Groundwater Urban Heat Island in Wroclaw, Poland

In the face of climate change and constantly progressing urbanization processes, so-called heat islands are observed with growing frequency. These phenomena are mainly characteristic of large cities, where increased air and land surface temperatures form an atmospheric (AUHI) or surface (SUHI) urban heat island (UHI). Moreover, UHIs have also been recognized in the underground environments of many cities worldwide, including groundwater (GUHI). However, this phenomenon is not yet as thoroughly studied as AUHI and SUHI. To recognize and characterize the thermal conditions beneath the city of Wroclaw (SW, Poland), we analyze the groundwater temperature (GWT) of the first aquifer, measured in 64 wells in 2004-2005. The study aimed to identify groundwater urban heat islands (GUHI) in Wroclaw. Therefore, we used a novel approach to gather data and analyze them in predefined seasonal periods. Meteorological data and satellite imagery from the same period allowed us to link GWT anomalies to the typical conditions that favor UHI formation. GWT anomaly related to the GUHI was identified in the central, urbanized part of Wroclaw. Moreover, we found that the GUHI phenomenon occurs only seasonally during the winter, which is related to the city's climate zone and anthropogenic heat sources. Comparing our results with previous works from other cities showed untypical behavior of the observed anomalies. In contrast to AUHI and SUHI temperatures, the GWT anomalies detected in Wroclaw are characterized by seasonal transitions from a heat island in winter to a cold lake in summer. Such a transitional character of GUHI is described for the first time.

Automated summary

In this study, the phenomenon of groundwater urban heat islands (GUHI) in Wroclaw was investigated. Unlike atmospheric and surface urban heat islands, the observed GUHI showed a transitional character with seasonal transitions from a heat island in winter to a cold lake in summer. This finding deviates from previous works in other cities and highlights the unique behavior of GUHI.