Underground City: There is a place in the world where 60% of the population lives in houses built underground. Even in the scorching heat of 52°C outside, the natural insulation keeps the temperature inside at 23°C.
Underground City Coober Pedy: The impact of global warming is increasing rapidly across the world. The scorching heat, heatwave and record breaking temperatures have made life difficult for people. While even ACs respond to temperatures of 40 to 45 degrees Celsius, there is also a unique city in this world where people live underground. There may be a scorching heat of 52°C outside, but in these houses built underground, the temperature remains between 23°C to 24°C without any AC or fan. Let us know where this unique city is and why people build houses underground here…
Where is this unique city?
Coober Pedy is situated about 848 kilometers north of Adelaide city of South Australia. At first glance this area looks like a desert, where only pink-red colored mounds of soil are visible all around. A total of about 2,500 people live in this city, out of which about 60 percent live in dugouts underground. Here, not only houses, but also churches, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, museums and tented campsites have been built underground.
Why was there a need to build a house underground?
The temperature in this area often reaches 50 to 52 degrees Celsius during summer. It becomes difficult to go out in such intense heat. In such a situation, years ago people adopted a method by which the house always remained cool without wasting much electricity. The temperature a few meters below the earth remains around 23 degrees Celsius. This is the reason why the temperature in the houses built here remains almost the same whether it is summer or winter.
How does the temperature remain at 23°C even in the heat of 52°C without AC?
According to BBC report, when the temperature of Coober Pedy reaches 52 degrees Celsius in summer, it is so extreme that birds fall from the sky and electronics have to be kept in the fridge. But life underground is quite relaxed. Natural insulation of sandstone is found at a depth of 4 meters (13 feet) below ground. Whether it is 52°C heat outside or the night temperature drops by 2-3°C in winter, the temperature inside always remains fixed at 23°C to 24°C. When people living above pay huge electricity bills to run ACs and heaters, then people living underground enjoy the coolness of nature with zero electricity expenditure. There is no trace of flies, mosquitoes or other insects below ground. Apart from this, there is complete protection from outside noise and pollution.
How are these unique underground houses built inside the ground?
Mining of precious stone named ‘Opal’ takes place in Coober Pedy. The sandstone rocks here are very soft, which can be cut easily. Nowadays, with the help of tunneling machines, a luxurious 3-bedroom underground house (Dugouts) is ready in just a month. Many people have built underground swimming pools, gaming rooms, large bathrooms and arched doorways in their underground houses which look like a palace. While house prices are skyrocketing in big cities, there are strong houses with natural insulation available even in low budgets.
How long have people been living underground?
Derinkuyu, Turkey
Living underground is not a new trend. For thousands of years in human history, people have sought shelter underground to escape harsh weather and attacks. In the Cappadocia region of Türkiye, there is a huge underground cave i.e. city named ‘Derinkuyu’, built in the 8th century BC. There were once 20,000 people, their cattle, churches, stables and wells underground. No matter what the temperature outside, it is always 13°C inside.
Air Raid Shelters of China (Chongqing, China)
Some time ago, when there was a severe heatwave above 35°C in China, underground shelters built during World War II had to be opened to save people from the heat. Where people were also shifted.
Is it possible to build houses underground everywhere?
Even though Coober Pedy’s model seems to be a great way to tackle global warming, it is not easy to implement it everywhere. Because the weather of Coober Pedy is very dry. In areas where there is heavy rainfall or the groundwater level is high, there can be major problems of dampness and groundwater, water leakage and black mold in underground houses. Apart from this, it is very important to install ventilation pipes properly to supply oxygen and remove moisture from the house.