The influence of traffic on road surface temperatures: Implications for thermal mapping studies

Lee Chapman, John Thornes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Used to predict icy stretches of road during winter nights, thermal mapping is the measurement and visualisation of road surface temperatures for road ice prediction. From its development in the 1970s, the accuracy of thermal mapping has been subject to numerous systematic and random errors. One source of error is the effect of traffic, which is known to have a considerable influence on road surface temperatures. However, as the effects have never been fully quantified, the full implications for thermal mapping are unknown. In this study, consistent temperature differences of around 1.5 degrees C were found across the different lanes and carriageways of a multi-laned road. The thermal differences are significant and can be directly attributed to traffic beat fluxes.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)371-380
Number of pages10
JournalMeteorological Applications
Volume12
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2005

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