"The researchers focused on roughly 8,400 so-called 'hyperscalers,' the term used to describe data centers of incredible size that offer cloud computing and AI services."
"When they mapped their locations against regional temperature data over the past 20 years collected by satellites, a clear pattern emerged."
"Land surface temperatures, meaning the heat of the ground itself rather than the air or climate, increased by an average of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit after a data center went online."
"The temperature increases were felt up to 6.2 miles away - though they dropped off with distance - in all affecting more than 340 million people."
Data centers, particularly hyperscalers, are significantly raising land temperatures, creating heat islands that can increase temperatures by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit. A study examined 8,400 of these facilities, revealing that land surface temperatures rise by an average of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit after a data center becomes operational. The temperature increase can be felt up to 6.2 miles away, impacting over 340 million people. The environmental consequences of these data centers extend beyond energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Read at Futurism
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