Learn about Heat islands and ground level Ozone and what effects it has on the environment with the help of these thermal maps, visit: http://mocomi.com/urban-heat-islands/

1. Heat islands are created by the unique thermal properties
of cities. This is a combination of high concentration of
concrete, glass and other man made building materials and
low incidence of trees and water bodies.
Heat islands and ground level Ozone
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2. On an average day the temperature in a city will be higher
than the surrounding countryside. On some days this tem-
perature difference is as much as 10 degrees Centigrade.
This "island" of warmer areas is called a heat island.
Due to high pollution in a city including elevated carbon fuels
( petrol & diesel) the ground level Ozone content in a city is
very high. Ground level or tropospheric Ozone is different
from the Ozone that exists high up in the earth's atmos-
phere. Think of ground level Ozone as the bad Ozone and
stratospheric Ozone as the good Ozone.
Temperature and Ozone are interrelated. High Ozone
means higher temperature and vice versa.
Ground level or bad Ozone is formed when nitrogen oxide
and volatile organic compounds react with sunlight. Nitro-
gen oxide is a by product of high temperature combustion
created by automobiles and power plants. Volatile organic
compounds include organic chemicals that evaporate easily
like petrol and diesel.
Essentially, nitrogen oxide plus volatile organic compounds
plus sunlight creates ground level ozone.
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3. High ground level Ozone can affect our health in many
ways such as :
Irritation of the respiratory system causing coughing and
wheezing.
Reduces lung function including deep breathing and
viciously.
Aggravation of Asthma.
Reduces photosynthesis in plants creating weaker crops.
What is Ozone?
Find out the difference between Stratospheric and tropo-
sphere ozone
What are green house gases? How are they caused?
Suggested Activities:
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