Analysis of the correlation between the formation of Urban Heat Islands and surface temperature from simulations and thermal imaging in industrial zone

Abstract

The phenomenon of Urban Heat Islands has been the subject of studies all over the world, due to its importance and impact on the environment and human thermal comfort. The objective of this study is to correlate the formation of UHI in the urban canopy layer, at the surface temperature recorded for three representative clippings of the industrial zone of the city of São Carlos/SP, Brazil. Such regions have a large, waterproofed area and extensive use of metallic materials on the roof, which can influence the Tar of the surroundings. The air and surface temperatures for the studied areas were obtained through thermal images, by a portable thermal camera attached to a UAV, and through simulations, using the ENVI-met software. In this study, it was possible to establish a correlation between Tar and Ts in this area, based on simulated and measured data, previously presented for urban centers and peripheries. Such correlation is an advance in the study of UHI formation in industrial areas, because: provides an equation that correlates the two parameters (Tar and Ts); uses affordable equipment (portable thermographic camera) and microclimate simulation software (ENVI-met); and it also contributes to the understanding of the physical phenomena of heat exchange between surface and atmosphere, since the release of heat by the surfaces has a significant impact on the increase of the surrounding Tar and consequently of the local UHIs.

Keywords: Urban Heat Islands, Industrial Zone