The impact of Opportunities to Describe and are great opportunities for Parsons G, microclimates’ ‘Urban forms and processes develop skills such explain how fieldwork here: GeoFile 457, 2003 on local climate and as drawing, areas affect Changes in temperature and/or weather. labelling and temperature, An excellent source of information pollution levels can be Urban temperatures: annotating precipitation, fogs, and video clips about urban measured and mapped across the urban heat island diagrams. thunderstorms and climate can be found at an urban area. Traffic counts at effect. wind. Collect, analyse strategic points may show a Precipitation: For an excellent range of urban and interpret a Be familiar with correlation with such data. frequency and heat island resources, go to range of qualitative terms such as the Measure the impact of buildings intensity. and and quantitative urban heat island, on wind. Fogs and data from a range channelling and the thunderstorms in Get students to produce isotherm of primary and venturi effect. environments. maps primary or secondary secondary sources. Wind: the effects of data. Maps showing structures and Extension: what are the spatial patterns layout on wind speed, implications of climate change on isoline maps. direction and climatic events? Why is there frequency. Fieldwork and GIS particular concern regarding the potential here. urban heat island effect? Week 6 Specification content Subject specific Learning outcomes Suggested learning activities Resources skills (including ref to development differentiation and extension activities) precipitation, Collect, analyse Describe and Discuss the impacts of The Thames Estuary 2100 surfaces and and interpret a explain the effect of urbanisation on water (TE2100) project is one response to catchment range of qualitative urban surfaces on movement through urban areas. the risk of flooding in London but characteristics; and quantitative the water cycle. This could be demonstrated other strategies are being adopted. impacts on drainage data from a range simply by observing and Go to for more information. basin storage areas; of primary and comparing rain falling on hard
The impact of forms and processes on local climate and weather. Urban temperatures: the urban heat island effect. Precipitation: frequency and intensity. Fogs and thunderstorms in environments. Wind: the effects of structures and layout on wind speed, direction and frequency. Opportunities to develop skills such as drawing, labelling and annotating diagrams. Collect, analyse and interpret a range of qualitative and quantitative data from a range of primary and secondary sources. Maps showing spatial patterns maps. Fieldwork and GIS potential here. Describe and explain how areas affect temperature, precipitation, fogs, thunderstorms and wind. Be familiar with terms such as the urban heat island, channelling and the venturi effect. are great opportunities for fieldwork here: Changes in temperature and/or pollution levels can be measured and mapped across an urban area. Traffic counts at strategic points may show a correlation with such data. Measure the impact of buildings on wind. Get students to produce isotherm maps primary or secondary data. Extension: what are the implications of climate change on climatic events? Why is there particular concern regarding the urban heat island effect? Parsons G, ‘Urban microclimates’ GeoFile 457, 2003 An excellent source of information and video clips about urban climate can be found at For an excellent range of urban heat island resources, go to and Week 6 Specification content Subject specific skills development Learning outcomes Suggested learning activities (including ref to differentiation and extension activities) Resources precipitation, surfaces and catchment characteristics; impacts on drainage basin storage areas; Collect, analyse and interpret a range of qualitative and quantitative data from a range of primary and Describe and explain the effect of urban surfaces on the water cycle. Discuss the impacts of urbanisation on water movement through urban areas. This could be demonstrated simply by observing and comparing rain falling on hard The Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) project is one response to the risk of flooding in London but other strategies are being adopted. Go to for more information. isoline