Title:

Analysis of Urban Heat Flux in Durham NH

Land development in cities and towns poses a dilemma; while infrastructure and roads improve an area's functionality, they also induce the potential for urban heat island (UHI) effect. This project addresses the layout and land covers of UNH and surrounding parts of Durham, seeks to show where trouble spots of UHI effect may exist, and suggests what could be done for remediation. Sites include land covers such as asphalt, concrete, grass, and water. In-situ measurements of surface albedo and surface temperature occurred during daily samplings last August and several diurnal samplings last September. These observations and online meteorological datasets were utilized for basic statistical analyses, calculations of heat flux, and generating profiles of wind and temperature. On average, asphalt and concrete sites had comparable temperatures and albedo, and values varied considerably among sites due to material grade and age. Drought caused highly variable albedo at grass sites and occasionally comparable temperatures to asphalt and concrete sites. Conditions of water sites remained consistent during the entire sampling period. The community already has some ongoing ways to reduce the growing UHI effect from year to year, and the implementation of certain others will help prepare for the future of climate change.

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