Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Global Climate Change01:50

Global Climate Change

24.7K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
24.7K
What is Climate?01:16

What is Climate?

18.8K
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
18.8K
Radiation: Applications01:17

Radiation: Applications

1.2K
The average temperature of Earth is the subject of much current discussion. Earth is in radiative contact with both the Sun and dark space; it receives almost all its energy from the radiation of the Sun and reflects some of it into outer space. Dark space is very cold, about 3 K, so Earth radiates energy into it. For instance, heat transfer occurs from soil and grasses, the rate of which can be so rapid that frost can occur on clear summer evenings, even in warm latitudes.
The average...
1.2K
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

22.8K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
22.8K
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss01:57

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

26.2K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
26.2K
The Carbon Cycle01:14

The Carbon Cycle

39.5K
Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.
39.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Global rice paddy greenhouse gas emissions have doubled over the past six decades driven by area expansion and intensified residue incorporation.

Nature food·2026
Same author

Forest carbon protocols underestimate climate-driven carbon loss risks.

Nature·2026
Same author

Why methane surged in the atmosphere during the early 2020s.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

The global hydrogen budget.

Nature·2025
Same author

Integrating indoor and outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposures in US homes nationally by ZIP code.

PNAS nexus·2025
Same author

Overestimated natural biological nitrogen fixation translates to an exaggerated CO<sub>2</sub> fertilization effect in Earth system models.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
06:10

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

1.1K

Albedo changes caused by future urbanization contribute to global warming.

Zutao Ouyang1,2, Pietro Sciusco3, Tong Jiao4

  • 1Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. ouyangzt@stanford.edu.

Nature Communications
|July 1, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Urbanization decreases Earth's albedo, causing warming. Past and future urban growth significantly contributes to global temperature rise, highlighting the need for mitigation strategies.

More Related Videos

Split Point Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification of Thermal-Optical Organic/Elemental Carbon Measurements
10:22

Split Point Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification of Thermal-Optical Organic/Elemental Carbon Measurements

Published on: September 7, 2019

8.3K
Monitoring Pedogenic Inorganic Carbon Accumulation Due to Weathering of Amended Silicate Minerals in Agricultural Soils.
07:32

Monitoring Pedogenic Inorganic Carbon Accumulation Due to Weathering of Amended Silicate Minerals in Agricultural Soils.

Published on: June 4, 2021

5.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
06:10

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

1.1K
Split Point Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification of Thermal-Optical Organic/Elemental Carbon Measurements
10:22

Split Point Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification of Thermal-Optical Organic/Elemental Carbon Measurements

Published on: September 7, 2019

8.3K
Monitoring Pedogenic Inorganic Carbon Accumulation Due to Weathering of Amended Silicate Minerals in Agricultural Soils.
07:32

Monitoring Pedogenic Inorganic Carbon Accumulation Due to Weathering of Amended Silicate Minerals in Agricultural Soils.

Published on: June 4, 2021

5.3K

Area of Science:

  • Climate Science
  • Urban Climatology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Urbanization replaces natural landscapes, leading to environmental changes.
  • The global impact of urbanization-induced albedo changes on warming is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the global warming effects of past and future urbanization due to albedo changes.
  • To assess these effects under various Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an empirical approach to analyze climate effects.
  • Quantified albedo changes from urbanization between 2001 and 2018.
  • Projected future warming effects under different SSP scenarios for 2050 and 2100.

Main Results:

  • Urbanization has caused a measurable albedo-induced warming effect globally.
  • The albedo decrease from 2001 to 2018 resulted in a 100-year average annual global warming of 0.00014 °C.
  • Future urbanization under SSP2-4.5 could lead to 100-year average warming of 0.00107 °C (2050) and 0.00152 °C (2100).

Conclusions:

  • Urbanization-induced albedo alteration is a significant driver of global warming.
  • Future warming from urbanization necessitates mitigation strategies to counteract its effects.