Combined Effects of Impervious Surface and Vegetation Cover on Air Temperature Variations in a Rapidly Expanding Desert City

Abstract

The goal of this study is to improve our understanding of the interac- tive function of impervious and vegetation covers at different levels of the local and intra-urban spatial scales in relation to air temperatures in an urban environment. A multiple regression model was developed using impervious and vegetation frac- tions at different scales to predict maximum air temperature for the entire Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona, USA. This study demonstrates that a small amount of impervious cover in a desert city can still increase maximum air temperature despite abundant vegetation cover.