Analyses of Environmental Factors Affecting Change in Microclimate

Prior to the present study, microclimates in the housing estate located east of Nagoya city, JAPAN had been consecutively observed for eight years. The results indicated that cool or hot spots appeared periodically on the specific locations. Considering such unfathomable observation, the present study was designed to analyze an underlying mechanism of microclimate formation. Ambient temperature (Ta), relative humidity, wind velocity (V), wind direction, solar irradiation and surface temperature of planimetric features in the vicinity of the location in the housing estate were observed in addition to observation to estimate effect of a difference in soil surface and solar irradiation on change in Ta. The results demonstrated that wind direction, wind temperature and surface temperature of planimetric features were the major contributory factors. For example, it was found that Ta was directly proportional to V (r=0.6) in summer whereas it was inversely proportional to V (r=0.86) in winter. The underlying mechanism of microclimate development was then discussed.