A Signal Visible From Space

Every data center turns nearly all its electricity into heat. That much has always been true. What is new is the scale, and the fact that this heat no longer stays behind the fence line. Researchers now call this the data heat island effect, and the evidence for it now spans satellite records, thermal cameras, and sensors mounted on cars. This article walks through what the data actually shows, where it comes from, and how seriously it should be taken.