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Impacts of anthropogenic heat on regional climate patterns
Author(s) -
Block Alexander,
Keuler Klaus,
Schaller Eberhard
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2004gl019852
Subject(s) - environmental science , precipitation , heat flux , atmospheric sciences , climate change , climatology , climate model , flux (metallurgy) , heat transfer , meteorology , geography , oceanography , geology , physics , materials science , metallurgy , thermodynamics
Four different simulations of a winter period in Central Europe are carried out to investigate the principle effect of anthropogenic heat release from the highly industrialized and populated Ruhrarea region (Germany) on regional climate conditions. The results reveal a permanent warming due to anthropogenic heat emissions over affected areas ranging from 0.15 K over land area with an additional 2 W m −2 anthropogenic heat flux up to 0.5 K over the Ruhrarea with additional 20 W m −2 anthropogenic heat flux. The temperature effects induced by anthropogenic heat not only depend on the amount of added heat but also on orographical factors. No significant variations are found for precipitation.