Effects of urbanization and Kaniv Reservoir on the thermal characteristics in the region

Abstract

This study contributes to understanding the effects of urbanization and a large body of water, Kaniv Reservoir, on thermal characteristics in the region. This was done by recording trends in air and surface temperatures in the growing seasons in the period 1985–2022. Specifically, the study’s objectives were to 1) detect and quantify changes in built-up areas using Landsat satellite data, and 2) analyse trends in land surface temperature (LST) in several shoreland zones of the reservoir with different land covers. To identify built-up areas, Landsat data was processed. LST was calculated using Google Earth Engine for the period studied for three shoreland zones and six types of land cover, including sites with substantial, partial and no change in land use. The built-up area increased unevenly over time and differently in each of the shoreland zones. The growth in built-up area was greatest, increasing by 3.7 times, in a zone close to the city of Kyiv. The highest mean LST values were recorded in the zone that was mainly agricultural. Positive LST trends were recorded throughout the entire period of the study, albeit with different trend slopes in individual months. Statistically significant trends were recorded only in August and September.