A Test of a Lapse Rate/Wind Speed Model for Estimating Heat Island Magnitude in an Urban Airshed

Abstract

In the winter of 1975/76 a helicopter was used to obtain temperature profiles across the city of Calgary. This operation was supported by airborne measurements of wind speed and lapse rate at the edge of the city, upwind. Regression analysis showed that an empirical model based on the ratio of lapse rate to wind speed was not as effective in estimating urban heat island intensity in Calgary as a model based only on lapse rate but was superior to one based on wind speed.