Heat Island Effect

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-013062",
  "term": "Heat Island Effect",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. This phenomenon describes urban and suburban temperatures that are 2° to 10°F (1° to 6°C) warmer than nearby rural areas. For more information, visit EPA's Heat Island Web Site.\n\n2. Localized increase in ambient urban air temperatures resulting primarily from the replacement of vegetation with buildings, roads, and other heat-absorbing infrastructure. The heat island effect can result in significant temperature differences between rural and urban areas and contributes to global warming.\n\n3. A \"dome\" of elevated temperatures over an urban area caused by structural and pavement heat fluxes, and pollutant emissions.\n\n4. The tendency for higher air temperatures to persist in urban areas as a result of heat absorbed and emitted by buildings and asphalt, tending to make cities warmer than the surrounding countryside.",
  "subject": "Sustainability and green living",
  "references": [
    "Greening EPA Glossary",
    "Top Green Home Terms",
    "Terms of Environment",
    "EPA EV-Outcomes-Environmental Impacts"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/heat-island-effect/"
}