Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Environmental Sciences

An examination of the dynamics of urban heat islands utilizing a multi-temporal methodology (Case study: District 4 of the Tabriz metropolis)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Professor, Urban and Regional Planning Departement, Faculty of Planning and Environmental Sciences, University of Tabriz.Tabriz, Iran

2 Associat, Department of Urban and regional Planning, Faculty of Planning and Environmental Sciences, University of Tabriz.

3 Ph.D. student of Geography and Urban Planning, Aras International Campus, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

10.22034/rsgi.2025.68382.1143

Abstract

he urbanization process intensifies urban population growth and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect through the absorption of rural migrants, leading to higher temperatures in cities compared to their surrounding areas. This phenomenon, coupled with increased energy demand, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, poses a threat to human health. The present study analyzed factors influencing UHI intensity using Land Surface Temperature (LST) data across four regions of the Tabriz metropolitan area over a 40-year period (1984-2024). The indices employed included NDVI (vegetation cover), NDBI (built-up area), LST, UHI, RH (humidity), and AQI (Air Quality Index). Data comprised Landsat (5 & 8) satellite imagery, humidity calculated via the Penman-Monteith method, and air quality station data from Tabriz, analyzed using multivariate linear regression.

The findings indicate:

NDVI and RH exhibited cooling effects, reducing UHI intensity with negative coefficients.

However, this effect was negligible compared to the substantial increase in built-up areas (NDBI) and the reduction in green space.

The increased coefficients for NDBI and AQI in 2024 (compared to 1984 and 2004) signify the decisive role of urbanization and air pollution in exacerbating the heat island effect within Region 4 of Tabriz.

These results underscore the necessity for sustainable urban planning, green space development, and efficient land-use management to mitigate UHI impacts.

Keywords

Main Subjects

فرآیند شهرنشینی که شامل مهاجرت جمعیت از مناطق روستایی به شهرها می‌شود، نقش قابل توجهی در رشد جمعیت جهانی داشته‌است. با گسترش مستمر شهرها، افراد بیشتری به دنبال فرصت‌ها و امکانات به سمت آن‌ها مهاجرت می‌کنند که این امر منجر به افزایش بیشتر جمعیت شهری می‌شود. اثر جزیرۀ حرارتی شهری (UHI) به پدیده‌ای اشاره دارد که در آن مناطق شهری نسبت به مناطق روستایی اطراف خود دمای بالاتری را تجربه می‌کنند. رشد سریع شهرها به افزایش تقاضای انرژی کمک کرده‌است که به دلیل آلودگی هوا و انتشار گازهای گلخانه‌ای (GHG)  بر سلامت و رفاه انسان تأثیر می‌گذارد. بنابراین، مطالعۀ عوامل مؤثر بر شدت جزایر حرارتی شهری با‌‌ استفاده از دمای سطح زمین به عنوان یک شاخص کلیدی، برای اجرای سیاست‌ها و ‌استراتژی‌های هدفمند برای کاهش تأثیرات منفی رشد شهری ناشی از شهرنشینی سریع، ضروری و حیاتی ‌‌است. هدف تحقیق حاضر، بررسی عوامل مؤثر بر شدت جزایر حرارتی و تحلیل تغییرات این پدیده در بازۀ زمانی 1363 تا 1403 در منطقه چهار کلانشهر تبریز است. شاخص های مورد نظر NDVI، NDBI، LST، UHI، RH و AQI می باشد. برای محاسبۀ شاخص های NDVI، NDBI، LST و UHI از داده های ثانویه که شامل تصاویر ماهواره ای Landsat 5 و Landsat 8 با سنجنده های به ترتیب TM، TIRS و OLI (C2L2)، برای شاخص RH از روش پنمن مانتیث استاندارد ASCE و برای شاخص AQI از داده های ایستگاه های سنجش کیفیت هوای تبریز استفاده و جهت تحلیل یافته های بدست آمده از روش تحلیل آماری رگرسیون خطی چند متغیره استفاده شده است. یافته ها نشان می دهند که شاخص‌های NDVI و RH اثرات خنک‌کننده را در طی 40 سال اخیر در منطقه 4 شهر تبریز دارند و با ضرایب منفی، نقش کاهنده‌ای در شدت جزایر حرارتی شهری ایفا می کنند. قابل ذکر است که این تأثیر در مقایسه با اثرات شدید مناطق ساخته شده و کاهش وسعت فضاهای سبز، چندان به چشم نمی خورد. افزایش ضرایب NDBI و AQI (کیفیت هوا) در سال 1403 نسبت به سال های 1363 و 1383، نمایانگر این است که افزایش شهرنشینی و گسترش شهرها همراه با افزایش آلودگی هوا، بطور چشمگیری بر تشدید جزایر حرارتی محدوده منطقه 4 تبریز مؤثر بوده است. این نتایج نیاز به برنامه‌ریزی شهری پایدار، تقویت و گسترش فضاهای سبز و مدیریت کاربری اراضی را برای کاهش اثرات جزایر حرارتی را ضروری می سازد.

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Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Environmental Sciences
Volume 5, Issue 16
November 2025
Pages 94-69
  • Receive Date: 29 July 2025
  • Revise Date: 10 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 21 October 2025