 The effects of urbanization on the urban thermal environment have been studied extensively due to their impact on climate change and habitat comfort. In this paper, the authors analyzed for Landsat TM slash ETM plus images of Guangzhou, China taken on three different dates between 1990 and 2009. They found that urban areas had higher temperatures than rural areas, and that the urban heat island effect was strongest in the downtown area. Additionally, they observed that the urban heat island intensity increased over time, and that it was correlated with the amount of built-up land and population density. Finally, they noted that the urban heat island intensity was also related to the amount of vegetation cover. This article was authored by Swiping Wang, Hong Yi, Feng Chen, and others.