High-resolution surface temperature patterns in a complex urban terrain

In this investigation, the polar-orbiting AVHRR thermal scanner is used to produce one-kilometre resolution surface temperature patterns of Phoenix, Arizona. The resulting map shows realistic, high-resolution temperature variations across the metropolitan area. The derived surface temperatures covary with incidence of residential, commercial, and industrial land use and indirectly covary with the vacant land cover. The AVHRR system appears to provide the capability of significantly increasing the spatial resolution of thermal fields across an urban area. The results of the study are being used by a local utility in their analyses of water and power consumption. -Authors