HR: 1330h
AN: U32A-0030    [PDF]
TI: One Hundred Years of New York City's "Urban Heat Island": Temperature Trends and Public Health Impacts
AU: * Rosenthal, J E
EM: jr438@columbia.edu
AF: Mailman School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Division, Columbia University 60 Haven Ave., Floor B-1, New York, NY 10032 United States
AU: Knowlton, K M
EM: kmk47@columbia.edu
AF: Mailman School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Division, Columbia University 60 Haven Ave., Floor B-1, New York, NY 10032 United States
AU: Rosenzweig, C
EM: crosenzweig@giss.nasa.gov
AF: NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 United States
AU: Goldberg, R
EM: rgoldberg@giss.nasa.gov
AF: NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 United States
AU: Kinney, P L
EM: plk3@columbia.edu
AF: Mailman School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Division, Columbia University 60 Haven Ave., Floor B-1, New York, NY 10032 United States
AB: In this paper, we examine the relationship between the historical development of New York City and its effect on the urban climate. Urban "heat islands" (UHI) are created principally by man-made surfaces, including concrete, dark roofs, asphalt lots and roads, which absorb most of the sunlight falling on them and reradiate that energy as heat. Many urban streets have fewer trees and other vegetation to shade buildings, block solar radiation and cool the air by evapotranspiration. The historical development of the NYC heat island effect was assessed in terms of average temperature differences of the city center relative to its surrounding 31-county metropolitan region, comprised of parts of New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Monthly maximum and minimum temperatures for 1900-1997 were obtained from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, the NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University for 24 weather stations within the region that are part of the U.S. Historical Climatology Network. Analysis of annual mean temperatures shows an increasing difference between NYC (Central Park weather station) and its surrounding region over the twentieth century. Analysis of the temperature differences over time between NY Central Park (NYCP) station and 23 regional weather stations classified according to distance and level of urbanization show a heat island effect existing in NYC, with mean temperatures in the NYCP Station generally higher than the surrounding stations, ranging from 1.20\deg C to 3.02\deg C. A difference of at least 1\deg C already existed at the beginning of the 20th century between the mean temperature in NYC and its surrounding rural areas, and this difference increased over the twentieth century. There was a significant decrease in the monthly and seasonal variability of the UHI effect over the century. Temperature extremes and summertime heat can create heat stress and other health consequences for urban residents. Public health impacts are assessed as the proportion of heat-related regional mortality estimated to be attributable to New York City's heat island effect during an average 1990's summer. Concentration-response functions describing the temperature-mortality relationship in NYC derived from the epidemiological literature are used to estimate numbers of deaths in a typical 1990s summer and those attributable to the city's heat island effect. The techniques and potential public health benefits of a pilot project to mitigate the heat island effect in NYC will be discussed.
DE: 1600 GLOBAL CHANGE (New category)
DE: 1630 Impact phenomena
DE: 3309 Climatology (1620)
DE: 3322 Land/atmosphere interactions
DE: 6334 Regional planning
SC: U
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting