NOAA seeks applicants for 2022 urban heat island initiative

A community volunteer attaches the heat sensor to collect data as part of NOAA’s Heat Island Mapping Campaign in Kansas City, Missouri on August 6, 2021. Credit: Kansas City Heat Island Mapping Campaign

NOAA’s National Integrated Heat Health Information System and science partner, CAPA Strategiesoffsite link, are now accepting applications from organizations interested in participating in the 2022 Urban Heat Island mapping campaigns.

The campaigns involving community members and scientists will work to map the hottest areas of their communities to learn where action is needed to protect vulnerable populations now and in the future.

The mapping campaigns are run by a participating city’s local citizen science organizations, and rely on volunteers to travel around the city using sensors attached to cars to collect data on temperature, humidity, time and GPS location. The resulting maps provide a detailed analysis of the distribution of heat in the morning, afternoon and evening. These public campaigns raise awareness of the growing health issue of urban heat islands (UHI), and inform interventions to address extreme heat such as tree planting, smart surfaces, and incorporation into climate action plans. 

Read more at the link below.