A simple model of energy exchange between a land surface and the atmosphere boundary layer, driven primarily by inputs that can be derived through remote sensing, is described and applied over continental scales at a horizontal resolution of 10 km. Surface flux partitioning into sensible and latent heating is guided by time-changes in land-surface brightness temperature, that can be measured from a geostationary satellite platform such as GOES. Because the model requires only a modicum of surface-based measurements (including fraction vegetation cover derived from AVHRR-derived NDVI and land-use information) and is designed to be computationally efficient, it is well-suited for continental -scale applications. Model flux estimates appear quite promising compared with climatological moisture and vegetation patterns, as well as surface-based flux measurements acquired during various field experiments, including the Southern Great Plains (SGP-97) Hydrology Experiment conducted in Oklahoma during the summer of 1997.