Seasonal Cooling Effect of Vegetation and Albedo Applied to the LCZ Classification of Three Chinese Megacities

Journal Article (2023)
Author(s)

Yifan Luo (Guangzhou University)

Jinxin Yang (Guangzhou University)

Qian Shi (Sun Yat-sen University)

Yong Xu (Guangzhou University)

Massimo Menenti (Chinese Academy of Sciences, TU Delft - Optical and Laser Remote Sensing)

Man Sing Wong (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Research Group
Optical and Laser Remote Sensing
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15235478 Final published version
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Publication Year
2023
Language
English
Research Group
Optical and Laser Remote Sensing
Issue number
23
Volume number
15
Article number
5478
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Abstract

The urban heat island effect poses a growing threat to human society, especially in densely populated and developed megacities. With the introduction of the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) framework, new perspectives and findings have been brought to urban heat island studies. This study investigated the cooling effect of vegetation and albedo on the surface urban heat island (SUHI) in the classification system of LCZ during different seasons, using three Chinese megacities as case study areas. Single-factor linear regression and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were applied to analyze the seasonal cooling effect of both albedo and the NDVI on the SUHI within different LCZs. The results show that (1) the variability of the SUHI is reflected in its dominance and intensity within certain LCZs in different cities and in the efficiency of cooling factors; (2) the cooling effect of vegetation is dominant in each season, and the cooling effect produced by albedo within specific seasons can be differentiated by LCZs. This study provides valuable information for the mitigation of the SUHI magnitude in specific regions and at specific times of the year.