Why is It SO Hot Here? Using Community Science Data Talks to Launch Learning About the Urban Heat Island Effect

Urban heat islands (UHIs) vividly demonstrate the impact of human activities on local environments. Though this chapter delves into UHIs in the city of Los Angeles, California, the UHI effect impacts urban spaces all over the world, and, as such, we begin with a broader understanding of the UHI effect (see Gapless Explanation of the Anchoring Event for more specificity around Los Angeles, California). The term UHI describes the phenomena of densely populated urban areas registering significantly hotter temperatures than their surrounding less populated rural and suburban counterparts (Druckenmiller, H. (2023). Urban Heat Islands 101. Resources for the Future. https://www.rff.org/publications/explainers/urban-heat-islands-101/ ). This difference is largely attributed to urban geometries = the physical composition and arrangement of cities = where buildings and pavement, made from concrete and asphalt, absorb and retain heat better and release heat slower than natural surfaces like grass (Druckenmiller, H. (2023). Urban Heat Islands 101. Resources for the Future. https://www.rff.org/publications/explainers/urban-heat-islands-101/ ). The UHI effect is amplified in areas with tall buildings situated close together because this arrangement creates “urban canyons” that trap heat and block cooling winds, further exacerbating the urban area’s ability to release heat absorbed during daytime (Chatzipoulka et al., 2015).