Yang, J; Gong, P; Zhou, JX; Huang, HB; Wang, L (2010). Detection of the urban heat island in Beijing using HJ-1B satellite imagery. SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES, 53, 67-73.

Abstract
Satellite images are used extensively in studying the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. We evaluated the suitability of thermal infrared (TIR) data from the HJ-1B satellite for detecting UHI using a case study in Beijing. Two modified algorithms for retrieving the land surface temperature (LST) from HJ-1B data were tested. The results were compared with LST images derived from a Landsat TM thermal band and the MODIS LST output. The spatial pattern of UHI generated using HJ-1B data matched well with that produced using TM and MODIS data. Of the two algorithms, the mono-window algorithm performed better but further tests are necessary. With more frequent coverage than TM and higher spatial resolution than MODIS, the HJ-1B TIR data present a unique opportunity to study thermal environments in cities in China and neighboring countries.

DOI:
10.1007/s11430-010-4131-8

ISSN:
1674-7313