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Cool Road
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
JIM MCMAHON\MAPMAN®
During the summer, temperatures in Qatar can reach a sweltering 50°C (122°F). Now, engineers in the nation’s capital of Doha are trying to beat the heat—by painting a major roadway blue. Dark materials absorb more of the sun’s rays than lighter ones, which is why black asphalt can become extremely hot during the day. A coating of blue paint increases a street’s albedo. The ability to reflect more sunlight could cool the road in Doha by 15°C to 20°C (27°F to 36°F). That could make the city more comfortable for the millions of soccer fans who plan to attend the World Cup there in 2022.
This graph shows the typical temperature in and around a small city, demonstrating a phenomenon known as the heat island effect. Why do you think certain zones on the graph experience higher temperatures than others?
*DENOTES BREAK IN SCALE. SOURCE: HEAT ISLAND GROUP, LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY
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