Scholarly record

EXPLORATORY TECHNIQUES AND ANALYSIS OF HEAT ISLANDS IN ROMANIA

A. Virsta, S. Cazanescu, R. Cazanescu, R. Manea

Abstract

Remote sensing techniques were used to detect the heat islands over the Romanian region, based on multi-temporal Meteosat Second Generation, Land Surface Analysis Satellite Applications Facility/ Land Surface Temperature products (MSG LSASAF/LST). A method was proposed for the rapid and accurate mapping of heat island areas based on the combinational use of normalized land surface temperatures. In order to do it, the IDL routines developed locally have been used. It was studied 2976 LSA-SAF/LST images acquired during the period of August 2008 and it were used to calculate LST parameters. The LST values from 15 August 2008 were used to detect expansion and heat islands changes over the Romanian region. The LST product has a temporal resolution of 15 minutes. The LST values can be determined, theoretically, 96 times per day. One of the main causes of urban heat island phenomenon are buildings and streets/pavements which accumulate heat during day time and release it at night, back into the atmosphere, warming the area. As a consequence of the heat accumulation, the air temperature is higher inside buildings, particularly in inner spaces of residential and commercial buildings with poor thermal isolation. In order to assure an adequate interior temperature, the overall energy consumption for cooling (i.e. refrigeration and air-conditioning) becomes higher, hence increasing the energy production by power plants, meaning more costs to citizens and inducing significant economic impacts. Thermal rehabilitation of the buildings is a proven solution to decrease the energy consumptions for cooling and helps to the improving of the interior comfort for the occupants.

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