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Temperature change and urbanisation in a multi-nucleated megacity: China’s Pearl River Delta
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 20:23 authored by Janet E Nichol, Sin Yau Choi, Man Sing Wong, Sawaid AbbasThis paper investigates urbanisation and temperature indices, over four decades in a multi-nucleated megacity, China’s Pearl River Delta (PRD). Daily mean minimum, maximum and mean temperatures (Tmin, Tmax and Tmean) have increased considerably above background warming rates. However, only weak to moderate relationships are observed between trends in local urban surface area surrounding climatic stations, and Tmin used as a proxy for UHI development. While 5 out of 21 stations with high increase in both Tmin and degree of urbanisation, showed moderate relationship (R=0.51), another 8 stations with low urbanisation showed significant increase in Tmin. This suggests warming from factors other than local urban development on Tmin. Since PRD contains 123 cities over 1 million population, and a semi-continuous urbanised area due to merging of urban centres, a regional heat island circulation, or heat dome model is invoked. The observed increase in Tmax above background warming rates for 14 stations, is more difficult to explain as Tmax is not generally affected by urbanisation. This is attributed to high surface energy flux in the afternoon, and anthropogenic energy use in dense urban districts. The regional heat dome circulation over PRD suggests local temperatures will increase further, even without further local developments.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Urban ClimateISSN
2212-0955Publisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Volume
31Article number
a100592Department affiliated with
- Geography Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2020-01-24First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-02-01First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2020-01-23Usage metrics
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