With growing population and expanding human activities built-up area is also rapidly increasing resulting in the creation of huge artificial surfaces. The albedo of these surfaces is different than that of original earth's surface. Thus, they may have different roles in absorbing and emitting solar radiation. The present question is whether they have any significant role in global warming or not........
Hi Asad,
Urban land expansion significantly modifies the surface properties such as albedo and roughness increases the emissions of aerosols and anthropogenic heat, and reduces surface wind, thus exerting considerable impacts on regional climate change. Moreover, based on the research of Kalnay and Cai, 2003 (Nature) estimate of 0.27°C mean surface warming per century will occur due to land-use changes which is at least twice as high as previous estimates (Hansen et al., 2001, JGR) based on built-up surfaces alone.
Cheers
Ankur
Ankur Srivastava thanks for the response and referring very useful research. It means undesirable anthropogenic changes in landscape may lead the humanity towards serious disasters.
Dear Asad Ali Khan,
You will recall that activities of Urban sprawl, land use and land cover also contribute to Urban heat island and all these among others are factors directly contributing to global warming among others.
Thanks Michael Oketunde Okegbola for your response. Yes you are right, this is among the list of factors contributing to global warming.
Buildings, malls and other artificial surfaces at the cost of vegetation reduce the carbon sink greatly, which promote global warming
Yes Abhijit Mitra, reduction of vegetation at the cost of buildings and other structures is one of the big issues.
Asad... Modern life does not only involve new constructions but the replacement of those naturally existing green zones with such artificial structures. Thus, the natural equilibrium and balance will be disturbed. Concrete buildings will absorb solar energy at the day time and emit it at night so the thermal environment will be highly affected. Green zones are the natural sources ox oxygen generation. Their replacement will reduce the oxygen supplies and instead introduce huge amounts of green house gases that contribute significantly in the global warming....Regards@ Abhijit Mitra
Mahmood M. Barbooti thanks for your very useful response about the issue getting severe over time.
Asad Ali Khan Built-up surfaces alter the carbon dynamics of the land through changes in the rate of release to and sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere.
Victor B. Asio thanks for your worthwhile response which real enhancement of knowledge.