Integration of satellite remote sensing observations with urban ground stations into urban meteorological and climate modelling to help decision and policy makers in better preventing the impact of Urban Heat Island (UHI) through appropriate alert systems and in reducing the risk, with dedicated urban land planning.
What is Urban Heat Island?
Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is one of the most typical phenomena of urban climate, for which the temperature of the central urban locations are several degrees higher than those of nearby rural areas of similar elevation.
Surface and atmospheric modifications due to urbanization generally lead to a modified thermal climate that is warmer than the surrounding non-urbanized areas, particularly at night.
Natural vegetation removal and the usage of building materials (concrete, asphalt etc.) leads to enhancement in land surface temperature and air temperature, due to augmented sensible heat flux and diminished latent heat flux.
Peculiar structure of cities (high buildings, narrow streets etc.) also alters air circulation fluxes, eventually exacerbating the phenomenon intensity.
Several negative effects are due to this increase in urban temperatures:
Project objective
The European Space Agency (ESA) funded in the programmatic framework of the Data User Element of its 3rd Earth Observation Envelope Programme (EOEP 2008-2012), the Urban Heat Island and Urban Thermography Project.
The aim of the project is the integration/assimilation of satellite remote sensing observations - mainly Thermal InfraRed (TIR) channels - with urban ground stations (temperature, relative humidity and wind speed) into urban meteorological and climate modelling to help decision and policy makers in better preventing the impact of Urban Heat Island (UHI) during heat waves, through appropriate alert systems and in reducing the risk, through dedicated urban land planning.
A second and important objective of the project is to study the mission requirements for a dedicated high resolution TIR satellite sensor that could serve at best the needs of all public administrations that request more adequate UHI observations in metropolitan areas.
Planetek Italia, as Prime of a Consortium of 6 organisations from 5 EU Countries (Planetek Italia, Italy; Edisoft, Portugal; Indra, Spain; NOA-ISAR, Greece; VITO, Belgium; Eurosense, Belgium), is working to provide to 10 European Cities (Bari, Athens, Thessaloniki, Lisbon, Brussels, Madrid, Seville, Paris, Budapest, London) different and ad hoc products and services to benefit users groups and ultimately the population most at risk.
UHI products and relevant services are:
In detail, 18 different products are implemented to contribute to monitor Urban Heat Island phenomena and to provide new tools for an effective management of such phenomena.
European Space Agency (ESA)