Modeling the Winter Urban Heat Island Over Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract

An energy balance model is presented and tested against surface temperature fields observed over Christchurch under clear winter conditions. The fit between observed and simulated fields is shown to be close by night and slightly less so by day. Using the model the spatial variation of net radiation, sensible, latent and substrate heat fluxes within the Christchurch urban heat island is illustrated for average winter cloudless days and nights.