Nocturnal variation of air-surface temperature gradients for typical urban and rural surfaces

The nocturnal variation of the standard atmospheric air-ground surface temperature gradient under fair weather conditions is considered. A semi-analytical model in the form of an exponential response function is proposed and experimentally verified against field observations conducted by the author at Haifa (ca 32°N) and by others at various geographical locations. The proposed model is intended to predict the sought gradient variation with the aid of an experimentally derived parameter (a time constant) which is directly proportional to the thermal inertia of the substrate matter beneath the surface in question. Among the impervious ground-cover types widely encountered in urban environments, concrete surfaces exhibit the highest time constant of about 10 h, while that of bare dry rural soil is 6.5 h. Turf and wet soil surfaces, common in rural environments, have time constants of 3.6 and 10.8 h, respectively. Applicability of the proposed model to the exterior surfaces of building-envelope elements is also discussed, as are the implications of the present findings regarding the causative factors of urban heat islands.