Uploaded on 2016-04-27 by LadaNikulina

Researches that has been held at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University indicate the evident existence of this urban phenomenon. According to that analysis temperatures in the downtown of Moscow differ from its periphery districts by 1-2C and maximum difference from rural areas of Moscow region may reach 7-10C. It was shown the existence of steady thermal anomaly in the surface layer at any time of the day and also the existence of a cold layer over it at heights higher than 100 m at night were confirmed. The mean daily altitudinal extension of this anomaly is approximately 300 m. One of the interesting effects of Moscow UHI that have been observed is a gradual increasing of city temperatures from Monday to Friday and sharp decreasing during weekend. Besides this, there is an underground heat island in Moscow, with its approximate depth of 30 meters. ![Temperatures measured in different parts of Moscow][1] This anthropogenic changes appear in earlier time of flower's and tree's blossom in the city centre in spring, too hot and uncomfortable conditions in summer and in dramatic melting of snow and ice-skating rinks in winter like it captured in a picture below. ![Moscow's biggest skating rink is closed in the middle of January due to high temperatures][2] ![snow melting][3] While at the same time the landscape in a countryside in 20 km away from Moscow may look completely different. ![Village in Moscow region][4] In my opinion several steps that can be made to reduce UHI effect are to plant more trees to provide shade and minimise the noise, encourage people to use more public transport (especially electrical: metro, trolleybus, tram), use materials with high reflective index. Not much interest is devoted to UHI of a city on a governmental level and measures to reduce it are very poor: the existence of trolleybuses system in a city centre now put under the question and may be demolished, more wide highways are built each year. One of the several attempts held a year ago was a program of replacement asphalt on pedestrian paths onto paving stones. Sources: 1. http://istina.msu.ru/media/publications/article/e77/dab/10673701/58902566.pdf 2. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1134%2FS1028334X16010128 3. https://istina.msu.ru/media/dissertations/dissertation/c06/eda/10841159/Avtoreferat_Korneva.pdf [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14617125024515121.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14617136332452922.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14617138492428036.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14617139727718111.jpg