summary form only given. discussed is a study to compare ground-based and aircraft-based estimates of the composite surface temperature from measurements of sunlit and shaded soil and vegetation, develop a method of estimating soil heat flux and net radiation from remotely sensed data, and examine the spatial distribution of surface temperature, soil heat flux, and net radiation over irrigated cotton fields. measurements of soil heat flux, soil temperatures, and net radiation of large bare-soil, alfalfa, and cotton fields were recorded continuously on selected dates in 1987 and 1988 at the maricopa agricultural center near phoenix, az. spectral reflectance factors were acquired at selected times with a radiometer mounted in a airplane flying at 150 m and with a radiometer mounted on backpack-type frame at 1.7 m. radiant temperatures of vegetation and soil were measured on east- and west-facing sides of the rows with a hand-held infrared thermometer composite surface temperatures were modeled and compared to temperatures measured from the aircraft along transects of the fields. modeled and measured surface temperatures agreed well. the ratios of soil heat flux and net radiation were estimated with spectral vegetation indices. with this technique, available energy (net radiation minus soil heat flux) could be estimated within about 3. if this technique were be generalized for use over different vegetative surfaces, the result could be more accurate estimates of surface energy balance than possible with meteorological measurements alone