Simulation of Surface Urban Heat Islands under ‘IDEAL’ Conditions at Night Part 1: Theory and Tests against Field Data

Authors

G. T. Johnson, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
T. R. Oke, University of British Columbia
T. J. Lyons, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
D. G. Steyn, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
I. D. Watson, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
James A. Voogt, University of British Columbia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1991

Volume

56

Issue

3

Journal

Boundary-Layer Meteorology

First Page

275

Last Page

294

URL with Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00120424

Abstract

Observations show that the urban heat island in the atmospheric layer below roof level is most strongly developed during calm, cloudless conditions at night. This paper outlines two versions of a numerical model to describe the cooling of rural and street canyon surfaces under these conditions using surface thermal and radiative properties and the radiative geometry of the canyons. One version uses a full system of differential equations and the other the simpler force-restore approach. The two approaches are shown to be in general agreement and the output of the simpler model is shown to give a faithful representation of cooling of rural and urban surfaces, and therefore heat islands, when compared with field observations.

Notes

Dr. James Voogt was not yet affiliated with The University of Western Ontario at the time of publication.