By Gillian King-Cargile
When you picture atmospheric scientists, you might think of them monitoring cloud cover on the open plains or even chasing a twister through a cornfield. You probably don’t imagine teams of people launching weather balloons in the center of one of the largest cities in the U.S.
But that’s what happened this past July during the CROCUS Urban Canyon Campaign in Chicago. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research program, the Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) effort studies urban climate change and the impact it has on local homeowners and businesses.
An urban canyon is a city street packed densely with buildings on both sides. These confined spaces trap heat, leading to an urban heat island effect. This effect is one of the factors that contribute to cities being warmer than surrounding areas. It can impact energy use, air quality and overall climate patterns. The goal of the Urban Canyon campaign was to collect data at the street level, where people live and work, and in the boundary layer, where air from the city mixes with the atmosphere.
Over a two-week period, CROCUS researchers from Chicago and around the region converged on the city to conduct two intensive measurement sessions. They measured temperature, air quality and air flow in and around Chicago’s mix of skyscrapers, highways and neighborhoods. Their data will help inform strategies to mitigate extreme heat and weather while protecting property and infrastructure.