Student Research - Mission Earth

Previous studies have shown that artificial turf contributes more to the Urban Heat Island Effect in comparison to their grass counterparts. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that artificial turf has on the Urban Heat Island Effect in different climates. The two climates range from being sub-tropical in New York and tropical in Brazil. Using Landsat Level-2 data within ArcGIS, we collected data over a six month sequence, a timeframe essential towards accounting for the differing seasons in each hemisphere. After one turf field and one grass field was selected and outlined within the map, we added buffers, each containing five rings of 100 meter intervals. Promptly, we extracted data from five equidistant points within each ring plus one in the field’s center and then we inputted the data into Google Sheets. Using the data collected, we were able to calculate the average surface temperature of each field and each buffer ring over the six month sequence. Furthermore, by subtracting the average surface temperature of the grass from that of the turf’s, the difference values for each date were provided, which we then used to find the minimum and maximum values. New York City’s minimum difference was 0.9C and its maximum difference was 9.8C while Brazil’s minimum difference was 1.4C and its maximum was 23.7C. Thus, we can conclude that the artificial turf fields in Brazil contribute more severely to the Urban Heat Island Effect compared to the fields in New York City given New York’s calculated difference values are more negligible in comparison. This finding demonstrates how tropical regions may experience a more severe Urban Heat Island Effect compared to non-tropical or sub-tropical regions. Additionally, it introduces implications regarding the potential detriments caused by artificial turf installation and usage.