A study of urban heat island effects using remote sensing and GIS techniques in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India

Aspects of ecological issues arising from rapid urbanization are investigated in this paper using Land Surface Temperature (LST) in terms of radiation budgets studied by heat conduct balance using a geospatial approach. It uses the data from USGS Landsat ETM+ 4–5 and Landsat-8 OLI imagery acquired on February 6, 1988 and October 14, 2021. The geospatial technique examines the effects of changes in Land Use/Land Cover (LSLC) in terms of NDVI classification on the distribution of surface temperature. The remote sensing approach identifies changes in land use, their influence on surface temperature, and variations in average LST caused by these hotspots. This study examines the distribution of LST in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. The LSTs ranged from 14 °C to 31 °C in 1985, from 25 °C to 39 °C in 2005, and from 31 °C to 47 °C in 2021. The results show a 152% increase in the mean LST in 4 decades. The LST high values were observed in urban and industrial regions with buildings, impervious sidewalks, and sparse vegetation. The intensity at hotspots was highest in urbanized and sparsely vegetated regions. The low Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect was measured in vegetated areas. Industrial areas and parking lots were commonly classified as high-intensity hotspots. The elevated temperatures are attributable to the materials used in the construction at these locations. Further research is needed to better understand the reflectance of thermal radiations by certain materials used in urban regions and how to minimize temperatures in such locations.