Impacts of Small-Scale
Urban Encroachment
on Air Temperature
Observations
Ronald D. Leeper,
John Kochendorfer,
Timothy Henderson, and
A field experiment
was performed
in Oak Ridge, TN.
Temperature observations
were warmest for the site
closest to the built environment
with an average temperature
difference of 0.31 and 0.24 °C
for aspirated and un-aspirated
sensors respectively.
Aspirated temperature
differences were greater
during the evening (0.47 °C)
than day (0.16 °C).
This was particularly
true for evenings following
days with a lot of sunshine.
and with surface winds
blowing to the thermometers
from the direction of the
built environment where
mean differences
exceeded 0.80 °C.
A warm bias was
detectable up to
50 meters away
from a building.
These results
suggest
small-scale
urban encroachment
within 50 meters
of a station
can have impacts
on daily temperature
maximums and minimums.
