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eTheses Repository - University of Birmingham

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Chapter 6 that the increase in the nocturnal UHI intensity reached a threshold as the city<br />

approached its current extent. The results for the scenarios representing future urbanisation<br />

presented in Figure 7.4 show a slow increase for the first six simulations, and then a steeper<br />

increase as the urban land cover starts to dominate, covering over 40% <strong>of</strong> the domain area.<br />

A non linearity in the urban effects <strong>of</strong> expansion and fraction <strong>of</strong> vegetation within the urban<br />

area depending on the size <strong>of</strong> the urban area has been identified in some previous studies<br />

(e.g. Best et al. 2002; Trusilova 2006).<br />

UHI at 02:00 am (K)<br />

4<br />

3.5<br />

3<br />

2.5<br />

2<br />

1.5<br />

1<br />

0.5<br />

0<br />

0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35<br />

Mean urban land cover fraction<br />

0.40 0.45 0.50<br />

Figure 7.4: Maximum UHI intensity (K) as a function <strong>of</strong> mean urban land cover fraction as computed<br />

by the simulations in the EXPANSION series at 02:00 <strong>of</strong> the second day <strong>of</strong> simulation<br />

7.2.2 Diurnal temperature range (DTR)<br />

The effect <strong>of</strong> the results presented for the scenarios in the EXPANSION series is that the<br />

behaviour <strong>of</strong> the domain averaged DTR is different from that found in Chapter 6. As a<br />

result <strong>of</strong> the larger increase in the daytime temperature compared to the night time<br />

220

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