MAPPING MICRO-URBAN HEAT ISLANDS USING LANDSAT TM AND A GIS

LANDSAT TM satellite data and GIS software were used to map micro-urban heat islands in a portion of Dallas, Texas. Unsupervised classification were performed on a LANDSAT subscene to extract tree cover information which was merged with TM band 6 data (thermal) to make a map showing the location of micro-urban heat islands and wooded areas. Results indicate the presence of micro-urban heat islands are resulting from the lack of tree cover related to newly developed residential neighborhoods, parking lots, business districts, apartment complexes, and shopping centers. All micro-urban heat islands were radiative in nature, with highest temperatures in the center.