Earth  ID: 20013

Urban Rainfall Effect on Coastal Cities

Animations by Susan Twardy Released on December 9, 2003
Cities tend to be 1-10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than surrounding areas. The added heat destabilizes and changes air circulation around cities. During the warmer months, the added heat creates wind circulations and rising air that produces new clouds enhances existing ones. Under the right conditions, these clouds evolve into rain-producers or storms. Scientists suspect that converging air due to city surfaces of varying heights, like buildings, also promotes rising air needed to produce clouds and rainfall.
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Animation Credits

Susan Twardy (HTSI): Lead Animator
J. Marshall Shepherd (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Kathryn A. Stofer: Writer
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20013

Goddard TV Tape:
G2003-067

Keywords:
SVS >> Byrne
SVS >> Clouds
SVS >> Coastal
SVS >> Convergance
SVS >> Gonnelli
SVS >> Heat Island
SVS >> Rainfall
SVS >> Urban
GCMD >> Earth Science
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Precipitation >> Rain
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0