Document Type
Creative
Date
2024
Submission Date
May 2024
Abstract
According to NASA, July 2023 was the hottest month in global history since 1880. With increasing temperatures influenced by anthropogenic climate change, the urban heat island effect is becoming more prominent of an issue than ever. In response, the researcher created a mural on campus property to educate VCU and local communities about the urban heat island effect and provide actionable information on reducing this effect. The artistic application of the researcher's paint investigates the qualitative contrasts of three methods of thermal painting. First, the researcher measured the thermal appearance of different tonal gradations. The researcher painted the specified areas with either light or dark shades. Second, the researcher found the difference in heat retention between solar reflective paints and regular mural paints. The third area the researcher measured is how various mark-making techniques with light and dark tones impact the surrounding temperature of the mural. The research showed that the solar reflective sealant contributes to a cooler surface temperature difference. Another significant finding was the change in image clarity of the mural throughout the day during the winter. The image clarity depended on the sun as its peak clarity ranged in the afternoon from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. During the Summer of 2024, additional research will investigate how heat retention changes during the season. This is critical for evaluating the impact of the urban heat island. Finally, the researcher found that the mural's tonal values significantly affect heat absorption. Darker shades absorb considerably more heat than lighter ones, confirming the researcher's hypothesis. The researcher created this mural to make temperature data visual and accessible to a broad audience. If one looked only at the quantitative data, one would significantly limit the population to spread this message.
Rights
© The Author(s)
Is Part Of
Auctus
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25886/2488-4439