| Land surface temperature is a significant parameter for identifying micro-climatic changes and their spatial distributions relative to the urban environment. This paper examined and identified the urban heat islands and their spatial and temporal variability along the I-85/I-40 corridor in central North Carolina between 1990 and 2002. More specifically, the study focused on: (1) understanding the behavior of the spectral and thermal signatures of various land cover and land use types and their relationships with UHI development, and (2) applying digital remote sensing techniques to observe and measure the temporal and spatial variability of these surface heat islands. An assemblage of remotely sensed imagery (Landsat data), land surface temperature data, land cover and land use classifications, vegetation indices, and archived weather data was used to create maps, charts and statistical models to indicate and display the magnitude and spatial extent of these thermal climates. The data revealed that urbanization in the I-85/I-40 corridor region increased significantly between 1990 and 2002. Quantitative results from the satellite imagery also indicated that differences in land cover/ land use types, anthropogenic heat sources, and land surface temperature variability likely contributed to a temperature rise in the corridor study area thus thermal climate development. |
