This Silent Hazard Is Lurking Underneath Major Global Cities
NDTV
A study from Northwestern University says, however, that the threat may be a potential opportunity as well.
New research from Northwestern University has connected underground climate change to the shifting earth underneath urban areas. As the ground heats up, it also deforms. These phenomena result in excessive ground movement and cracking owing to expansions and contractions, which eventually impairs the long-term durability and operational performance of structures.
Researchers claim that such rising temperatures may have contributed to previous building deterioration, and they anticipate that these problems may persist for years to come.
Although rising temperatures do pose a threat to our infrastructure, the researchers also view it as a potential opportunity. By capturing the waste heat emitted underground from subterranean transportation systems, parking garages and basement facilities, urban planners could mitigate the effects of underground climate change as well as reuse the heat into an untapped thermal energy resource.
