Thermal Signatures of Peri-Urban Landscapes

Abstract

AbstractA new thermal metric is examined that is based on the ratio of day-to-day warm and cold surface temperature transitions. Urban and rural sites in Canada are examined using this new metric for the minimum temperature, maximum temperature, and mean temperature of the day. A distinctive signature emerges for “peri-urban” landscapes—landscapes at the urban–rural interface—and thus may provide a useful and relatively easy way to detect such environments using the current and historical climate records. A climatological basis for the presence of these distinct thermal signatures in peri-urban landscapes is proposed.