Abstract
In the urbanized Kanto region of Japan, temperature rise caused by the heat island phenomenon is becoming more and more evident in recent years, attracting attention to this issue. One method for observing heat islands is surface temperature data estimated using satellite images, which can obtain observation data of an entire area at a specific time in a specific season. In this study, composite images of surface temperature made from the AVHRR of NOAA12 and NOAA14 were used to observe the heat island phenomenon in the Kanto region. The period covered the five years from 1997 to 2001. Early mornings in winter (3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. in January and February) were selected since the heat island phenomenon often occurs during these hours. Early mornings in summer (3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. in July and August) were selected for comparison. Since urban areas are presumed to have a major effect on the surface temperature in the Kanto region, the relationship between the distribution of the urban areas and surface temperature was also evaluated. The results indicated that the distribution of the urban areas significantly impacted the distribution of the surface temperature in early mornings in summer. In early mornings in winter, the distribution of the surface temperature was significantly affected by the urban areas and by the thermal belt generated on the sides of the mountains surrounding the Kanto region.
