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Urban Climate

Worksheet: Heat Balance

Sheet 2: Test your knowledge

Clipart by Hemera, Big box of art

Heat Balance

When the sun shines in Summer, streets and asphalt heat strongly through.
This heat still remains for some time, and then goes into the air.

You can test this yourself.

In Summer go barefooted on the asphalt at sunset.
The heat, the sun has emitted to the material is still tangible, even the sun does not shine any more.
Then step onto a lawn. This surface feels very much cooler.

Asphalt-concreted surface and the walls of the buildings store the heat and lead to a lower cooldown at night. (picture by Hemera "Big box of art")

Can you answer the following questions on heat balance?

1) What is the overheating of a city called?

a) cold island
b) tropical island
c) heat island
d) sun island

2) What is the best measure against overheating of cities?

a) installing open air pools
b) artificial irrigation
c) creating green areas
d) installing air conditions

3) Which type of weather favour the creation of extremely warm urban climate?

a) high pressure situation
b) low pressure situation
c) west wind situation
d) storm

4) What happens to the short wave radiation when it hits the surface of the earth?

a) The radiation is partly absorbed and partially reflected
b) The radiation is completely reflected into the atmosphere.
c) There is no short wave radiation on the surface of the earth.
d) The radiation is completely absorbed by the surface of the earth.

5) How is the energy called which is used or set free by the change of state of water (e.g. evaporation)?

a) radiation balance
b) tactile heat
c) latent heat
d) exchange of heat

6) Which material has the lowest capacity of storing heat?

a) stone
b) asphalt
c) concrete
d) soil

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About this page:

- Author: - B. Wohlhöfer - University of Nürnberg - Germany
- scientific reviewing:
- educational reviewing: Dr. Schrettenbrunner / Dr. Schleicher / J. Heres
- last update: 09.09.03