HR: 1330h
AN: U52A-0021    [PDF]
TI: Synergistic use of MODIS and Nighttime DMSP/OLS Data for the Assessment of the Climatic Effects of Urbanization
AU: * Milesi, C
EM: milesi@ntsg.umt.edu
AF: Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, School of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 United States
AU: Elvidge, C D
EM: chris.elvidge@noaa.gov
AF: NOAA/National Geophysical Data Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305 United States
AU: Nemani, R R
EM: nemani@ntsg.umt.edu
AF: Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, School of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 United States
AU: Running, S W
EM: swr@ntsg.umt.edu
AF: Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, School of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 United States
AB: As urban areas are continuing to expand globally, there is an increasing need for exploring methods for monitoring the environmental effects of urbanization. In this paper we explore the synergistic use of the fractional Impervious Surface Area (ISA), a measure of urban development density estimated from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linear Scanner (DMSP/OLS), and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a surrogate for vegetation biomass, and the land surface temperature (LST) data from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer to understand how land cover changes due to urbanization influence the local climate. We performed our analysis over the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Atlanta and Phoenix, U.S.A., representing different climatic regimes and urban development densities. The results indicate that NDVI does not necessarily decrease linearly as the fractional ISA increases, and may eventually increase with the density of development due to vegetation management practices, as in the case of Phoenix. In contrast, the nighttime LST consistently increases with the fractional ISA in the three urban environments. The urban-rural differences in nighttime LST for the three metropolitan areas are similar for equal values of imperviousness, indicating that the fractional ISA from the DMSP/OLS and standard products from MODIS could provide a continental physically based characterization of the surface that could be used to track the effects of urbanization on the local and regional climate.
DE: 0315 Biosphere/atmosphere interactions
DE: 1630 Impact phenomena
DE: 1640 Remote sensing
SC: U
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting