scholarly journals Contextualizing Thermal Effluent Impacts in Narragansett Bay Using Landsat-Derived Surface Temperature

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Benoit ◽  
Baylor Fox-Kemper

This work utilizes remotely sensed thermal data to understand how the release of thermal pollution from the Brayton Point Power Station (BPPS) affected the temperature behavior of Narragansett Bay. Building upon previous work with Landsat 5, a multi-satellite analysis is conducted that incorporates 582 scenes from Landsat 5, Landsat 7, and Landsat 8 over 1984–2021 to explain seasonal variability in effluent impacts, contrast data after the effluent ceased in 2011, identify patterns in temperature before and after effluent ceased using unsupervised learning, and track how recent warming trends compare to the BPPS impact. Stopping the thermal effluent corresponds to an immediate cooling of 0.26 ± 0.1°C in the surface temperature of Mt. Hope Bay with respect to the rest of Narragansett Bay with greater cooling of 0.62 ± 0.2°C found near Brayton Point; though, cooling since the period of maximal impact (1993–2000) totals 0.53 ± 0.2°C in Mt. Hope Bay and 1.04 ± 0.2°C at Brayton Point. During seasons with lower solar radiation (winter) and lower mean river input (autumn and late summer), the BPPS effluent impact is more prominent. The seasonal differences between the high impact and low impact periods indicate that river input played an important role in the heat balance when emissions were lower, but surface fluxes dominated when emissions were higher. Putting the BPPS effluent in context, Landsat data indicates that Narragansett Bay warmed 0.5–1.2°C over the period of measurement at an average rate of 0.23 ± 0.1°C/decade and that net warming in Mt. Hope Bay is near zero. This trend implies that Narragansett Bay has experienced climatic warming over the past four decades on the scale of the temperature anomaly in Mt. Hope Bay caused by the BBPS effluent.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 2508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifeanyi R. Ejiagha ◽  
M. Razu Ahmed ◽  
Quazi K. Hassan ◽  
Ashraf Dewan ◽  
Anil Gupta ◽  
...  

The spatial composition and configuration of land use land cover (LULC) in the urban landscape impact the land surface temperature (LST). In this study, we assessed such impacts at the neighbourhood level of the City of Edmonton. In doing so, we employed Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensors (TIRS) satellite images to derive LULC and LST maps, respectively. We used three classification methods, such as ISODATA, random forest, and indices-based, for mapping LULC classes including built-up, water, and green. We obtained the highest overall accuracy of 98.53 and 97.90% with a kappa value of 0.96 and 0.92 in the indices-based method for the 2018 and 2015 LULC maps, respectively. Besides, we estimated the LST map from the brightness temperature using a single-channel algorithm. Our analysis showed that the highest contributors to LST were the industrial (303.51 K in 2018 and 295.99 K in 2015) and residential (303.47 K in 2018 and 296.56 K in 2015) neighbourhoods, and the lowest contributor was the riverine/creek (298.77 K in 2018 and 292.89 K in 2015) during the 2018 late summer and 2015 early spring seasons. We also found that the residential neighbourhoods exhibited higher LST in comparison with the industrial with the same LULC composition. The result was also supported by our surface albedo analysis, where industrial and residential neighbourhoods were giving higher and lower albedo values, respectively. This indicated that the rooftop materials played further role in impacting the LST. In addition, our spatial autocorrelation (local Moran’s I) and proximity (near distance) analyses revealed that the structural configurations would additionally play an important role in contributing to the LST in the neighbourhoods. For example, the cluster pattern with a small gap of minimum 2.4 m between structures in the residential neighbourhoods were showing higher LST in compared with the sparse pattern, with large gaps between structures in the industrial areas. The wide passages for wind flow through the large gaps would be responsible for cooling the LST in the industrial neighbourhoods. The outcomes of this study would help planners in planning and designing urban neighbourhoods, and policymakers and stakeholders in developing strategies to balance surface energy and mitigate local warming.


Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manasi Debnath ◽  
Milap Chand Sharma ◽  
Hiambok Jones Syiemlieh

This study provides a high resolution glacier database in the Changme Khangpu Basin (CKB) using LANDSAT 8 (2014) and Sentinel-2A image (2016), mapping of 81 glaciers that cover a 75.78 ± 1.54 km2 area. Composite maps of land surface temperature, slope and Normalized differential Snow Index have been successfully utilized in delineating near accurate debris cover boundary of glaciers. The cumulative controlling parameters of aspect, elevation, slope, and debris cover have been assessed to evaluate the nature of glacier distribution and dynamics. The local topographic settings seem to have significantly determined the glacier distribution in the CKB. Almost 20% area erstwhile under glacier cover has been lost since 1975 at an average rate of −0.453 ± 0.001 km2a−1. The recent decade (2001–2016) has witnessed a higher rate of area shrinkage (−0.665 ± 0.243 km2a−1), compared to a relatively lower rate of recession (−0.170 ± 0.536 km2a−1) between 1988 and 2001. The lower rates of glacial recession can most likely be induced regionally due to relatively cooler decadal late summer temperatures and peak in the monsoon spell. Glaciers with western and north-western aspects showed more vulnerability to area loss than the rest of the aspects. Lower altitude glaciers have receded faster than ones perched up on higher elevations. The rate of glacier area recession has been nearly twice that on clean glaciers as compared to debris-covered glaciers in the CKB.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinxin Guo ◽  
Huazhong Ren ◽  
Yitong Zheng ◽  
Shangzong Lu ◽  
Jiaji Dong

Landsat 8/thermal infrared sensor (TIRS) is suffering from the problem of stray light that makes an inaccurate radiance for two thermal infrared (TIR) bands and the latest correction was conducted in 2017. This paper focused on evaluation of land surface temperature (LST) retrieval from Landsat 8 before and after the correction using ground-measured LST from five surface radiation budget network (SURFRAD) sites. Results indicated that the correction increased the band radiance at the top of the atmosphere for low temperature but decreased such radiance for high temperature. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) of LST retrieval decreased by 0.27 K for Band 10 and 0.78 K for Band 11 using the single-channel algorithm. For the site with high temperature, the LST retrieval RMSE of the single-channel algorithm for Band 11 even reduced by 1.4 K. However, the accuracy of two of three split-window algorithms adopted in this paper decreased. After correction, the single-channel algorithm for Band 10 and the linear split-window algorithm had the least RMSE (approximately 2.5 K) among five adopted algorithms. Moreover, besides SURFRAD sites, it is necessary to validate using more robust and homogeneous ground-measured datasets to help solely clarify the effect of the correction on LST retrieval.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 1310-1320
Author(s):  
Cícera Celiane Januário da Silva ◽  
Vinicius Ferreira Luna ◽  
Joyce Ferreira Gomes ◽  
Juliana Maria Oliveira Silva

O objetivo do presente trabalho é fazer uma comparação entre a temperatura de superfície e o Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada (NDVI) na microbacia do rio da Batateiras/Crato-CE em dois períodos do ano de 2017, um chuvoso (abril) e um seco (setembro) como também analisar o mapa de diferença de temperatura nesses dois referidos períodos. Foram utilizadas imagens de satélite LANDSAT 8 (banda 10) para mensuração de temperatura e a banda 4 e 5 para geração do NDVI. As análises demonstram que no mês de abril a temperatura da superfície variou aproximadamente entre 23.2ºC e 31.06ºC, enquanto no mês correspondente a setembro, os valores variaram de 25°C e 40.5°C, sendo que as maiores temperaturas foram encontradas em locais com baixa densidade de vegetação, de acordo com a carta de NDVI desses dois meses. A maior diferença de temperatura desses dois meses foi de 14.2°C indicando que ocorre um aumento da temperatura proporcionado pelo período que corresponde a um dos mais secos da região, diferentemente de abril que está no período de chuvas e tem uma maior umidade, presença de vegetação e corpos d’água que amenizam a temperatura.Palavras-chave: Sensoriamento Remoto; Vegetação; Microbacia.                                                                                  ABSTRACTThe objective of the present work is to compare the surface temperature and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the Batateiras / Crato-CE river basin in two periods of 2017, one rainy (April) and one (September) and to analyze the temperature difference map in these two periods. LANDSAT 8 (band 10) satellite images were used for temperature measurement and band 4 and 5 for NDVI generation. The analyzes show that in April the surface temperature varied approximately between 23.2ºC and 31.06ºC, while in the month corresponding to September, the values ranged from 25ºC and 40.5ºC, and the highest temperatures were found in locations with low density of vegetation, according to the NDVI letter of these two months. The highest difference in temperature for these two months was 14.2 ° C, indicating that there is an increase in temperature provided by the period that corresponds to one of the driest in the region, unlike April that is in the rainy season and has a higher humidity, presence of vegetation and water bodies that soften the temperature.Key-words: Remote sensing; Vegetation; Microbasin.RESUMENEl objetivo del presente trabajo es hacer una comparación entre la temperatura de la superficie y el Índice de Vegetación de Diferencia Normalizada (NDVI) en la cuenca Batateiras / Crato-CE en dos períodos de 2017, uno lluvioso (abril) y uno (Septiembre), así como analizar el mapa de diferencia de temperatura en estos dos períodos. Las imágenes de satélite LANDSAT 8 (banda 10) se utilizaron para la medición de temperatura y las bandas 4 y 5 para la generación de NDVI. Los análisis muestran que en abril la temperatura de la superficie varió aproximadamente entre 23.2ºC y 31.06ºC, mientras que en el mes correspondiente a septiembre, los valores oscilaron entre 25 ° C y 40.5 ° C, y las temperaturas más altas se encontraron en lugares con baja densidad de vegetación, según el gráfico NDVI de estos dos meses. La mayor diferencia de temperatura de estos dos meses fue de 14.2 ° C, lo que indica que hay un aumento en la temperatura proporcionada por el período que corresponde a uno de los más secos de la región, a diferencia de abril que está en la temporada de lluvias y tiene una mayor humedad, presencia de vegetación y cuerpos de agua que suavizan la temperatura.Palabras clave: Detección remota; vegetación; Cuenca.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulla Al Kafy ◽  
Abdullah Al-Faisal ◽  
Mohammad Mahmudul Hasan ◽  
Md. Soumik Sikdar ◽  
Mohammad Hasib Hasan Khan ◽  
...  

Urbanization has been contributing more in global climate warming, with more than 50% of the population living in cities. Rapid population growth and change in land use / land cover (LULC) are closely linked. The transformation of LULC due to rapid urban expansion significantly affects the functions of biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as local and regional climates. Improper planning and uncontrolled management of LULC changes profoundly contribute to the rise of urban land surface temperature (LST). This study evaluates the impact of LULC changes on LST for 1997, 2007 and 2017 in the Rajshahi district (Bangladesh) using multi-temporal and multi-spectral Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 5 TM satellite data sets. The analysis of LULC changes exposed a remarkable increase in the built-up areas and a significant decrease in the vegetation and agricultural land. The built-up area was increased almost double in last 20 years in the study area. The distribution of changes in LST shows that built-up areas recorded the highest temperature followed by bare land, vegetation and agricultural land and water bodies. The LULC-LST profiles also revealed the highest temperature in built-up areas and the lowest temperature in water bodies. In the last 20 years, LST was increased about 13ºC. The study demonstrates decrease in vegetation cover and increase in non-evaporating surfaces with significantly increases the surface temperature in the study area. Remote-sensing techniques were found one of the suitable techniques for rapid analysis of urban expansions and to identify the impact of urbanization on LST.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1067
Author(s):  
Han Yan ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Tao Lin ◽  
Guoqin Zhang ◽  
Caige Sun ◽  
...  

Cities are growing higher and denser, and understanding and constructing the compact city form is of great importance to optimize sustainable urbanization. The two-dimensional (2D) urban compact form has been widely studied by previous researchers, while the driving mechanism of three-dimensional (3D) compact morphology, which reflects the reality of the urban environment has seldom been developed. In this study, land surface temperature (LST) was retrieved by using the mono-window algorithm method based on Landsat 8 images of Xiamen in South China, which were acquired respectively on 14 April, 15 August, 2 October, and 21 December in 2017, and 11 March in 2018. We then aimed to explore the driving mechanism of the 3D compact form on the urban heat environment (UHE) based on our developed 3D Compactness Index (VCI) and remote sensing, as well as Geo-Detector techniques. The results show that the 3D compact form can positively effect UHE better than individual urban form construction elements, as can the combination of the 2D compact form with building height. Individually, building density had a greater effect on UHE than that of building height. At the same time, an integration of building density and height showed an enhanced inter-effect on UHE. Moreover, we explore the temporal and spatial UHE heterogeneity with regards to 3D compact form across different seasons. We also investigate the UHE impacts discrepancy caused by different 3D compactness categories. This shows that increasing the 3D compactness of an urban community from 0.016 to 0.323 would increase the heat accumulation, which was, in terms of satellite derived LST, by 1.35 °C, suggesting that higher compact forms strengthen UHE. This study highlights the challenge of the urban 3D compact form in respect of its UHE impact. The related evaluation in this study would help shed light on urban form optimization.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document