Urban microclimate and spatial scales

Before addressing the urban heat island phenomenon, which is the subject of this article, it is essential to introduce the concept of urban microclimate, as well as notions of scale.

On the earth's surface, every environment receives energy via solar radiation. Each territory distributes this radiative energy according to its physical characteristics. This distribution of received energy has an impact on measured climatic variables, such as air temperature, absolute humidity or vertical wind profile. For a given environment, this specific distribution results in the development of a climate that differs from the general climate observed in the surrounding area. In this case, the presence of a microclimate is observed. Using this definition, it can be argued that cities create their own microclimate, as the climatic variables measured in urban areas differ from those...