Underground Climate Change & Heat Island

According to research done at North-Western University in Illions in the US, Underground Climate Change is a silent hazard that threatens major cities across the world.

What is Underground Climate Change?

• Rising Subsurface temperatures due to human activities like basement parking, tunnels, and underground rail, among others, are known as 'Underground Climate Change' or Subsurface heat islands.

• It is an extension of the phenomenon of urban heat islands which defines the urban regions that are significantly warmer than their rural surroundings due to human activities.

• However, this subterranean warming is much more intense than above the surface, especially in densely built cities.

Recent Findings:-

• Heat diffuses from buildings and underground transportation, warming the ground at an increasingly fast rate.

• Over time, the accumulation of this heat can lead to serious environmental disasters.

• Researchers have found that the shallow subsurface beneath cities warms by 0.1 to 2.5 degrees Celsius per decade.

• Warmer temperatures caused swelling and expansion of the ground by as much as 12 millimeters and contraction and sinking by as much as 8 millimeters.

• Underground climate change is a silent hazard, as no existing civil structure or infrastructure is designed to withstand these variations.

Effects of Underground Climate Change:-

1. This can lead to instability in building foundations, causing them to crack or move.

2. It can change the characteristics of the soil and rock that affects underground water resources.

3. It can cause serious health implications, such as heat stroke and respiratory problems.

4. The warming also can affect structures above ground as the land contracted over soft, stiff, clay layers but expanded at hard clay layers.

Potential for Energy Harnessing:-

• The heat generated can be captured and used as a source of geothermal energy.

• By harnessing the waste heat, it is possible to reduce the impact of underground climate change while providing a sustainable source of energy.