Seasonal SUHI Analysis Using Local Climate Zone Classification: A Case Study of Wuhan, China.

Lingfei Shi,Yun Du,Giles M Foody,Feng Ling,Zhen Yang,Xixi Liu

doi:10.3390/ijerph18147242

Abstract

The surface urban heat island (SUHI) effect poses a significant threat to the urban environment and public health. This paper utilized the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification and land surface temperature (LST) data to analyze the seasonal dynamics of SUHI in Wuhan based on the Google Earth Engine platform. In addition, the SUHI intensity derived from the traditional urban–rural dichotomy was also calculated for comparison. Seasonal SUHI analysis showed that (1) both LCZ classification and the urban–rural dichotomy confirmed that Wuhan’s SHUI effect was the strongest in summer, followed by spring, autumn and winter; (2) the maximum SUHI intensity derived from LCZ classification reached 6.53 °C, which indicated that the SUHI effect was very significant in Wuhan; (3) LCZ 8 (i.e., large low-rise) had the maximum LST value and LCZ G (i.e., water) had the minimum LST value in all seasons; (4) the LST values of compact high-rise/midrise/low-rise (i.e., LCZ 1–3) were higher than those of open high-rise/midrise/low-rise (i.e., LCZ 4–6) in all seasons, which indicated that building density had a positive correlation with LST; (5) the LST values of dense trees (i.e., LCZ A) were less than those of scattered trees (i.e., LCZ B) in all seasons, which indicated that vegetation density had a negative correlation with LST. This paper provides some useful information for urban planning and contributes to the healthy and sustainable development of Wuhan.

Highlights

It was reported by the United Nations that 68% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050 [1]
To gain a simple and intuitive understanding of surface urban heat island (SUHI) intensity, this study focused average land surface temperature (LST) value difference per Local Climate Zone (LCZ) class compared to LCZ D
Through comparing LCZ classification (Figure 2) and LST maps (Figure 4), it was found that most built-type LCZ classes (e.g., LCZ 1–6) were located in the urban center, where the LST values were relatively high

Summary

Introduction

It was reported by the United Nations that 68% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050 [1]. UHI is the phenomenon in which an urban area is warmer than its surrounding rural area [16,17] It has been reported for cities and regions worldwide [18], often with local field sites that are extremely diverse in their physical and climatological characteristics. These sites are usually described only as “urban area” or “rural area”, leaving much uncertainty about the actual exposure and land cover of the sites [19,20].

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Conclusion