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Avery Davis
I have produced multiple maps of various schools in Silicon Valley, including public high schools and elementary schools. It becomes clear very quickly how high schools with artificial turf fields are much hotter than their surrounding neighborhoods and how the turf fields have the highest temperatures on campus. Additionally, by comparing schools with artificial turf fields to natural turf fields, we see that artificial fields are much hotter and natural fields are much cooler, even on the same day. The three maps below have data from the exact same time (April 24th), so there minimal variables affecting temperatures.
Fremont High School is in the middle of the map, where the two fields at the northern part of campus have the highest temperatures. This data was taken in the early afternoon, a common period for students to have P.E. class. The fields have much higher temperatures than even the nearby streets, and the temperatures spread into the closest residential and school buildings.
Homestead High School, located in Cupertino, is similar to Fremont High School in temperature patterns. The neighboring park with natural grass fields, just northwest of the school, has extremely low temperatures in comparison to the school. The school's artificial turf fields are much hotter than the school's parking lot (where black solar panels are heated by the sun) and the nearby highway.
To contrast high schools with artificial turf fields, Stocklmeir Elementary school in Sunnyvale has natural grass fields. Instead of being hot spots in the neighborhood, the school is a cool spot as the natural grass allows for plant transpiration and water evaporation that cools its surroundings.
The campus's playgrounds do not heat up as much and students have a safer area to play during recess and lunch.
The residents near the school also benefit, as the school's cooler temperatures also lowers their temperatures on hot days.
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