Correlation analysis of the urban heat island effect and the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric particulates using TM images in Beijing

This study combines the methods of observation statistics and remote sensing retrieval, using remote sensing information including the urban heat island (UHI) intensity index, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the normalized difference water index (NDWI), and the difference vegetation index (DVI) to analyze the correlation between the urban heat island effect and the spatial and temporal concentration distributions of atmospheric particulates in Beijing. The analysis establishes (1) a direct correlation between UHI and DVI; (2) an indirect correlation among UHI, NDWI and DVI; and (3) an indirect correlation among UHI, NDVI, and DVI. The results proved the existence of three correlation types with regional and seasonal effects and revealed an interesting correlation between UHI and DVI, that is, if UHI is below 0.1, then DVI increases with the increase in UHI, and vice versa. Also, DVI changes more with UHI in the two middle zones of Beijing. •We analyze the correlation from the spatial and temporal views.•We present correlation analyses among UHI, NDWI, NDVI, and DVI from three perspectives.•Three correlations are proven to exist with regional and seasonal effects.•If UHI is below 0.1, then DVI increases with the increase in UHI, and vice versa.•The DVI changes more with UHI in the two middle zones of Beijing. Generally, if UHI is below 0.1 in the weak heat island or green island range, then DVI increases with the increase in UHI, and vice versa.