Analysis of the spatiotemporally varying effects of urban spatial patterns on land surface temperatures

Urban heat islands (UHIs) are a worldwide phenomenon that have many ecological and social consequences. It has become increasingly important to examine the relationships between land surface temperatures (LSTs) and all related factors. This study analyses Landsat data, spatial metrics, and a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model for a case study of Hangzhou, China, to explore the correlation between LST and urban spatial patterns. The LST data were retrieved from Landsat images. Spatial metrics were used to quantify the urban spatial patterns. The effects of the urban spatial patterns on LSTs were further investigated using Pearson correlation analysis and a GWR model, both at three spatial scales. The results show that the LST patterns have changed significantly, which can be explained by the concurrent changes in urban spatial patterns. The correlation coefficients between the spatial metrics and LSTs decrease as the spatial scale increases. The GWR model performs better than an ordinary least squares analysis in exploring the relationship of LSTs and urban spatial patterns, which is indicated by the higher adjusted R2 values, lower corrected Akaike information criterion and reduced spatial autocorrelations. The GWR model results indicate that the effects of urban spatial patterns on LSTs are spatiotemporally variable. Moreover, their effects vary spatially with the use of different spatial scales. The findings of this study can aid in sustainable urban planning and the mitigation the UHI effect.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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