Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future Directions
This study systematically reviews the development and application of remote sensing technology in monitoring and evaluating urban heat island (UHI) effects. The urban heat island effect, characterized by significantly higher temperatures in urban areas compared to surrounding rural regions, has beco...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/7/791 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850077068918784000 |
|---|---|
| author | Lili Zhao Xuncheng Fan Tao Hong |
| author_facet | Lili Zhao Xuncheng Fan Tao Hong |
| author_sort | Lili Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study systematically reviews the development and application of remote sensing technology in monitoring and evaluating urban heat island (UHI) effects. The urban heat island effect, characterized by significantly higher temperatures in urban areas compared to surrounding rural regions, has become a widespread environmental issue globally, with impacts spanning public health, energy consumption, ecosystems, and social equity. The paper first analyzes the formation mechanisms and impacts of urban heat islands, then traces the evolution of remote sensing technology from early traditional platforms such as Landsat and NOAA-AVHRR to modern next-generation systems, including the Sentinel series and ECOSTRESS, emphasizing improvements in spatial and temporal resolution and their application value. At the methodological level, the study systematically evaluates core algorithms for land surface temperature extraction and heat island intensity calculation, compares innovative developments in multi-source remote sensing data integration and fusion techniques, and establishes a framework for accuracy assessment and validation. Through analyzing the heat island differences between metropolitan areas and small–medium cities, the relationship between urban morphology and thermal environment, and regional specificity and global universal patterns, this study revealed that the proportion of impervious surfaces is the primary driving factor of heat island intensity while simultaneously finding that vegetation cover exhibits significant cooling effects under suitable conditions, with the intensity varying significantly depending on vegetation types, management levels, and climatic conditions. In terms of applications, the paper elaborates on the practical value of remote sensing technology in identifying thermally vulnerable areas, green space planning, urban material optimization, and decision support for UHI mitigation. Finally, in light of current technological limitations, the study anticipates the application prospects of artificial intelligence and emerging analytical methods, as well as trends in urban heat island monitoring against the backdrop of climate change. The research findings not only enrich the theoretical framework of urban climatology but also provide a scientific basis for urban planners, contributing to the development of more effective UHI mitigation strategies and enhanced urban climate resilience. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fee5cdea0a754f0ea4ed52b76a6a8cc5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-fee5cdea0a754f0ea4ed52b76a6a8cc52025-08-20T02:45:53ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-06-0116779110.3390/atmos16070791Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future DirectionsLili Zhao0Xuncheng Fan1Tao Hong2School of History and Culture, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang 157011, ChinaSchool of History and Culture, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang 157011, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaThis study systematically reviews the development and application of remote sensing technology in monitoring and evaluating urban heat island (UHI) effects. The urban heat island effect, characterized by significantly higher temperatures in urban areas compared to surrounding rural regions, has become a widespread environmental issue globally, with impacts spanning public health, energy consumption, ecosystems, and social equity. The paper first analyzes the formation mechanisms and impacts of urban heat islands, then traces the evolution of remote sensing technology from early traditional platforms such as Landsat and NOAA-AVHRR to modern next-generation systems, including the Sentinel series and ECOSTRESS, emphasizing improvements in spatial and temporal resolution and their application value. At the methodological level, the study systematically evaluates core algorithms for land surface temperature extraction and heat island intensity calculation, compares innovative developments in multi-source remote sensing data integration and fusion techniques, and establishes a framework for accuracy assessment and validation. Through analyzing the heat island differences between metropolitan areas and small–medium cities, the relationship between urban morphology and thermal environment, and regional specificity and global universal patterns, this study revealed that the proportion of impervious surfaces is the primary driving factor of heat island intensity while simultaneously finding that vegetation cover exhibits significant cooling effects under suitable conditions, with the intensity varying significantly depending on vegetation types, management levels, and climatic conditions. In terms of applications, the paper elaborates on the practical value of remote sensing technology in identifying thermally vulnerable areas, green space planning, urban material optimization, and decision support for UHI mitigation. Finally, in light of current technological limitations, the study anticipates the application prospects of artificial intelligence and emerging analytical methods, as well as trends in urban heat island monitoring against the backdrop of climate change. The research findings not only enrich the theoretical framework of urban climatology but also provide a scientific basis for urban planners, contributing to the development of more effective UHI mitigation strategies and enhanced urban climate resilience.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/7/791urban heat island effectremote sensing monitoringland surface temperatureheat island intensitymulti-source data fusionthermally vulnerable areas |
| spellingShingle | Lili Zhao Xuncheng Fan Tao Hong Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future Directions Atmosphere urban heat island effect remote sensing monitoring land surface temperature heat island intensity multi-source data fusion thermally vulnerable areas |
| title | Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future Directions |
| title_full | Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future Directions |
| title_fullStr | Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future Directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future Directions |
| title_short | Urban Heat Island Effect: Remote Sensing Monitoring and Assessment—Methods, Applications, and Future Directions |
| title_sort | urban heat island effect remote sensing monitoring and assessment methods applications and future directions |
| topic | urban heat island effect remote sensing monitoring land surface temperature heat island intensity multi-source data fusion thermally vulnerable areas |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/7/791 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lilizhao urbanheatislandeffectremotesensingmonitoringandassessmentmethodsapplicationsandfuturedirections AT xunchengfan urbanheatislandeffectremotesensingmonitoringandassessmentmethodsapplicationsandfuturedirections AT taohong urbanheatislandeffectremotesensingmonitoringandassessmentmethodsapplicationsandfuturedirections |