Influence of urban areas on environment: Special reference to building materials and temperature anomalies using geospatial technology

Abstract

Scientists and researchers have employed various techniques to study the Earth and its features using satellites revolving around the Earth, which in general terms can be named as the field of remote sensing. This spatial technology has found its way in identifying the minute details of Earth surface elements. Global warming has been a topic under study for various scientists all over the world. Studies are being done by the environmentalists and scientists to identify the adverse changes that are caused to the environment due to human activities to figure out a way to mitigate the current crisis. The present study investigated in Vellore city, Tamil Nadu; India gives a systematic way to analyze the causes for the changing climate by interlinking various parameters like land use and land cover classes, wind direction and urban building materials such as concrete, tile, brick and cudjan leaves. Satellite data's acquired by Landsat-8 and hyperspectral imaging sensors are utilized in this study to evaluate the temperature distribution patterns and spectral reflectivity of diverse building materials. The varying pattern of the response curves given by hyperspectral data can be referred to as the effect of atmospheric transmittance in difference wavelength regions. The effect of absorption and reflectance is predominant in the spectral curves obtained using hyperspectral data which shows high and low reflectance values. The impact of various factors considered in this study was found to be significant in causing temperature variations on the Earth's surface.