ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment

Urban development and climate change to trigger severe urban floods

Urban floods are about to become that much worse.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
March 15, 2021
in Environment, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

The residents of northern Georgia, US, aren’t very used to flooding. So when severe rain started falling in September 2009, most people didn’t pay much attention. But the rain kept falling and falling, submerging entire neighborhoods, roads, and bridges.

The Georgia flood seemingly came out of nowhere, but results from a new study suggests it may have not been all that much of a freak occurrence. Instead, it may be the result of the combined effect of urban development and greenhouse gases.

Matei Georgescu, associate professor in ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, has spent much of his time studying phenomena related to urbanization-induced landscape change. There’s a lot to look at: the cities we’ve grown so accustomed to still have environmental effects that are poorly understood.

The Urban Heat Island effect, for instance, was first investigated and described by amateur meteorologist Luke Howard in the 1810s. In recent decades, especially as climate change started entering into force, researchers also paid increasing attention to this effect. In principle, it’s pretty straightforward: cities are hotter than the surrounding areas. This happens because they’re darker and absorb more radiation from the sun and because materials like concrete or asphalt keep the surroundings warmer. Combined with climate change, this creates a double whammy on urban environments, shifting precipitation patterns.

“When we account for these twin forcing agents of environmental change, the effect of the built environment and the effect of greenhouse gasses, we note a strong tendency toward increased extreme precipitation over future US metropolitan regions,” said Matei Georgescu, lead author of the study.

Georgescu and colleagues published one of the very first studies to look at the combination of urban development and climate change. They used climate-scale simulations with regional climate models to examine potential changes in future extreme precipitation resulting from both urban expansion and increases in greenhouse gases across dozens of cities across the continental United States, says Georgescu. The results are clear: flooding events can get more extreme.

“Our results demonstrate that the intensity of extreme precipitation across future metropolitan areas of the United States will increase as a result of urban development and greenhouse gas concentrations,” Georgescu explained toZME Science. “The increased intensity of extreme precipitation will result in increased urban flooding absent any adaptive modifications to the built environment. “

“However, it is important to mention that our results do not specifically examine the change in frequency of extreme precipitation. That is an altogether separate question that we are also investigating.”

Vegetation and porous material can help alleviate this effect.

The study focused on the US, but the operating principles are the same for other parts of the world. Georgescu believes cities from other continents may even have even greater problems to deal with, which is why it’s so important to have regional studies that look at this effect.

“The one caveat would be that in other parts of the world, urban areas are changing in different characteristic ways than in the US and the interaction between the built environment and increased greenhouse gas concentrations may result in a different magnitude of extreme precipitation changes – perhaps an even greater intensity of change or perhaps a reduced intensity of change,” Georgescu tells me. “For this reason, there is great urgency in conducting such research since global cities have varying sensitivities to urban flooding.”


There are ways to mitigate it, but it won’t be easy. Trees and other vegetation can help by reducing surface water runoff. Porous roads and sidewalks would also be of benefit. But ultimately, “there isn’t one single strategy that could or should be conceived as a panacea.”

RelatedPosts

NASA awards ISS cargo duties to a third private corp that uses a mini-shuttle
Laughing gas could ironically be a solution against treatment-resistant depression
Brewing beer on Mars? Students find Martian soil is suitable for growing hops
Greening vacant lots really does make us feel better, new study shows

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Culture & Society

What’s Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

byAlexandra Gerea
1 day ago
Mind & Brain

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking ‘Eureka!’ Moments Like Salvador Dalí

byTibi Puiu
1 day ago
Anthropology

The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian

byMihai Andrei
2 days ago
Future

Swarms of tiny robots could go up your nose, melt the mucus and clean your sinuses

byMihai Andrei
2 days ago

Recent news

What’s Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

June 28, 2025

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking ‘Eureka!’ Moments Like Salvador Dalí

June 28, 2025

The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian

June 27, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.