Land Surface Temperature Differences Between Natural and Artificial Turf Sports Fields as Estimated from Satellite: Examples from the United States and Europe

An increasing number of sports fields around the world are equipped with artificial turf. This solution has been endorsed by numerous sports federations, despite concerns about the potential for injuries and higher surface temperatures. In this work we analyzed land surface temperature in 4 pairs of natural and artificial turf sports fields in Europe and the United States using Landsat-8 data. Surface temperatures in the artificial turf fields were found to be significantly higher (14.8 K in one case) with important variability throughout the year. Landsat imagery processed using Google Earth Engine was demonstrated to be adequate to profile surface temperatures across seasons and support both research and decision making. This work is part of a broader effort to generate a comprehensive database of surface temperature in sports fields under different conditions.