> My understanding is that globally this matters little, but locally, this can matter a lot. My understanding is that they checked in places with and without c

> My understanding is that globally this matters little, but locally, this can matter a lot. My understanding is that they checked in places with and without concrete (like the ocean, remote areas, etc). The urban heat island effect is well understood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island It is not the reason for global warming, but it can be the reason places like Chicago and Phoenix are hotter than their nearby surroundings.