Microclimates: Detailed Study.

Name Shanze Ashai Tutor Group 7MA Date

Do Microclimates exist around Dulwich College grounds?

Introduction

Microclimates are small areas which have a different climate from the surrounding areas. Microclimates can be created by many things. The surface of a place can affect its microclimate. Places with tarmac or concrete type flooring shall be warmer than places with grass ground. Shelters can also be a cause for microclimates to occur. The shelters can block the sun making it cooler or block the wind to make it warmer. The shelters can also give shade which can also make it cooler. The physical features can create microclimates. For example: a place with trees, grass, or lakes will be much cooler and shadier than a place surrounded by buildings. The direction of a place can affect how or cold it may be during the different times of the day. Microclimates are also affected if there is city near by or if you are living in one. The time of day can also be a crucial element to creating a microclimate. The positioning of the sun can also affect if there is or is not a microclimate. Places with small towns and countryside will be much cooler than large cities. This affect is called “Urban Heating Island Effect”. Microclimates can exist everywhere if the appropriate conditions occur. There could be a microclimate in the two courtyards in between the senior building, or in the junior school inner playground. There could be a microclimate where any of the appropriate conditions might exist.