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Atmosphere
Special Issues
Urban Heat Islands, Global Warming and Effects
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Urban Heat Islands, Global Warming and Effects

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 4050

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tiziana Susca

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Guest Editor
ENEA Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Anguillarese, 301, S. Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, Italy
Interests: building energy efficiency; urban climate; urban sustainability; built environment; urban heat island; global warming; local warming; energy transition; decarbonization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fabio Zanghirella

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Guest Editor
ENEA Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Anguillarese, 301, S. Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, Italy
Interests: dynamic thermal modelling; building energy modelling; energy performance in buildings; building energy efficiency; built environment; urban heat island; district heating modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The urban environment is where most of the global population currently lives. The increase in population and the consequent increase in urbanization has led to a surge in urban temperatures compared to the rural environs called urban heat islands. In summer, urban overheating affects human health and building energy use for cooling. In turn, the latter feeds both local and global warming, forming a vicious circle.

In such a framework, adaptation is crucial for densely urbanized cities; therefore, the present Special Issue is aimed at showcasing advancements both in UHI detection and forecasting, and in the mitigation of UHI effects on building energy use, human health, and societal costs. Specifically, studies focused on nature-based solutions to adapt to urban overheating would be particularly appreciated. You are invited to contribute both methodological research and case studies. Furthermore, studies focused on the effect of urban overheating on global warming and on building energy efficiency to decrease the effect of summer urban overheating on buildings’ occupants are also welcome.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Advancements in UHI detection and forecasting;
  • UHI adaptation;
  • Effects of urban overheating;
  • Nature-based solutions for UHI adaptation;
  • Nature-based solutions for sustainable cities;
  • Advancement in nature-based solution modelling;
  • Effect of nature-based solution deployment;
  • Urban overheating and global warming.

We very much look forward to your submissions.

Best regards,

Dr. Tiziana Susca
Dr. Fabio Zanghirella
Guest Editors

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

  • UHI
  • urban heat island
  • UHI adaptation
  • nature-based solutions
  • NbS modelling
  • UHI impacts
  • building energy demand
  • sustainable cities
  • global warming

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4990 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Contributions of Year-Specific Climate Anomaly, Nationwide Warming, and Urban Warming to Hot Summers in Japan
by Fumiaki Fujibe
Atmosphere 2025, 16(4), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16040435 - 8 Apr 2025
Viewed by 233
Abstract
Using surface observation data for the past hundred years, the contributions of year-specific climate anomaly, nationwide warming, and urban warming to hot summers in Japan were evaluated. A number of indices in temperature were defined to indicate the severity of summer heat in [...] Read more.
Using surface observation data for the past hundred years, the contributions of year-specific climate anomaly, nationwide warming, and urban warming to hot summers in Japan were evaluated. A number of indices in temperature were defined to indicate the severity of summer heat in each year. Then, the year-to-year time series of each index was divided into a year-specific component and a temporally smoothed component, and the latter was divided into a nationwide non-urban component and an urban component. The results show that the non-urban component began to increase after the 1990s, which is approximately attributable to global warming, although there are some temperature variations on the yearly to multidecadal scales related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Southern Oscillation (SO), whereas urban warming became apparent since the 1960s at stations in highly urbanized areas. For the recent record-breaking summer heat, the contributions of the year-specific temperature anomaly, nationwide warming, and urban warming are all evaluated to be of the order of 1 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Heat Islands, Global Warming and Effects)
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12 pages, 2794 KiB  
Article
The Dual Role of Urban Vegetation: Trade-Offs Between Thermal Regulation and Biogenic Volatile Organic Compound Emissions
by Wen Dong, Danping Ma, Song Lin, Shen Ye, Suwen Wang, Li Shen, Dan Chen, Yingying Qiu, Bo Yang, Tianliang Cheng, Jing Zhang, Jian Chen and Yuan Ren
Atmosphere 2025, 16(4), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16040385 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 222
Abstract
Under the dual pressures of global warming and accelerated urbanization, urban green spaces (UGS) serve as crucial yet paradoxical elements, alleviating urban heat island (UHI) effects while emitting biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) that exacerbate air pollution; however, their spatial trade-offs remain underexplored. [...] Read more.
Under the dual pressures of global warming and accelerated urbanization, urban green spaces (UGS) serve as crucial yet paradoxical elements, alleviating urban heat island (UHI) effects while emitting biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) that exacerbate air pollution; however, their spatial trade-offs remain underexplored. This study bridges this gap by developing an Urban Heat Mitigation Index (HMI) and a BVOC flux accounting framework integrating remote sensing and field observations. The results showed that (1) the cooling effect exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity, with continuous green networks around West Lake and along the Qiantang River forming efficient cooling corridors (HMI > 0.75), while fragmented green spaces in northeastern areas show weaker cooling effects (HMI < 0.35); (2) BVOC emission intensity displays a “high suburbs-low centers” pattern, with suburban areas emitting 1.9–2.3 times more BVOCs than urban centers, while BVOC-induced PM2.5 (0.02–0.05 μg m−3) and O3 (12–33 μg m−3) concentrations in city centers still pose significant health risks; (3) spatial analysis reveals a weak positive correlation between HMI and BVOC emissions (Moran’s I = 0.096, p < 0.05), with four distinct coupling patterns identified: “high cooling-low emissions” (17.5% of area), “low cooling-high emissions” (1.1%), “high cooling-high emissions” (18.7%), and “low cooling-low emissions” (3.9%). This study provides quantitative evidence for optimizing UGS layouts to balance ecological benefits and environmental risks, emphasizing the importance of vegetation screening and spatial allocation in sustainable urban planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Heat Islands, Global Warming and Effects)
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22 pages, 4347 KiB  
Article
Seasonal and Diurnal Characteristics and Drivers of Urban Heat Island Based on Optimal Parameters-Based Geo-Detector Model in Xinjiang, China
by Han Chen, Yusuyunjiang Mamitimin, Abudukeyimu Abulizi, Meiling Huang, Tongtong Tao and Yunfei Ma
Atmosphere 2024, 15(11), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15111377 - 15 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1133
Abstract
In the context of sustainable urban development, elucidating urban heat island (UHI) dynamics in arid regions is crucial. By thoroughly examining the characteristics of UHI variations and potential driving factors, cities can implement effective strategies to reduce their impacts on the environment and [...] Read more.
In the context of sustainable urban development, elucidating urban heat island (UHI) dynamics in arid regions is crucial. By thoroughly examining the characteristics of UHI variations and potential driving factors, cities can implement effective strategies to reduce their impacts on the environment and public health. However, the driving factors of a UHI in arid regions remain unclear. This study analyzed seasonal and diurnal variations in a surface UHI (SUHI) and the potential driving factors using Pearson’s correlation analysis and an Optimal Parameters-Based Geographic Detector (OPGD) model in 22 cities in Xinjiang, northwest China. The findings reveal that the average annual surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII) values in Xinjiang’s cities were 1.37 ± 0.86 °C, with the SUHII being most pronounced in summer (2.44 °C), followed by winter (2.15 °C), spring (0.47 °C), and autumn (0.40 °C). Moreover, the annual mean SUHII was stronger at nighttime (1.90 °C) compared to during the daytime (0.84 °C), with variations observed across seasons. The seasonal disparity of SUHII in Xinjiang was more significant during the daytime (3.91 °C) compared to nighttime (0.39 °C), with daytime and nighttime SUHIIs decreasing from summer to winter. The study also highlights that the city size, elevation, vegetation cover, urban form, and socio-economic factors (GDP and population density) emerged as key drivers, with the GDP exerting the strongest influence on SUHIIs in cities across Xinjiang. To mitigate the UHI effects, measures like urban environment enhancement by improving surface conditions, blue–green space development, landscape optimization, and economic strategy adjustments are recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Heat Islands, Global Warming and Effects)
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18 pages, 8263 KiB  
Article
Atmospheric Conditions Related to Extreme Heat and Human Comfort in the City of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) during the First Quarter of the Year 2024
by Ayobami Badiru Moreira, Lucas Suassuna de Albuquerque Wanderley, Cristiana Coutinho Duarte and Andreas Matzarakis
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080973 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1585
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the atmospheric conditions and human thermal comfort related to extreme heat in Rio de Janeiro during the first quarter of 2024. The dataset includes meteorological data from the A636-Jacarepaguá station of INMET and seven stations from the Alerta [...] Read more.
This study aims to investigate the atmospheric conditions and human thermal comfort related to extreme heat in Rio de Janeiro during the first quarter of 2024. The dataset includes meteorological data from the A636-Jacarepaguá station of INMET and seven stations from the Alerta Rio system. Weather types were classified using principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Additionally, three thermal comfort indices were calculated: the heat index (HI), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), and modified PET (mPET). Five groups of surface weather types were identified, with two being more frequent and associated with extreme heat events. These two groups accounted for over 70% of the days in all months. Critical thermal sensation values were found, particularly at the Guaratiba station, where the daytime HI exceeded 60 °C, and at the Riocentro station, where the nighttime HI surpassed 40 °C. The HI showed a greater range and variability compared with the PET and mPET, highlighting the importance of investigating microclimatic factors which intensify urban heat in central and coastal areas and cause daytime overheating in more distant regions like Guaratiba. This study emphasizes the need for detailed investigation into microclimatic factors and their public health implications, especially in areas with high tourist activity and vulnerable populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Heat Islands, Global Warming and Effects)
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