The impact of land use — land cover changes due to urbanization on surface microclimate and hydrology: a satellite perspective

Vegetation cover, surface moisture availability (wetness) and radiant surface temperature constitute microclimatic variables derivable from multi-spectral satellite imagery. In addition, fraction impervious surface cover and urban-induced surface runoff (RO) are obtainable from such imagery when it is combined with a conventional image classification. Using AVHRR and Landsat TM data, we illustrate how these parameters respond to urbanization with a case study of Chester County, PA — a region that has undergone rapid urban development over the past decade. Specific factors affecting the change in the surface microclimatic variables are discussed. Based on a statistical analysis of the Chester County data, future values of these microclimatic parameters can be predicted, given the characteristics of the initial land surface and an estimate of the change in vegetation and urban coverage.