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Volume 2
Journal of Environmental Research
Page 85
JOINT EVENT
July 26-27, 2018 Rome, Italy
&
6
th
Edition of International Conference on
Water Pollution & Sewage Management
4
th
International Conference on
Pollution Control & Sustainable Environment
Quantifying the impacts of built environment and surface properties on temperature extremes
Maryam Karim
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, USA
U
rbanization has created an increase in urban heat island (UHI) effect. UHI reflects an elevated temperature in cities as
compared with nearby rural areas which is due to the change in landscape from grass covered and vegetative to concrete
and asphalt with three-dimensional structures. Our on-site study revealed that mixed environments (grass, water, and concrete)
result in different temperature profiles within specific ranges. Grass shows the coolest environment, water is the most temperate,
and concrete has the highest peak temperatures during the day for the duration of the study. To further understand temperature
extremes at fine temporal and spatial scales in complex urban settings and to minimize the thermal impact of structures on the
surrounding environment, we plan on quantifying the impacts of built environment and surface properties on surrounding
temperature through three specific tasks: 1) downscaling satellite infrared radiation brightness temperatures to identify hot
spots within urban environments and introduction of a localized offset table concept to quantify the impact of various surface
type on thermal anomalies, 2) understanding the behavior of common surface materials in the built environment in interaction
with solar radiation and quantification of the vertical association between skin temperature and near surface air temperature
for thermal mapping within urban microclimates, and 3) development of a conceptual framework for assessing environmental
risk and vulnerability to temperature extremes by modeling the near surface air temperature profile of complex urban systems
based on land surface properties and field measured data.
J Environ Res 2018, Volume: 2