Assessing the Impact of Land Use/Land Cover on Urban Heat Island Pattern in Nanjing City, China

Abstract

Land use/land cover (LULC) change with urbanization affects urban heat island (UHI). We selected the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper images for year 2005 to retrieve land surface temperature (LST) and LULC types and assess the correlation between LULC and LST pattern in Nanjing, China. Daytime mean LST of LULC types in the metropolitan area decreases from industrial, high-density residential commercial, pavement roads, low-density residential commercial, and rural residential to water. UHI centers (over 20.18°C ) are located in two big stations, Zhonghua-Men Old City and main industrial zones. LULC pattern generally accords with UHI pattern and affects UHI pattern by artificial heat sources and thermal-biological variations of surface materials. The LST-NDVI index of pavement roads, high-density residential-commercial, rural residential, industrial, low-density residential commercial, forest grass, cultivated, and water body are 0.01, 0.101, 0.151, 0.262, 0.324, 0.987, 1.647, and 0.765, respectively. The LSTFD of profiles varies with landscape diversity and spatial difference. The LSTSTDEV of LULC types varies with different spatial scales and selected profiles. Results enlighten us on designing open space in local scale to mitigate the UHI effect.