Satellite- and Ground-Based Temperature Observations used in Assessing the Urban Heat Island Phenomena

AbstractHuman settlements (especially, the large urban areas) significantly modify the environment. Atmospheric composition near urban agglomerations is highly affected mainly due to industrial activity and road traffic. Urban smog events are common characteristics of large, very populated cities. Furthermore, artificial covers and emitted energy modify the energy budget of urban regions, and thus, local climatic conditions. One of the most often analyzed phenomena related to cities is the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Urban heat island is defined as the positive temperature anomaly occurring between built-in areas and their surroundings. For detailed analysis of UHI in a particular area, different approaches can be used. Here, two different techniques (ground-based and satellite-based) are applied and the results are compared