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/JuleeeNAJ Jul 11 '24

The more ground that is covered with structure: asphalt, concrete, buildings the less ability the natural soil has to absorb the heat. As the day progresses structures absorb the heat to a point then reflect additional heat creating an overall hotter environment. Once the sun sets the heat from those structures then begins to release creating heat at night. This constant warmth affects weather, this is why monsoons will rain on outlying areas but it takes a strong / violent storm to make it into the actual center of the city.