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Atmosphere
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Effects of Urban Areas on Climate Change Conditions
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Effects of Urban Areas on Climate Change Conditions

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Climatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2019) | Viewed by 20830

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniel Argüeso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma, Spain
Interests: regional climate modelling; climate extremes; intense precipitation; heatwaves; urban climate; tropical convection; convection-permitting models; climate projections; climate change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cities create atmospheric conditions that are clearly distinct from their rural surroundings. Urban areas modify the surface energy fluxes, alter atmospheric composition, trap radiation, and introduce additional heat sources. As a result, the lower atmosphere in cities is warmer and drier. Evidence also suggests that urban areas may affect the precipitation produced by local convective systems.

Climate change has profound impacts on the environment and our society. The combination of climate change and urban development effects makes urban population particularly exposed to future climate conditions. The potential impacts include intensified heat stress, increased energy consumption, health issues, infrastructure damage, among others. However, cities also offer a great opportunity for efficient and innovative adaptation to climate change that calls for an improved understanding of future urban climate.

This Special Issue aims to summarize the state-of-the-art in urban climate under climate change conditions. As such, we welcome studies that investigate how urban areas may affect climate change conditions at local scales, including, but not limited to, temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation. We invite authors to submit both original research and review articles.

Dr. Daniel Argüeso
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban climate
  • climate change
  • urban heat island
  • surface energy fluxes
  • urban precipitation
  • heat stress

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 4898 KiB  
Article
Urban Areas and Urban–Rural Contrasts under Climate Change: What Does the EURO-CORDEX Ensemble Tell Us?—Investigating near Surface Humidity in Berlin and Its Surroundings
by Gaby S. Langendijk, Diana Rechid and Daniela Jacob
Atmosphere 2019, 10(12), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10120730 - 21 Nov 2019
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 8269
Abstract
Climate change will impact urban areas. Decision makers need useful climate information to adapt adequately. This research aims to improve understanding of changes in moisture and temperature projected under climate change in Berlin compared to its surroundings. Simulations for the Representative Concentration Pathway [...] Read more.
Climate change will impact urban areas. Decision makers need useful climate information to adapt adequately. This research aims to improve understanding of changes in moisture and temperature projected under climate change in Berlin compared to its surroundings. Simulations for the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario from the European Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (EURO-CORDEX) 0.11° are analyzed, showing a difference in moisture and temperature variables between Berlin and its surroundings. The running mean over 30 years shows a divergence throughout the twenty-first century for relative humidity between Berlin and its surroundings. Under this scenario, Berlin gets drier over time. The Mann-Kendall test quantifies a robust decreasing trend in relative humidity for the multi-model ensemble throughout the twenty-first century. The Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test for relative humidity indicates a robust climate change signal in Berlin. It is drier and warmer in Berlin compared to its surroundings for all months with the largest difference existing in summer. Additionally, the change in humidity for the period 2070–2099 compared to 1971–2000 is larger in the summer months. This study presents results to better understand near surface moisture change and related variables under long-term climate change in urban areas compared to their rural surroundings using a regional climate multi-model ensemble. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Urban Areas on Climate Change Conditions)
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23 pages, 10020 KiB  
Article
The Green Infrastructure in Cities as A Tool for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Slovakian and Polish Experiences
by Ingrid Belčáková, Małgorzata Świąder and Małgorzata Bartyna-Zielińska
Atmosphere 2019, 10(9), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10090552 - 16 Sep 2019
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 7836
Abstract
Climate change could be seen as a 21st century phenomenon. This topic has been taken up equally by professionals as well as the general public. Adaptation and mitigation actions are needed, especially in cities where the concentration of population and an increased demand [...] Read more.
Climate change could be seen as a 21st century phenomenon. This topic has been taken up equally by professionals as well as the general public. Adaptation and mitigation actions are needed, especially in cities where the concentration of population and an increased demand for resources (e.g., water, food, land) are expected in the coming years. Already, 400 cities have been declared to be in a “climate emergency” state. There are no longer any doubts that current environmental state requires actions and solutions for both the alarming climate situation and urban quality life development. If such action is not going to be taken, the environmental state will deteriorate. One possible solution could be the use of green infrastructure. This research compares approaches to green areas and green infrastructure development in Bratislava (Slovakia) and Wrocław (Poland). A comparison was made for projects realized between 2013 and 2018—i.e., since the publication of the European Union (EU) Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change in 2013. The research presents an overview of delivered projects regarding land use. The overview, which is supported by a density map of implemented green projects, verifies whether the new greenery fits and fills in the existing natural areas. Secondly, the green projects were analyzed according to years and land use types using Tableau software. Moreover, the legislation of climate adaptation mechanisms and practical aspects of green infrastructure implementation are shown. Finally, actions concerning the greening of the cities were categorized into practical, educational, and participatory ones, and the potential of green infrastructure as a positive landscape, micro-climate, health, and aesthetic influence was examined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Urban Areas on Climate Change Conditions)
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25 pages, 967 KiB  
Article
Accurate Characterization of Land Cover in Urban Environments: Determining the Importance of Including Obscured Impervious Surfaces in Urban Heat Island Models
by Paul Coseo and Larissa Larsen
Atmosphere 2019, 10(6), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10060347 - 25 Jun 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3928
Abstract
Urban heat islands (UHI) increase summer temperatures and can threaten human well-being during extreme heat events. Since urbanization plays a key role in UHI development, accurate quantification of land cover types is critical to their identification. This study examines how quantifying land cover [...] Read more.
Urban heat islands (UHI) increase summer temperatures and can threaten human well-being during extreme heat events. Since urbanization plays a key role in UHI development, accurate quantification of land cover types is critical to their identification. This study examines how quantifying land cover types using both two- and three-dimensional approaches to land cover quantification affects an UHI model’s explanatory power. Two-dimensional approaches treat tree canopies as a land cover, whereas three-dimensional approaches document the land cover areas obscured under tree canopies. We compare how accurately the two approaches explain elevated air temperatures in Chicago, Illinois. Our results show on average 14.1% of impervious surface areas went undocumented using a two-dimensional approach. The most common concealed impervious surfaces were sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots (+6.2%), followed by roads (+6.1%). Yet, the three-dimensional approach did not improve the explanatory power of a UHI model substantially. At 2 a.m., the adjusted R2 increased from 0.64 for a two-dimensional analysis to 0.68 for a three-dimensional analysis. We found that the less time consuming two-dimensional quantification of land covers was sufficient to predict neighborhood UHIs. As climate change exacerbates UHI, more cities will map urban hotspots and this research increases our understanding of alternative approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Urban Areas on Climate Change Conditions)
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