An Assessment of Urban Heat Island Effect using Remote Sensing Data.

Abstract

Characteristics of urban heat island (UHI) effect and its cause are investigated by using MODIS data in April 2004. Surface parameters from the MODIS data have surface temperature (ts), albedo(a), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Their heterogeneities over urban and rural area are analyzed based on land cover classification, and their relations are also presented in order to explain the UHI effect. The results show that there exists obvious the UHI effect. Ts over urban areas are by 10.83 % higher than those over rural area，and NDVI and a over urban area are by 62 % and 18.75 % less than those over rural area, respectively. Surface temperature has significantly negative correlation with NDVI and their correlation coefficient is -0.73. Correlation between NDVI and albedo is determined by the spectrum of light. Difference in vegetation cover is the primary cause of the UHI effect.