
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