MICROCLIMATE ENQUIRY
BRYSON AWAN 7D/HB
AIM
To investigate Microclimates around our school in order to find out where would be the best site to place a new bench within the school grounds.
METHODS
We went to various locations which included (1) the Rugby Field, (2) the Tennis courts, (3) Boy’s P.E. Entrance, (4) the Benches In-between the two Canteens, (5) the Astro Turf and (6) behind E-Block. At each location we, measured the wind speed, wind direction and the temperature, using instruments which included a flow meter, digital thermometer, weather vane and a compass. The time of the experiment was between 2.30-3.30pm on Tuesday 4th November.
RESULTS
Site / Site name / Temperature / Wind Speed / Wind direction1 / Rugby field / 12˚c / 4 m/s / West
2 / Tennis courts / 12˚c / 5.5 m/s / West
3 / Boy's PE entrance / 11˚c / 0 m/s / No Direction
4 / In-between the two Canteens / 12˚c / 0.5 m/s / West
5 / Outside the Astro-turf / 11˚c / 1.5 m/s / West
6 / Behind E-block / 13˚c / 8 m/s / North-west
Key:
11˚C is blue
12˚C is green
13˚C is red
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
The temperature range was pretty constant only altering by 2˚C: the wind direction was mainly westerly: there was a great variation in wind speed.
Site 3 had no wind direction because of its location between two buildings.
Site 4 also had very little wind speed for the same reason.
Site 5 had a lower wind speed due to the banking by the Astro turf.
Site 6 had an increased wind speed due to westerly winds being funnelled between the banking and E-Block.
The weather conditions were mild-bright and on the Beaufort scale a light to gentle breeze averaging 2 to 3 m/s.
We found an anomaly at site 6 with an increased wind speed/temperature and yet it was mainly shaded.
I think one of the reasons for this is that insufficient data collection was obtained.
CONCLUSIONS & EVALUATION
We should have collected more data to get more information.
If we did this experiment at different periods of the day and different times of the year, we would get a more accurate result.
Due to the wind speed, it gave us a greater idea for the placement of the bench.
Human factors, if the bench was placed in a westerly direction, only one person feel the effects of the prevailing westerly wind.
Shade would have a significant impact on sighting the new bench which would affect the temperature.
In general this type of study gives a snapshot of the temperature/wind speed/wind direction of the specific locations within the school. I would suggest that this type of study is highly inaccurate in the finding of the position of the bench due to lack of data over a period of time.