PRECIPITATION AS AN INTERPRETATIVE PARAMETER OF SURFACE URBAN HEAT ISLANDS IN NATAL (RN)

• Main Author: Silva de Sousa, Guilherme
• Publication Date: 2024
• Other Authors: de Costa Trindade Amorim, Margarete Cristiane
• Format: Article
• Language: por
• Source: GeoTextos (Online)
• Download full: https://periodicos.ufba.br/index.php/geotextos/article/view/62387
• topic: Ilhas de calor; Temperatura; Superfície; Clima urbano; Agricultura urbana e periurbana; Heat islands; Temperature; Surface; Urban climate; Agriculture

This article aimed to analyze surface urban heat islands in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, considering land cover and precipitation data as analysis parameters. Two images from the Landsat 8 satellite (OLI and TIRS-1 sensors) from June and September 2018 were used, in addition to four distinct segments of urban land use and cover. The procedures involved Remote Sensing techniques and the integrated use of precipitation data for the understanding and analysis of satellite images. The results indicated that the intensities of surface heat islands in Natal are related to the volumes of accumulated precipitation before the images were captured and the different forms of urban land use and cover. The highest intensities of heat islands were observed mainly in built urban areas, while the lowest values were identified in areas with tree vegetation or mixed use for urban/peri-urban agricultural cultivation. This analysis was corroborated by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps. The results of this study highlight the importance of vegetated areas in the urban environment and the need to develop strategies to mitigate the effects of urban heat islands, emphasizing the centrality of the discussion on urban environmental quality and the Society-Nature relationship.