A Specific Study on the Impacts of PM2.5 on Urban Heat Islands with Detailed In Situ Data and Satellite Images

Cheng Zhong, Chen Chen, Yue Liu, Peng Gao and Hui Li
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Cheng Zhong: Three Gorges Research Center for Geo-Hazard, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Chen Chen: School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Yue Liu: Three Gorges Research Center for Geo-Hazard, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Peng Gao: Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, 709 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA
Hui Li: School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 24, 1-10

Abstract: Rapid urbanization often results in serious urban heat islands (UHI) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration. Previous studies found it was hard to evaluate the haze contribution to the UHI quantitatively, because of the complex properties of the atmosphere aloft and the irregular alteration of PM2.5 loads. Taking Beijing as the study site, where detailed in situ PM2.5 concentration data, canopy thermal data and MODIS land surface temperature (LST) products were all available in 2015, this study investigated the impacts of PM2.5 on both surface UHI intensity (SUHII) and canopy UHI intensity (CUHII) at daytime and night. The results reveal that the CUHII are almost unchanged throughout the year, while SUHII varies greatly in both temporal axis and spatial distribution. PM2.5 concentration has significant negative impacts on mean SUHII ( r = −0.6115) and daytime SUHII ( r = −0.6164), and less significant negative impact on CUHII ( r = −0.51999). However, the contribution of PM2.5 concentration to nighttime SUHI is not significant. This specific study checked and improved previous works on this topic, with detailed in situ data and satellite images. The results of this work can enhance our understanding of the dynamics and driving mechanism of urban thermal environment.

Keywords: urban heat island; atmospheric fine particles; land surface temperature; great metropolis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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