Soil Temperatures under Urban Trees and Asphalt

"Summer temperatures under trees planted in holes cut through an asphalt cover in a parking lot and in soil beneath the surrounding asphalt were higher than soil temperatures under trees at a control site. Winter minimums were not different, but maximum summer temperature exceeded the control by 3C beneath the parking lot trees and up to 10C beneath the asphalt cover at a depth of 15 cm below the surface. Horizontal and vertical soil temperatures varied little at a given time within each type of site. Asphalt covering the soil not only increased maximum temperatures through a 60 cm profile, but apparantly increased the rate of heat exchange since the temperature in the covered soil rose and fell more rapidly than control soil temperatures. The soil, even when covered, could be a sink or source of excess heat exchange in the urban energy balance." [Abstract]

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