Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite Data

Miami, Florida, renowned for its cultural richness and coastal beauty, also faces the concerning challenges created by urban heat islands (UHIs). As one of the hottest cities of the United States, Miami is facing escalating temperatures and threatening heat-related vulnerabilities due to urbanizatio...

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Main Authors: Suraj K C, Anuj Chiluwal, Lalit Pun Magar, Kabita Paudel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/7/880
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author Suraj K C
Anuj Chiluwal
Lalit Pun Magar
Kabita Paudel
author_facet Suraj K C
Anuj Chiluwal
Lalit Pun Magar
Kabita Paudel
author_sort Suraj K C
collection DOAJ
description Miami, Florida, renowned for its cultural richness and coastal beauty, also faces the concerning challenges created by urban heat islands (UHIs). As one of the hottest cities of the United States, Miami is facing escalating temperatures and threatening heat-related vulnerabilities due to urbanization and climate change. Our study addresses the critical issue of mapping and investigating UHIs in complex urban settings. This study leveraged Planet satellite data and Landsat data to conceptualize and develop appropriate mitigation strategies for UHIs in Miami. Utilizing the Planet satellite imagery and Landsat data, we conducted a combined study of land cover and land surface temperature variations within the city. This approach fuses remotely sensed data to identify the UHI hotspots. This study aims for dynamic approaches for UHI mitigation. This includes studying the status of green spaces present in the city, possible expansion of urban green spaces, the propagation of cool roof initiatives, and exploring the recent climatic trend of the city. The research revealed that built-up areas consistently showed higher land surface temperatures while zones with dense vegetation have lower surface temperatures, supporting the role of urban green spaces in surface temperature reduction. This research can also set a robust model for addressing UHIs in other cities facing rapid urbanization and experiencing mounting temperatures each passing year by helping in assessing LST, land cover, and related spectral indices as well.
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series Atmosphere
spelling doaj-art-b9cddbf5fc754fdb99795f41d706a1d52025-08-20T03:35:27ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-07-0116788010.3390/atmos16070880Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite DataSuraj K C0Anuj Chiluwal1Lalit Pun Magar2Kabita Paudel3College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601, USACollege of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601, USACollege of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601, USACollege of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601, USAMiami, Florida, renowned for its cultural richness and coastal beauty, also faces the concerning challenges created by urban heat islands (UHIs). As one of the hottest cities of the United States, Miami is facing escalating temperatures and threatening heat-related vulnerabilities due to urbanization and climate change. Our study addresses the critical issue of mapping and investigating UHIs in complex urban settings. This study leveraged Planet satellite data and Landsat data to conceptualize and develop appropriate mitigation strategies for UHIs in Miami. Utilizing the Planet satellite imagery and Landsat data, we conducted a combined study of land cover and land surface temperature variations within the city. This approach fuses remotely sensed data to identify the UHI hotspots. This study aims for dynamic approaches for UHI mitigation. This includes studying the status of green spaces present in the city, possible expansion of urban green spaces, the propagation of cool roof initiatives, and exploring the recent climatic trend of the city. The research revealed that built-up areas consistently showed higher land surface temperatures while zones with dense vegetation have lower surface temperatures, supporting the role of urban green spaces in surface temperature reduction. This research can also set a robust model for addressing UHIs in other cities facing rapid urbanization and experiencing mounting temperatures each passing year by helping in assessing LST, land cover, and related spectral indices as well.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/7/880urban green spacesland coverrandom tree classifierclimate resilienceland surface temperature
spellingShingle Suraj K C
Anuj Chiluwal
Lalit Pun Magar
Kabita Paudel
Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite Data
Atmosphere
urban green spaces
land cover
random tree classifier
climate resilience
land surface temperature
title Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite Data
title_full Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite Data
title_fullStr Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite Data
title_full_unstemmed Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite Data
title_short Investigating Urban Heat Islands in Miami, Florida, Utilizing Planet and Landsat Satellite Data
title_sort investigating urban heat islands in miami florida utilizing planet and landsat satellite data
topic urban green spaces
land cover
random tree classifier
climate resilience
land surface temperature
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/7/880
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