REMOTE SENSING OF HEAT POLLUTION SOURCES IN THE LIPETSK URBAN AREA

Abstract

Positive temperature anomalies called “urban heat islands” (UHI) are formed in cities as a result of progressing urbanization, increasing area and density of buildings, motor transport load and anthropogenic heat emissions. Such UHI reduce the comfort of the urban environment, and affect population health and quality of life. Remote sensing data from the thermal band satellite sensors are widely used to study the UHI intensity and spatial structure. We analyzed Landsat 8 and 9 satellite imageries from 2020 to 2022 representing the Lipetsk urban area in Central Russia. Taking into account the image quality requirements, 5 “winter” and 4 “summer” scenes were selected to examine thermal anomalies. As a result of their processing a map of land surface temperature (LST) excesses over the background values and a map of LST seasonal variations were compiled. The produced maps made it possible to identify 33 principal sources of anthropogenic heat in Lipetsk. 26 of them are located within industrial zones of the left bank side of Lipetsk, including. 23 sources within the territory of the NLMK Group metallurgical combine. LST of the identified heat sources were approximately 4-9°C above the background temperatures in winter and 11-14°C above the background temperatures in summer. The results of the study could become an information-methodical basis for the space monitoring of thermal pollution in Lipetsk.