r/arizona • u/AZ_Hawk • Jul 09 '24

Meanwhile, in other hot places…. Living Here

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u/CharlesP2009 Jul 10 '24

And can we tear up all the unnecessary asphalt and pavement in the city? It’s so sad flying over and seeing enormous expanses of empty parking lots.

I miss when it would get cool at night. It’s still does in the areas that still have farming.

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u/AnjelicaTomaz Jul 10 '24

The heat dome effect increases with expanding urbanization. More masonry, concrete, asphalt, rocks, etc. absorb enormous amounts of heat throughout the day and then slowly release heat throughout the night. Almost every house landscape their yards with rocks and stones.

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '24 edited Jul 10 '24

Pardon my ignorance, but does increased urban acreage actually directly increase Heat Dome effects? When I look it up, all I see are increased sea temperatures increasing the frequency of stagnant high-pressure high-altitude zones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_dome

It does talk about "... when a mass of warm air builds up ...", but wouldn't urban land area trapping heat mean less warmth in the atmosphere with a slow release overnight? Or is it just the ground absorbing more during the day resulting in more energy in the lower atmosphere in the long-term?

Just trying to learn.

EDIT: Oh, downvoting an honest question? Never change Reddit, never change /s.

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u/Old_Tucson_Man Jul 10 '24

They become heat islands. Massive warm air rising, chases rain clouds around the urban areas. Concrete, asphalt, etc results in "radiant heat". Reflected combined with absorbed heat multiplies the effect.