Urban Heat Island Effect in Prague: remote sensing approach.

B.Sc. Tugba Dogan

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This thesis will focus on determining and evaluating the effects that Urban heat islands (UHI) has on Prague by using a remote sensing approach. Analysis will be provided on the spatial distribution of Land Surface Temperature (LST) and its relationship with Vegetation density calculated by an index known as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using thermal remote sensing data. Both ENVI 5.3 and ArcGIS 10.2.1 Software were used to process the Landsat 8 TIRS and OLI satellite images. In order to examine the relationship between NDVI and LST, 900 random points were created with ArcGIS and correlation analysis was performed with Microsoft Excel. In order to gain a detailed understanding regarding the NDVI and LST relationship, 18 sites different sites were selected due to several key similarities and differences, with the results being analyzed.The findings of this thesis show that the UHI phenomenon was mainly observed in the city centre, in industrial areas, and at Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague. On the hottest summer day of June 2016: the highest surface temperature observed was at Stadium (O2 Arena) with (48.71 °C) and 0.12 NDVI value on the contrary to that the lowest surface temperature was observed in the agricultural area (29.30 °C) with 0.61 NDVI value. Moreover, a strong inverse relationship was found between NDVI and LST. The analysis of NDVI and LST expressly show that the decrease in vegetation density causes a decrease in the evaporative cooling and consequently coincides with high LST.Finally, this thesis concludes with recommendations based on the spatial distributions of the UHI and vegetation cover which proved as a main driver of UHI in Prague and its potential to combat UHI. The findings of this thesis can effectively incorporate further analysis of UHI using a multitude factors, and in doing so provide guidance for urban planners and decision makers in their assessment of how to effectively engage with the mitigation measures around Prague.

Keywords

Temperature, Thermal Infrared, Urbanization

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 19. 4. 2017

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. David Moravec
• Reader: Vítězslav Moudrý, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Environmental Sciences

Master programme / field:
Landscape Engineering / Landscape Planning