城市地表热环境研究进展

近50年来,以中国为代表的发展中国家快速城市化过程所引起的生态环境问题直接导致了城市地表热环境的剧烈变化。当前,采用定量化的研究方法开展城市地表热环境研究已成为国内外城市生态环境与气候领域的研究热点之一。因此,厘清城市地表热环境的研究进展对于今后更好地开展城市空间热环境定量评价研究以及进一步促进城市可持续发展具有重要的现实意义。在对城市空间热环境和城市热岛等相关概念、主要研究方法和数据获取方式进行简要叙述的基础上,着重从城市地表热环境的时空特征及其变化、驱动力和驱动机制、城市地表辐射与能量平衡、城市地表热岛与城市大气热岛的关系及其演变规律、城市绿地和水体对城市热岛效应的缓解、城市地表热岛的尺度转换等6个主要方面对当前国内外已开展的城市地表热环境研究进行了归纳总结,并就当前研究过程中存在的问题以及未来的研究重点进行了探讨,以期为今后更好地开展城市地表热环境定量化研究提供参考。

Research progress on the thermal environment of the urban surfaces

The dramatic changes in the thermal environment of urban surfaces could not only affect human health and well-being in terms of increased mortality and morbidity, but also alter components of the eco-environment, such as air and water quality, biodiversity, and net primary production. Over the last 50 years, within the context of rapid urbanization and human population density increases, ever-expanding impervious surfaces have triggered various environmental challenges in developing countries like China. Concerns related to environmental degradation, traffic jams, air pollution, and shortages of resources are expected to become more serious in conjunction with dramatic changes in the urban surface thermal environment. In light of this, studies on the urban surface thermal environment using quantitative research methods have become a hot topic for scientists in China, as well as worldwide. Hence, understanding the current progress in studies related to the urban surface thermal environment has importance and practical significance on the quantitative evaluation of the urban thermal environment and the promotion of sustainable urban development. In this paper, we first introduce the concepts of the urban surface thermal environment and urban heat island, main research methods, and data acquisition techniques. Secondly, we review the progress of research on the urban surface thermal environment considering the following aspects:the spatial temporal characteristics of the urban surface thermal environment and its changes, driving forces and mechanisms, urban surface radiation and energy balance, the relationship between urban surface heat islands and urban atmospheric heat islands and its evolution, urban greenbelt and water-body alleviation of the urban heat island effect, and scaling transformation of remote sensing temperature products. Finally, the difficulties, shortcomings, and existing bottlenecks in current research are discussed. Future research directions are equally proposed to provide a reference for future researchers interested in quantitative analysis of the urban surface thermal environment.