Skip to main content

The Urban Heat Island of San Antonio, Texas | Chapter 02 | Current Perspectives to Environment and Climate Change Vol. 2

This study aims to investigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect of San Antonio, Texas (USA), and its temporal changes over the time period 1991-2010. It is an extension of previous work that used historical air temperature data from 1946 to 1990. The study was designed to compare 20 years of daily air temperature records (1991-2010) of San Antonio, Texas (USA), with three small surrounding communities; New Braunfels, Poteet, and Boerne. These towns are all within 50 kilometers of San Antonio and have contemporary temperature records. Temperature differences between San Antonio and the surrounding communities indicate changes in the thermal environment due to urbanization. The results are as follows. The daily UHI intensity in autumn and winter is increasing and decreases in the spring and summer seasons. Autumn is the only season where the daily UHI intensity increased and spring is the only season where it decreased during the years 1991-2010. The results for Poteet and Boerne were generally similar. In June during 1997 to 2010, the daily UHI intensity in San Antonio is increasing at an average rate of 0.8°C/decade relative to New Braunfels. These results are generally consistent with previous studies. The authors report the first tentative discovery of San Antonio’s Subsurface UHI. Aquifer well water temperatures show annual intensity variations (lows of -0.1°C in the winter and highs of 2.2°C in the summer), with a growth rate of about 0.4°C/decade. Diurnal variations show maximum intensity of 2.3°C in the late afternoon and minimum of 0.4°C at night after midnight. Ozone concentrations in the summer show a positive correlation with temperature at a rate of 2.7 ppb/°C, implying an ozone increase of 4.3 ppb/decade due to the UHI effect. A physical model of the urban environment is described that is under development to aid in interpreting the results and for city planning. Mitigation strategies as applied to San Antonio are briefly discussed, including green roofs, and urban trees and other natural vegetation. In conclusion, despite mitigating influences, San Antonio continues to have an increasing UHI effect. However, further work is needed to connect to the previous study from 1946 to 1990 and update to the present to strengthen this conclusion.

Author(s) Details

Dr. Daniel C. Boice
Founder & Principal Astronomer
Scientific Studies and Consulting, 171 Harmon Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78209 USA.

Michelle E. Garza
Stormwater Analyst, Environmental Sciences
San Antonio River Authority, 100 E. Euclid Ave., San Antonio, TX 78238 USA.

Ms. Susan E. Holmes
Applied Mathematician, Physical Sciences
Indigo Elements, LLC, Unit 6010 Box 147, DPO, AE 09825 USA.

Read full article: http://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/view/80/1089/777-1
View Volume: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cpecc/v2

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Greening Regional Airports: A Vision for Carbon Neutral Infrastructure | Chapter 12 | Contemporary Perspective on Science, Technology and Research Vol. 3

 This study provides an overview of the energy demand of a regional airport, divided into individual time horizons. The electrification of aircraft systems raises the question of whether airports will be among the largest electricity consumers in our infrastructure in the future. Sustainability and especially emission reductions are significant challenges for airports that are currently being addressed. The Clean Sky 2 project GENESIS addresses the environmental sustainability of hybrid-electric 50-passenger aircraft systems in a life cycle perspective to support the development of a technology roadmap for the transition to sustainable and competitive electric aircraft systems. This article originates from the GENESIS research and describes various options for ground power supply at a regional airport. Potential solutions for airport infrastructure with a short (2030), medium (2040), and long (2050) time horizon are proposed. In addition to the environmental and conservation benefi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Occipital Dermal Sinus Tract Causing Craniospinal Infection: A Review | Chapter 13 | New Visions in Medicine and Medical Science Vol. 4

  Dermal sinus is a rare congenital condition characterized by a pathological tract connecting the skin to deeper tissues of the central nervous system, potentially leading to severe infectious complications. It arises from a failure in the separation of ectodermal layers during early gestation. Diagnosing dermal sinus tract in newborns requires a careful physical examination, focusing on midline dimples in the occipital region associated with cutaneous abnormalities like hairy nevus or hyperpigmentation. The presence of drainage, abnormal hair distribution, or localized swelling may indicate a sinus tract. Regular examination for dimples or sinuses is recommended for infants and children with recurrent meningitis or infections. Early detection is crucial to prevent severe complications like meningitis, with Staphylococcus aureus being a common causative organism. Neuroradiological studies, including computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with histopath...
Post a Comment
Read more

Alkali Element Modification of Glucose Molecules as a Method to Dissolve Cancer Cells | Chapter 12 | New Visions in Medicine and Medical Science Vol. 4

  The present study highlights about alkali element modification of glucose molecules as a method to dissolve cancer cells. The central regulation of the mechanisms governing cell proliferation has little effect on cancer cells. Cancer cells are entirely independent of the central command and divide and proliferate on their own, making it challenging to activate their response mechanism. Precisely, this is the reason why they are at risk to the health of humans and/or any biological entities. Instead of trying to reconnect the central command of the growth control mechanism to cancer cells that are already out of the range, we present a method of using the cancer cell’s own irresponsive and uncontrolled growth mechanism to their disadvantage and destroy the cancer cells. We found that this is achievable in an atomic/molecular level study of the glucose molecule, which is the primary food source used for growth and energy generation by all cells in the body, including the cancer cel...
Post a Comment
Read more