The development of a laser absorption spectroscopy sensor system has been described for measurement of two-dimensional (2D) integrated absorbance linear density and temperature distributions. The system incorporates a tunable distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser at 1391.67 nm and a scanning mirror mounted on a moveable carriage, whilst a photodetector and a second scanning mirror are mounted on another moveable carriage. Both carriages move independently along a circular rail with a diameter of 97 cm. The positions of the carriages and the scanning mirrors are controlled by a program via four servomotors. The laser wavelength is scanned over H2O absorption transitions for 11 fan beam projections from five equally spaced points around the circle. 2D images of the integrated absorbance linear density due to water molecules influenced by two heaters were obtained using the algebraic reconstruction technique (the Kaczmarz method). The derived temperature distribution compared well with thermocouple measurements. The experimental results demonstrate that the system based upon a tunable laser absorption sensor can be used for monitoring the 2D distribution of chemical species and temperature in various reactive flow applications.