AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Researchers at the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences did two studies, one in Austin and the other in Houston, on whether trees or other methods would do better in helping to cool the metropolitan areas.
The importance of the study cannot be understated because statistics tell us heatwaves in the summer are becoming more and more common. You need only look at the numbers here in Central Texas to see that.
KXAN's Rich Segal speaks with Professor Dev Niyogi, one of the researchers on the studies, who pointed out cities like Austin and Houston have urban heat islands that warm the air higher than in surrounding regions.
Perhaps part of the reason for urban heat islands is fewer trees around these urban areas than what you would find in the Hill Country.
Dr. Niyogi and his colleagues created new physics-based computer modeling integrating "indices of human comfort and social vulnerability with heat island mitigation strategies and a state-of-the-art urban climate modeling system".
He talks about how Austin and Houston both get oppressively hot in the summer from not only the heat but the humidity as well. The heat index tends to run higher in Houston due to higher dew points with that moisture coming off the Gulf of Mexico.
Part of the findings when the studies ended determined that while trees themselves can't solve the cooling needs they still provide excellent options for areas that don't have the tree cover other cities do.
Dr. Niyogi says more trees and more resources are needed "to manage and maintain and keep these trees growing and greening."
More on the studies can be found at PNAS Nexus.
