Analysis of the evolution of urban nighttime light environment based on time series

Abstract

• We have opened up a new time dimension in the study of urban light environment. • We analysed the factors of urban luminous environment in time series in northeast China. • We explored the research of future light environment prediction based on time series. Excessively bright nighttime light environment has become an increasingly serious environmental problem. The Sky Quality Meter isused to continuously monitor the urban night light environment at the commanding heights of the building for 5 years. This study used correlation analysis and control variables to analyze the evolution and seasonal changes of the night light environment in Dalian from 2016 to 2021. Meteorological data were combined to explore the mechanism of natural factors on the light environment. The results showed the following: (1) the closer the moon phase is to the full moon, the brighter the night sky is; (2) The night sky brightness becomes brighter with the increase of atmospheric pollution; (3) Cloudiness will double the magnification effect of artificial lighting on the night sky; (4) The nighttime brightness of the study area has shown a certain increasing trend in the past five years. The annual average brightness value has elevated year by year, from 3.3 × 10 − 2 cd/m 2 to 5.6 × 10 −2 cd/m 2 ; (5) Historical data can be used to predict the changing trend of the light environment in the future and provide a data basis for future urban ecological lighting planning .