A Remote Sensing Analysis of the Urban Heat Island Effect in Guangzhou City from 2018 to 2023

School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, China

^* Corresponding author: 3121006443@mail2.gdut.edu.cn

Abstract

This study aims to assess the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Guangzhou City using remote sensing technology and to explore its potential impact on urban spatial layout and measures for mitigating the UHI effect. By analyzing Landsat 8 satellite data, this paper focuses on the changes in land surface temperature in Guangzhou from 2018 to 2023, using a weekly scale as the primary time analysis unit. The research method is based on the Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE) for the inversion of land surface temperature, utilizing ArcMap software for the related data calculations and processing. The research findings reveal the weekly scale distribution of land surface temperature in Guangzhou City from 2018 to 2023, showing that the UHI effect is mainly concentrated in the southwestern part of the city. In contrast, due to less economic activity, lower population density, and a larger area of green coverage, the northeastern part experiences a relatively weaker UHI effect. The discoveries of this paper provide important references and bases for spatial planning and mitigation of the UHI effect in Guangzhou City and other similar cities, emphasizing the application value of remote sensing technology in the study of urban climate change.