>>> JULY IS SHAPING UP TO BE THE WARMEST MONTH ON EARTH IN RECORDED HISTORY BUT THE HEAT HAS NOT ONLY IMPACT THE ATMOSPHERE BUT IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE GROUND BENEATH OUR FEET.

RESEARCH FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY ILLUMINATED THE PHENOMENON OF UNDERGROUND CLIMATE CHANGE EDITS GIVING CHICAGO'S LOOP THAT SINKING FEELING.

>> IF YOU BLINK YOU WILL MISS THEM.

DOZENS OF TINY TEMPERATURE SENSORS SET UP UNDERGROUND IN THE MILLENNIUM PARK TRAIN STATION.

>> 25 DEGREES TRAIN STATION.

>> 25°C.

I COULD DO THE CONVERSION PROBABLY 85°F.

>> THE SENSORS RECORD THAT TEMPERATURE.

THIS PROFESSOR ANALYZES TENS OF THOUSANDS OF READINGS EVERY DAY .

THE DATA POINTS TO A PHENOMENON OCCURRING BELOW THE GROUND.

ABOVE THE GROUND THE CLIMATE IS WARMING AND BENEATH THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE RISING AS WELL.

SOME AREAS BY AS MUCH AS HALF A DEGREE CELSIUS FELT MOST ACUTELY IN SUBSURFACE HEAT ISLANDS LIKE IN THIS TRAIN STATION.

>> WHEN THE TRAINS BREAK THEY RELEASE HEAT.

LIGHTING SENSORS CREATE HEAT.

ALL OF THIS ADDS UP AND PRODUCES HEAT.

>> WHERE DOES THIS GO THEN?

>> INTO THE GROUND.

YOU COULD SEE AROUND ANY UNDERGROUND STRUCTURE, AS WELL AS THE AREAS UNKNOWN, YOU COULD CALL THIS A BUBBLE OF HEAT FORMING .

>> HE SAYS THE HEAT CAUSES THE SOIL AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TO DEFORM WHICH IS MAKING THE GROUND BENEATH THE AREA SINK BY A FEW MILLIMETERS EVERY YEAR BUT FEAR NOT, THEY DO NOT PREDICT CATASTROPHE JUST YET.

>> WE ARE CONVINCED THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL COLLAPSE OF THE STRUCTURE BUT POTENTIALLY , FUNCTIONING PROBLEMS.

ANGULAR DISTORTION OF THE TRACKS.

>> HE AND HIS TEAM SET UP 150 SUB SERVICE CENTERS AND ALL IT BUG IN BIG PUBLIC SPACES AND IN A PARKING GARAGE AS WELL AS IN THE BASEMENT OF 30 BUILDINGS WHERE BOILERS COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE SUBSURFACE TEMPERATURE.

HE SAYS THE RESEARCH OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ENGINEERS TO BUILD MORE EFFICIENTLY.

>> WE WILL ABSORB PART OF THE HEAT , WE CAN BRING IT INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURES AND USE IT FOR SPACE HEATING .

>> THIS COULD LEAD TO REDUCTIONS IN A BUILDINGS HEATING BILL AND SAYS CHICAGO IS NOT ALONE.

LONDON, NEW YORK, AND ANY DENSELY BUILT URBAN AREA IS HAVING THE SAME PHENOMENON AND SAYS THE CITY SHOULD ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS BEFORE IT BECOMES WORSE.

>> THE NORTHWESTERN STUDY