Using satellite images to study urban heat island and environmental monitoring

Abstract

Abstract The paper describes a number of simplified methods of mapping of the urban environment surface temperature in order to study the structure of the urban heat island. It is very important to take into account the climatic and environmental variables of the territories when planning modern cities and settlements. To solve such problems, methods of remote sensing data are used increasingly. The study of multispectral satellite images provides more information about the characteristics of objects on the earth’s surface, as well as data on the distribution of various types of land use. Maps of the earth’s surface temperature (LST) can be used for studying the urban microclimate and localization of temperature anomalies of the city, as well as for urban planning tasks. The article considers the operation of processing a series of satellite images of urban areas for the summer period, followed by the study of temporary changes in the temperature portrait of the city. The paper considers the use of semi-automatic methods for obtaining satellite images in the thermal field, as well as a separate study of images in the near-infrared field to search for bright point sources of heat. Radiometric and atmospheric correction was performed on satellite data using the QGIS package and the Semiautomatic Classification Plugin extension. Based on the results of the study, thermal anomalies were localized in the city, and the boundaries of the heat footprint of new neighborhoods were determined.