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Preferred term

heat island effect  

Definition

  • Heat islands occur when urban areas experience higher levels of thermal heating than adjacent exurban and rural areas. Cities that maintain a higher average temperature than their surroundings can be viewed as islands of heat surrounded by cooler, nonurban landscapes. [Source: Encyclopedia of Environment and Society; Heat Island Effect]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/heat_island_effect

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