6533b829fe1ef96bd12897e2

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Detection and elimination of UHI effects in long temperature records from villages – A case study from Tivissa, Spain

subject

description

Abstract Since villages are usually regarded as part of the rural area, associated temperature records are assumed to be free of urban influences and might be used as unbiased reference data for city records. However, based on two years of data from a high temporal and spatial resolution sensor network, this study proves the development of a substantial UHI in the Spanish village Tivissa with intensities of >1.5 K in summer Tmin and Tmax compared to a rural reference. Hosting a meteorological station that has been relocated several times within Tivissa during its >100-year history, we here detail a method to remove UHI biases at past measurement sites to create a more reliable rural temperature record. Adjusting the time series results in a trend increase of up to 0.1 K per decade in Tmin, while Tmax trends are slightly reduced. Comparing the adjustments based on station history with adjustments produced by employing a commonly used statistical homogenization method reveals substantial differences of >3 K between these approaches. Applying the presented method to a greater number of stations is problematic though, as it is laborious and requires a suitable sensor network as well as detailed metadata.