Elevated Surface Temperatures Research Articles

Enhancing fire safety, electromagnetic interference shielding, and photothermal conversion performances of wearable polyamide fabrics through eco-friendly coatings

The demand for smart textiles in wearable technology has significantly increased in the last decade. However, the inherent flammability of most textiles poses a big challenge, especially when exposed to elevated surface temperatures induced by electrical or optical stimuli, increasing the risk of fire. The process of synthesizing flame retardants involves the use of organic solvents, which is not in line with the requirements of sustainable development. This research focuses on establishing an eco-friendly and stable coating for polyamide 6 (PA6) fabric through a solvent-free synthesis and innovative alternating deposition method. It has been demonstrated that the treated PA6 fabric exhibits rapid self-extinguishing properties, eliminating melt dripping and achieving a remarkable limiting oxygen index of 25.5%. Furthermore, the peak heat release rate and total heat release rate of the treated PA6 fabric decrease by 32.9% and 22.7%, respectively, compared to that of the control PA6. Under simulated sunlight exposure at an intensity of 150 mW·cm−2, the treated PA6 fabric rapidly reaches a surface temperature of 78.6 °C within 300 s. Additionally, the treated PA6 fabric demonstrates an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency of 24.0 dB in the X-band, highlighting the efficacy of the innovative coating. This result is attributed to the conductive network formed by the alternating deposition of MXene and polyphosphamide. This work not only improves the fire safety in wearable textiles but also presents a promising and green strategy for developing multifunctional wearable textiles with enhanced safety features.

Revolutionizing Airborne Virus Defense: Electromagnetic MXene-Coated Air Filtration for Superior Aerosol Viral Removal.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked public health concerns about the transmission of airborne viruses. Current methods mainly capture pathogens without inactivation, leading to potential secondary pollution. Herein, we evaluated the inactivation performance of a model viral species (MS2) in simulated bioaerosol by an electromagnetically enhanced air filtration system under a 300 kHz electromagnetic induction field. A nonwoven fabric filter was coated with a 2D catalyst, MXene (Ti3C2Tx), at a coating density of 4.56 mg·cm-2 to absorb electromagnetic irradiation and produce local heating and electromagnetic field for microbial inactivation. The results showed that the MXene-coated air filter significantly enhanced the viral removal efficiency by achieving a log removal of 3.4 ± 0.15 under an electromagnetic power density of 369 W·cm-2. By contrast, the pristine filter without catalyst coating only garnered a log removal of 0.3 ± 0.04. Though the primary antimicrobial mechanism is the local heating as indicated by the elevated surface temperature of 72.2 ± 4 °C under the electromagnetic field, additional nonthermal effects (e.g., dielectrophoresis) on enhanced viral capture during electromagnetically enhanced filtration were investigated by COMSOL simulation to delineate the potential transmission trajectories of bioaerosol. The results provide unique insights into the mechanisms of pathogen control and thus promote alternative solutions for preventing the transmission of airborne pathogens.

Improved solar-driven water purification using an eco-friendly and cost-effective aerogel-based interfacial evaporator with exceptional photocatalytic capabilities

As a promising solution to address the global challenge of freshwater scarcity, solar-powered interfacial steam generation has undergone notable advancements. This study introduces a novel solar-driven interfacial evaporation membrane (ZnIn2S4@SiO2/ACSA, ZSAS) comprising a ZnIn2S4@SiO2 composite and a black sodium alginate aerogel infused with activated carbon. The ZSAS membrane demonstrates exceptional light absorption and thermal insulation, leading to elevated surface temperatures and reduced heat dissipation into the bulk water. Furthermore, the incorporation of AC reinforces the mechanical properties of the ZSAS membrane and enhances the water purification performance. These collective features result in an impressive evaporation rate of 1.485 kg m−2 h−1 and a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 91.2% under 1 sun irradiation for the optimal ZSAS membrane. Moreover, the optimal ZSAS membrane can effectively remove salts, heavy metal ions, and organic pollutants, benefitting from its superior evaporation separation effect and the photocatalytic properties of the ZnIn2S4@SiO2 composite.

The effects of urban thermal heterogeneity and feather coloration on oxidative stress and metabolism of pigeons (Columba livia)

Urbanization stands out as a significant anthropogenic factor, exerting selective pressures on ecosystems and biotic components. A notable outcome of urbanization is thermal heterogeneity where the emergence of Urban Heat Islands is characterized by elevated air and surface temperatures compared to adjacent rural areas. Investigating the influence of thermal heterogeneity on urban animals could offer insights into how temperature variations can lead to phenotypic shifts. Urban pigeons (Columba livia) serve as an excellent model for studying urban thermal effects, given the melanism variations, which are associated with the pleiotropy of the melanocortin system. To examine the development of physiological plasticity in response to urban thermal variations, we conducted a study on pigeons in Santiago, Chile, during the rainy season. We assessed the influence of habitat on physiological traits related to metabolism and antioxidant capacities, which are theoretically affected by feather coloration. Our findings reveal that variations in melanism significantly impact pigeon physiology, affecting both antioxidant capacities and the mitochondrial activity of red blood cells. It was found that higher urban temperatures, from both the current sampling month and the prior sampling month (from CRU TS dataset), were negatively and strongly associated with lower antioxidant and metabolic activities. This suggests that elevated urban temperatures likely benefit the energetic budgets of pigeon populations and mitigate the negative effects of oxidative metabolism, with differential effects depending on feather colorations.

Spatial Characteristics and Temporal Trend of Urban Heat Island Effect over Major Cities in India Using Long-Term Space-Based MODIS Land Surface Temperature Observations (2000–2023)

The alteration of the Earth’s surface due to urbanization and the formation of urban heat islands is one of the most evident and widely discussed anthropogenic impacts on Earth’s microclimate. The elevated land surface temperature in the urban perimeter compared with the surrounding non-urban area is known as the surface urban heat island (SUHI) effect. India has experienced swift urban growth over the past few decades, and this trend is expected to persist in years to come. The literature published on SUHI in India focuses only on a few specific cities, and there is limited understanding of its geospatial variation across a broader region and its long-term trend. Here, we present one of the first studies exploring the long-term diurnal (daytime, and nighttime), seasonal, and annual characteristics of SUHI in the 20 largest urban centers of India and its neighboring countries. The study highlights a statistically significant (95% confidence interval) rise in nighttime surface temperatures across major cities based on a linear fit over 23 years (2000–2023) of MODIS land surface temperature satellite observations. The nighttime SUHI was found to be more conspicuous, positive, and consistent when compared with daytime satellite observations. The nighttime SUHI for April–May–June representing the pre-monsoon and onset of monsoon months for the top 10 cities, ranged from 0.92 to 2.33 °C; for December–January–February, representing the winter season, it ranged from 1.38 to 2.63 °C. In general, the total change in the nighttime SUHI based on linear fit (2000–2023) for the top ten cities showed warming over the urban region ranging from 2.04 to 3.7 °C. The highest warming trend was observed during the months of May–June–July (3.7 and 3.01 °C) in Ahmedabad and Delhi, cities that have undergone rapid urbanization in the last two to three decades. The study identified strongly positive annual SUHI intensity during nighttime, and weakly negative to moderately positive annual SUHI intensity during daytime, for major cities. Jaipur (India), Lahore (Pakistan), Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Colombo (Sri Lanka) showed a nighttime SUHI intensity of 2.17, 2.33, 0.32, and 0.21 °C, respectively, during the months of April–May–June, and a nighttime SUHI intensity of 2.63, 1.68, 0.94, 0.33 °C, respectively, for the months of December–January–February (2000–2023). It is apparent that the geographical location (inland/coastal) of the city has a high influence on the daytime and nighttime SUHI patterns. The current research is intended to help city planners and policymakers better understand SUHI intensity (day and night/seasonal basis) for developing strategies to mitigate urban heat island effects.

Effect of the high temperature phase transition on the tribological behavior of atmospheric plasma sprayed AlCoCrFeNi-Bi2O3 coating

Owing to the brittleness of the body-centered cubic (BCC) structure and lack of self-lubrication, plasma-sprayed AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings undergo severe abrasive wear, resulting in high friction and wear. In this study, the substrate surface temperature was increased (800 °C) to promote the phase transition from BCC to ductile FCC during spraying. As a result, the prepared AlCoCrFeNi HEA coating contained BCC and FCC phases, exhibiting a higher adhesive strength, lower friction coefficient and wear rate at room temperature (RT)–800 °C. In addition, the elevated substrate surface temperature enabled the transition of the low-temperature stable phase α-Bi2O3 to the high-temperature stable phase δ-Bi2O3. δ-Bi2O3 promoted the formation of low shear strength planes owing to its low interaction parameter and defect-fluorite structure with 25 % anionic vacancies similar to that of the Magnéli phase, which facilitated friction reduction in a wide temperature range. This study confirms that δ-Bi2O3 can effectively improve the anti-wear performance of the AlCoCrFeNi-Bi2O3 coating at RT, 200, 600 and 800 °C. However, at 400 °C, the low melting point and soft nature of the Bi2O3 weakened the mechanical strength of the coating and inhibited the construction of a solid and tough tribo-layer, resulting in a relatively high wear rate for AlCoCrFeNi-Bi2O3 coating. At 800 °C specifically, under the thermal coupling effect, δ-Bi2O3 migrated and aggregated on the worn surface with the oxidation product Al2O3 of the AlCoCrFeNi HEA matrix, and jointly promoted the formation of a compact and smooth tribo-layer with lubricating capability, which not only effectively reduced friction but also inhibited wear.

Analysis of Possibility of Induction Sensor Designing for Estimating Quantitatively the Phase Composition of Samples with an Elevated Surface Temperature

Analysis of Possibility of Induction Sensor Designing for Estimating Quantitatively the Phase Composition of Samples with an Elevated Surface Temperature

Experimental Investigation of Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Grinding of HVOF-Sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr Coating

WC-10Co-4Cr coating is highly valued for its corrosion resistance and wear resistance when applied using the high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying method. However, conventional grinding (CG) of this coating presents challenges, including substantial grinding forces and elevated surface temperatures. To address these concerns, our study proposed the utilization of ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) as a means to enhance the machining properties of HVOF-sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr coatings. Comparative experiments were conducted to analyze the impacts of various factors on the grinding forces and surface roughness in UVAG and CG processes. Additionally, the topography of the ground surfaces was examined to gain insights into the material removal mechanism in UVAG. The experimental outcomes reveal significant reductions in tangential and normal grinding forces, amounting to 15.47% and 22.23%, respectively, in UVAG when compared with CG. Furthermore, UVAG led to a roughly 29.14% decrease in ground surface roughness compared with CG. Microscopic analysis of the ground surfaces using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that ductile removal was the predominant material removal mode in UVAG. Overall, UVAG was found to be effective in diminishing grinding forces, improving ground surface roughness, and enhancing surface integrity when contrasted with CG. These findings introduce a novel approach for processing WC-10Co-4Cr coatings.

A modified plasma immersed solid-phase impurity assisted doping geometry for the creation of highly fluorescent CVD nanodiamond

In this work, we report on a simple and easy to realize doping geometry by which the color center formation efficiency can be improved significantly in nanocrystalline diamond structures during solid impurity source-assisted microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MWCVD). A vertically aligned solid impurity source immersed into the CVD plasma results in diamond thin film with significantly higher color center related fluorescence signal, than the horizontal and source-free arrangements. Based on the example of negatively charged silicon-vacancy (SiV−) center, we demonstrated that the emission peak intensity of fluorescent nanodiamond structures prepared in such a way can be 7–10 times enhanced without significant alteration of the crystal quality. The observed phenomenon is explained by the increased number of incorporated silicon impurities into the diamond nanocrystals, initiated by the beneficial conditions for the atomization of the vertically aligned impurity source, including the enlarged contact area and the elevated surface temperature. The efficiency of the method was demonstrated for thin films and individual nanocrystal structures as well. The proposed solid-phase doping source geometry can be adapted to other impurities to extend the type or improve the in-situ formation efficiency of impurity related color centers in CVD nanodiamond crystals.

Investigating the effect of surface urban heat island on the trend of temperature changes

Urbanization has led to the emergence of surface urban heat islands (SUHI) and air pollution, necessitating comprehensive investigations into the urbanization process. This study explores the impact of urbanization on temperature trends in northern Iran using remote sensing and neural networks. MODIS images from 2001, 2010, and 2019 were employed to determine climatic features and vegetation levels. SUHI indices and the Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) were utilized to assess ecological comfort and urban heat islands. Markov chain methods were used for forecasting future thermal pollution. The relationship between temperature, air pollutants, spectral indices, and thermal indices was investigated through regression analysis. Furthermore, multilayer perceptron (MLP), radial basis function (RBF), and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks were employed for predicting indicator values. The findings reveal an increase in thermal pollution indicated by elevated Land Surface Temperature (LST), SUHI, and UTFVI values, along with a decrease in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values between 2001 and 2019. The Urbanization Index (UI) values demonstrate a 5% increase in urban areas during the same period. The UTFVI values suggest a decline in ecological comfort due to urbanization and reduced vegetation, with the majority of the region experiencing the poorest thermal comfort in 2019. The SUHI index peaked at 11.72 in 2019, with the highest values observed in spring and the lowest in winter. Correlation analysis highlights a significant relationship between LST and various factors, including SUHI, UTFVI, CH4, SO2, and CO2, underscoring the influence of temperature increase on pollution escalation in the study area. Air pollution assessment indicates the highest concentration of CO gas in the northern and southern parts of the region. Tehran exhibits the highest CO gas levels at 0.051 ppm, while Golestan records the lowest at 0.012 ppm. SO2 levels reach their peak in northern regions (0.0088 ppm) and are lowest in southern regions (0 ppm). The Markov and CA-Markov chain methods predict that by 2050, approximately 50% of the region will experience high temperatures. Neural network results demonstrate that the LSTM method outperforms MLP and RBF methods, with R2 values of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively, indicating higher accuracy in LST prediction during testing and validation stages. Overall, this study highlights the potential of neural networks in predicting thermal pollution and facilitating effective land management strategies in urban areas.

Influence of elevated surface temperature on the formability in cold forming of aluminum alloy sheets

In recent decades, deep drawing has been widely used in the automotive industry for producing lightweight car body components of 5xxx and 6xxx aluminum alloys. Although sheets of these alloys are usually deep-drawn at room temperature, heat generated by friction and plastic deformation may locally increase the surface temperature of the drawing tools during the serial production of components. Therefore, this work investigates the influence of elevated surface temperatures of the tool on the formability of commercial hotmelt-lubricated 1.5 mm-thick EN AW-5182 and EN AW-6016-T4 sheets. Deep drawing experiments were performed at different constant surface temperatures between room temperature (RT) and 80 °C using a cross-shaped tool with open die. With increasing surface temperature, the maximum drawing depth – that was considered as indicator for the formability – decreased by about 21 % and 28 % for EN AW-6016-T4 and EN AW-5182, respectively. Tribological experiments performed using a pin-on-plate tribometer confirmed this trend. The results clearly showed that the coefficient of friction (COF) between the sheet and the tool significantly increase at elevated surface temperature; the most notable increase of the COF occurred between 40 °C and 60 °C.

Critical contact angle for triggering dynamic Leidenfrost phenomenon at different surface wettability: A molecular dynamics study

The microscopic mechanism of the dynamic Leidenfrost phenomenon involving the impact of droplets on high-temperature surfaces remains unclear, although many efforts have been devoted to the static Leidenfrost phenomenon of evaporative sessile droplets. In this work, we study the dynamic Leidenfrost phenomenon of droplets impacting high-temperature surfaces with different wettability by using water and copper. The simulations by the molecular dynamics method show that determined by the atomic potential energy, a hydrophilic surface favors a lower dynamic Leidenfrost temperature compared to a hydrophobic surface. It is found that there is a critical contact angle that can trigger the Leidenfrost phenomenon at different surface temperatures. The critical contact angles are about 44.06°, 87.93°, and 92.63° when the surface temperatures are 998 K, 1,098 K, and 1,198 K, respectively. That the critical contact angle becomes larger with elevated surface temperature is helpful for industrial designs, in which novel insulating materials with higher Leidenfrost temperatures are required.

Hybrid structural electronics fabrication by combined SLA and metal printing

A method is described where 3D electronic devices are fabricated using a hybrid printing approach which combines several steps: Top illumination stereolithography; laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) printing of conductive materials; placement of active and passive components and their electrical interconnection by a non-contact, metal LIFT process. By applying this approach, free-form 3D functional electronic structures could be manufactured by a single hybrid tool. The adhesion of LIFT printed metal droplets onto various organic substrates of interest for device fabrication was investigated. The results suggest two possible approaches for improved adhesion by either printing at elevated surface temperature or surface roughening by laser pre-treatment. The resulting track resistivities were found to be in the range of ×5–10 higher than bulk copper resistivity. We present several exemplary printed devices with different complexities and functionalities as demonstrators of the proposed hybrid technology.

Photoresponsive triple shape memory polymers with a self-healing function based on poly (lactic acid)/polycaprolactone blends

Self-healing shape memory polymers (SMPs) have considerablepotential in advanced manufacturing and biomedical fields. Polypyrrole (PPy) exhibits excellent photoconversion properties, which may be utilized in SMP formulation; however, its application in this regard has not been explored. In this study, PPy-filled polymer nanocomposites were prepared to investigate their shape memory and self-healing characteristics. First, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were blendedto form PLA/PCL shape memory matrices. An 80:20 PLA/PCL blend showed excellent triple-shape memory performance with shape recovery rates (Rr1, Rr2, and Rr3Rr) of 92%, 87%, and 93%, respectively PPy nanoparticles were then incorporated into the blend as photothermal conversion fillers to develop photoresponsive SMPs. SMPs. The resulting PLA/PCL/PPy nanocomposites exhibited elevated surface temperatures during near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, thus demonstrating the photoconversion effect. In addition, these nanocomposites showed reversible triple-shape change behavior and excellent self-healing efficiencies upon NIR exposure, owing to the controllable melting and recrystallization of the PLA and PCL phases. Furthermore, the material properties of severed nanocomposites were restored after self-healing. These results, in addition to the biocompatibility and simple fabrication process of these materials, therefore demonstrate the potential utility of PPy-filled SMPs in several applications, including soft robotics and biomedical devices.

Short-term responses of phytoplankton size-fractionated structure and photosynthetic physiology to thermal effluent in a subtropical coastal bay

Elevated water temperature caused by the thermal discharge from power plants can exert multiple ecological impacts on the phytoplankton community in coastal ecosystems. Most recent studies have focused on the reshaping effects on the community structure; however, the short-term response of phytoplankton physiology to thermal discharge remains unclear. This study conducted research on the scope of thermal discharge from the nuclear power plant and the size-fractionated phytoplankton structure combined with photosynthetic physiology in Daya Bay, China. The thermal discharge significantly affected the surface temperature in the outlet regions, and the thermal plume mainly diffused along the northeast coast of the outfall site, resulting in a significant difference in the surface temperature between the inlet and outlet transects (p<0.05). Elevated surface temperatures decreased the total chlorophyll a concentrations by 33.19% at the outlet regions, with pico-phytoplankton decreasing the most. Chlorophyll a concentrations were higher at sites further away from the outlets, indicating that elevated water temperature might stimulate the rapid growth of phytoplankton, especially nano-phytoplankton which replaced pico-phytoplankton as the dominant group at stations away from the outlets. Significant negative correlations were observed between the photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and temperature (p<0.05), and the relative electron transport rate (rETR) and temperature (p<0.05). Phytoplankton showed a normal photosynthetic physiological state at most sites with a surface temperature<33°C but was severely affected at the outlet site with a 5°C rise, decreasing from ~0.5 on the inlet transect to 0.07. During the diurnal survey, the high temperatures near the outlet at midday had a compensatory effect on phytoplankton’s light suppression. The results indicated that the physiological state of phytoplankton was clearly influenced by the thermal discharge with diurnal variation, and different size-fractionated phytoplankton groups exhibited heterogeneous responses. The findings may provide further insights into the ecological impacts of thermal discharges as well as global warming in subtropical regions.

Cretaceous climates: Mapping paleo-Köppen climatic zones using a Bayesian statistical analysis of lithologic, paleontologic, and geochemical proxies

The Cretaceous Period (145 to 66 Ma) was a prolonged warmhouse to hothouse period characterized by high atmospheric CO2 conditions, elevated surface temperatures, and an enhanced global hydrologic cycle. It provides a case study for understanding how a hothouse climate system operates, and is an analog for future anthropogenic climate change scenarios. This study presents new quantitative temperature and precipitation proxy datasets for nine key Cretaceous time slices (Berriasian/Valanginian, Hauterivian/Barremian, Aptian, Albian, Cenomanian, Turonian, Coniacian/Santonian, Campanian, Maastrichtian), and a new geostatistical analysis technique that utilizes Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm and Bayesian hierarchical models to generate high resolution, quantitative global paleoclimate reconstructions from these proxy datasets, with associated uncertainties. Using these paleoclimate reconstructions, paleo-Köppen (-Geiger) climate zone maps are produced that provide new insights into the changing spatial and temporal climate patterns during the Cretaceous. These new paleoclimate reconstructions and paleo-Köppen climate maps provide new insight into the timing of the initiation of the Early Cretaceous equatorial humid belt over Gondwana and reveal temporal shifts in the width of the subtropical arid belts from the Early to mid- to Late Cretaceous. A comparison of these proxy-based reconstructions and model simulations of Cretaceous climate reveal continued proxy/model differences. In addition, the methodology developed for this study can be applied to other time periods, providing a framework for better understanding ancient climate, environments, and ecosystems.

Does compact development mitigate urban thermal environments? Influences of smart growth principles on land surface temperatures in Los Angeles and Portland

The smart growth paradigm has emerged as a major planning framework to respond to the adverse outcomes of reckless development, but its influences on urban thermal environments are underexplored in the scholarly literature. Since elevated land surface temperature (LST) is closely related to the physical expansion of developed areas, it is necessary to identify the effects of smart growth strategies on LST. This study, therefore, investigated the relationships between LST, landscape variables, and smart growth variables at the census block group level in two distinct urban locales: the City of Los Angeles, California, and the City of Portland, Oregon, from 2010 to 2018. Through multivariate analyses—including the principal component analysis (PCA), K-means clustering, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and regression models—this study revealed the potential of urban forms promoted by the smart growth principles comprehensively to mitigate LST. Given the different features of built environments and planning systems between the two cities, the results of this study also indicate the necessity of considering local contexts rather than suggesting a “one-size-fits-all” policy.

Controls of Land Surface Temperature between and within Local Climate Zones: A Case Study of Harare in Zimbabwe

Urban growth-related changes in land use and land cover have segmented urban areas into zones of distinct surface and air temperatures (i.e., Local Climate Zones—LCZ). While studies have revealed inter-LCZ temperature variations, understanding controls of variations in Land Surface Temperature (LST) within LCZs has largely remained uninvestigated. In view of the need for LCZ-specific heat mitigation strategies, this study investigated factors driving LST variations within LCZs. To achieve this, an LCZ map for Harare was developed and correlated with LST, both derived using Landsat 8 data. The contribution index (CI) was then used to determine the relative contribution of LCZs to cooling and warming of the city. The contribution of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Bareness Index (NDBaI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), Urban Index (UI), and Aspect and Elevation as quantitative measures of surface controls of LST were investigated between and within LCZs. LST generally increased with built-up density and reduced with increases in surface water and vegetation. The study showed that the cooling effect of water bodies was reduced in contribution to their insignificant proportion of the study area. At the city scale, NDVI, MNDWI, NDBI, and UI had the strongest influence on LST (correlation coefficient > 0.5). At the intra-LCZ scale, the contribution of these surface properties remained significant, though to varied extents. The study concluded that surface wetness is a significant cooling determinant in densely built-up LCZs, while in other LCZs, it combines with vegetation abundance and health to mitigate elevated surface temperature. Aspect and elevation had low but significant correlations with LST in most LCZs. The study recommends that intra-LCZ controls of LST must be considered in heat mitigation efforts.

Modeling Urban Impact on Zhengzhou Storm on July 20, 2021

AbstractThe heavy storm event that occurred from 18 to 22 July 2021, in Henan province caused severe floods and casualties, especially in the provincial city, Zhengzhou. While the impacts of large‐scale synoptic systems and local‐scale orographic effects on the storm event have been studied, the role of urbanization remains unexplored. Using Weather Research and Forecasting model, the study designed two numerical experiments, differentiated by the presence of urban land cover, to investigate the urban impact on the storm event over Henan province, with a focus on Zhengzhou. Urbanization increases precipitation in the major urban area of Zhengzhou and its south, western Kaifeng, and western Xuchang, where the largest increases reach from 188.2 to 304.4 mm. Further investigation into Zhengzhou city reveals that urbanization leads to shifted precipitation center and stagnation in the major urban area, resulting in earlier peak rainfall time and more concentrated precipitation. Elevated surface temperature and sensible heat are identified before the peak rainfall arrives, which leads to increased planet boundary layer height, suggesting the contribution of the urban heat island effect. Thermal perturbation and increased surface roughness over urban areas promote vertical uplift and moisture convergence, increasing water vapor and forming storm system drags during the peak precipitation time, thus bringing earlier and higher amounts of precipitation to the major urban area and its south. The study calls for the consideration of the urban effect of extreme storm events and the precaution against waterlogging over urban areas in rapid‐developing cities.

The consequences of urbanization on vegetation photosynthesis in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Vegetation photosynthesis is a critical component of terrestrial carbon cycles, and its peak value (peak photosynthetic rate) dominates plant CO2 uptake. Urbanization has significantly influenced vegetation photosynthesis by changing environmental conditions directly (replacement of vegetated surfaces with impervious surfaces) and indirectly (e.g., atmospheric and climatic conditions). Although some studies have investigated the effects of urbanization on vegetation productivity across the whole study area, how the peak photosynthetic rate responds to urbanization for different vegetation types has received scant scholarly attention. Here, using the urban-rural gradient approach, we explored the effects of urbanization on the peak photosynthetic rate (surrogated by GPPmax and EVImax) of different vegetation types across urbanization intensity (UI) gradients in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA). The results showed that (1) the GPPmax and EVImax of the forest, grassland, and wetland decreased with urban intensity. GPPmax and EVImax in rural areas (UI ≦ 1%) were 36.62 and 30.47% higher than those of urban areas (UI > 1%) overall vegetation types. (2) The indirect impacts can offset or exacerbate the direct loss of vegetation photosynthesis caused by urbanization in YRDUA. Especially for forest ecosystems in YRDUA, the negative direct urbanization effect is exacerbated by the indirect reduction in vegetation growth. However, the indirect effects of urbanization on grassland and wetland offset 47.08 and 87.23% loss of GPPmax, and 34.17 and 79.73% loss of EVImax due to the reduction of vegetated surface area, respectively. (3) The indirect impact of urbanization on vegetation photosynthesis was dominated by the elevated daytime land surface temperature (LSTday). Our study highlights the necessity of distinguishing the various effects of urbanization on vegetation photosynthesis, which may help stakeholders formulate more reasonable urban environmental planning.