Thermal effects of urbanization and industrialization in the boundary layer: A numerical study

A numerical model developed by Pandolfo was used to compute changes in temperature resulting from changes in the physical characteristics of the surface due to urbanization and from the addition of radiatively active pollutants, such as a carbonaceous aerosol, that are characteristic of urbanization and industrialization. The model was simplified here by (1) omitting advection, and (2) by holding the pollutant concentration constant in time. The results show that changes in the physical properties of the surface, and not pollutants are the dominant factors in creating the urban heat island. Changes in the vertical thermal structure are caused by changes in the surface temperature near the surface and by the presence of pollutants at higher levels.