Bing Chen

Anthropogenic heat generated by human activity contributes to urban and regional climate warming. Due to the resolution and accuracy of existing anthropogenic heat data, it is difficult to analyze and simulate the corresponding effects. This study exploited a new method to estimate high spatial and temporal resolutions of anthropogenic heat based on long-term data of energy consumption and the US Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) data from 1992 to 2010 across China. Our results showed that, throughout the entire study period, there are apparent increasing trends in anthropogenic heat in three major metropoli, i.e., the Beijing-Tianjin region, the Yangzi River delta and the Pearl River delta. The annual mean anthropogenic heat fluxes for Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in 2010 were 17 Wm⁻², 19 and 7.8 Wm⁻², respectively. Comparisons with previous studies indicate that DMSP-OLS data could provide a better spatial proxy for estimating anthropogenic heat than population density and our analysis shows better performance at large scales for estimation of anthropogenic heat.

The radiance lights data in 2006 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) and authoritative energy data distributed by the United State Energy Information Administration were applied to estimate the global distribution of anthropogenic heat flux. A strong linear relationship was found to exist between the anthropogenic heat flux and the DMSP/OLS radiance data. On a global scale, the average value of anthropogenic heat flux is approximately 0.03 W m^–2 and 0.10 W m^–2 for global land area. The results indicate that global anthropogenic heat flux was geographically concentrated and distributed, fundamentally correlating to the economical activities. The anthropogenic heat flux concentrated in the economically developed areas including East Asia, Europe, and eastern North America. The anthropogenic heat flux in the concentrated regions, including the northeastern United States, Central Europe, United Kingdom, Japan, India, and East and South China is much larger than global average level, reaching a large enough value that could affect regional climate. In the center of the concentrated area, the anthropogenic heat flux density may exceed 100 W m^–2, according to the results of the model. In developing areas, including South America, Central and North China, India, East Europe, and Middle East, the anthropogenic heat flux can reach a level of more than 10 W m^–2; however, the anthropogenic heat flux in a vast area, including Africa, Central and North Asia, and South America, is low. With the development of global economy and urban agglomerations, the effect on climate of anthropogenic heat is essential for the research of climate change.