Thermal inertia mapping - A new view of the earth

The thermal response of a substance to a time-varying surface power input is determined by its thermal inertia. Remote sensing (e.g., from satellites) can be utilized to measure this property, which is related to surface composition or to near-surface soil moisture. An algorithm is developed which relates thermal inertia to remote measurements of surface temperature and reflectance. Application to geosynchronous satellite data illustrates the contrast between irrigated and desert areas in the region north of the Gulf of California. The effect of local weather conditions (latent and sensible heat transfer to the atmosphere) must be estimated before precise values for thermal inertia can be specified.