Investigating the relationship between local climate zone and land surface temperature using an improved WUDAPT methodology – A case study of Yangtze River Delta, China

• Published in: Urban climate Vol. 24; pp. 485 - 502
• Main Authors: Cai, Meng, Ren, Chao, Xu, Yong, Lau, Kevin Ka-Lun, Wang, Ran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.06.2018
• Subjects: Aster; Land surface temperature; Local climate zone; Megaregion; WUDAPT; Megaregion; Local climate zone; Land surface temperature; WUDAPT; Aster
• ISSN: 2212-0955; 2212-0955
• DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2017.05.010

The concept of Local Climate Zone (LCZ) was developed to quantify the relationship between urban morphology and urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. Each LCZ is supposed to represent homogeneous air temperature. However, there is inadequate data for verifying the air temperature differences between LCZ classes. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize alternative temperature data which allow more comprehensive assessment of the effect of LCZ on local climatic conditions. Land surface temperature (LST) acquired from satellite images can be used to establish the relationship between LST and LCZ by providing continuous data on surface temperature. This paper aims to investigate how LST represents the UHI intensity determined by using an improved method of the World Urban Database and Portal Tool (WUDAPT) to develop the LCZ map of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) megaregion. The results show that LST in different YRD cities is generally consistent with the LCZ classes with higher LST observed in built-up LCZ classes. The diverse urban morphology and temporal vegetation variation are likely the reasons to inconsistencies in LCZ 9, and LCZ A to D. Findings of this paper provide a better understanding of how urban morphology affects local climate and more accurate delineation of LCZ classes. •Land surface temperature (LST) can be used to analyze the temperature pattern of local climate zones (LCZ).•LST in different cities in the Yangtze River Delta region has generally consistent variations within the LCZ classes.•Built-up LCZs has higher LST than land cover LCZs.•Inconsistencies in LST variations were found in LCZ 9, A, B and C due to the variable urban forms and vegetation cover.•Air temperature analysis confirmed the LST patterns of each LCZ.