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Oral

Environmental

Spatial and Temporal Air Temperature and Humidity Distribution Below a Tree Canopy: Onsite Monitoring and CFD Modeling

Monday, May 19, 2025
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT)
Room: Room 7 & 8
Abstract Submission: Urban trees have gained recognition in recent decades for their role in lowering air temperature in the urban environments mitigating the effect of urban heat islands (UHI). While prior research generally agrees that trees create cooler zones beneath their canopies in tropical urban heat islands during the day, the distribution of air temperature and the extent of these cooler zones remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, this research analyzes the spatial and temporal distribution of air temperature and humidity beneath tree canopies using onsite sensor measurements and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations at a study site in Miami, Florida, where high-heat conditions persist year-round. The findings demonstrate how the size and shape of the cooler zones beneath trees change in response to varying environmental conditions (e.g., solar radiation, wind patterns, humidity, and rain). Additionally, this research explores how these cooling zones evolve throughout the day, capturing their expansion and contraction. The results offer valuable insights into the role of urban trees in improving thermal comfort in tropical cities like Miami and provide guidance for optimizing urban green infrastructure to more effectively mitigate the UHI effect.

Learning Objectives/Expected Outcome (Optional) :