Seasonal variations in the relationship between landscape pattern and land surface temperature in Indianapolis, USA

Abstract

This paper intended to examine the seasonal variations in the relationship between landscape pattern and land surface temperature based on a case study of Indianapolis, United States. The integration of remote sensing, GIS, and landscape ecology methods was used in this study. Four Terra's ASTER images were used to derive the landscape patterns and land surface temperatures (LST) in four seasons in the study area. The spatial and ecological characteristics of landscape patterns and LSTs were examined by the use of landscape metrics. The impact of each land use and land cover type on LST was analyzed based on the measurements of landscape metrics. The results show that the landscape and LST patterns in the winter were unique. The rest of three seasons apparently had more agreeable landscape and LST patterns. The spatial configuration of each LST zone conformed to that of each land use and land cover type with more than 50% of overlap in area for all seasons. This paper may provide useful information for urban planners and environmental managers for assessing and monitoring urban thermal environments as result of urbanization.