Observing Earth from Above

JOSHUA B. FISHER & GREGORY R. GOLDSMITH

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

Supported by: NASA ECOSTRESS Science and Applications Team (ESAT) (80NSSC23K0309)

Smart Water Magazine

Urban Heat

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Dr. Joshua B. Fisher

Chapman University

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Learning Objectives

• Understand basics of urban heat;
• Identify who is impacted most by urban heat waves and why;
• Use ECOSTRESS for analyzing urban heat.

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NASA

CNBC

MedlinePlus

CNN

SmartWater

WILDFIRE

VOLCANOES

WATER SURFACE

URBAN HEAT

September 2022 heatwave was the hottest ever on record across the Western U.S.

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Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting.

Urban Heat discussion

• What is Urban Heat?
• Why is it hotter in urban settings than in non-urban settings?
• How does heat impact health?

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GraniteCrete

How the Heat Island Phenomenon Occurs

Temperature goes down

Temperature increase

Temperature increase

Temperature goes down

Sunlight

Heat of vaporization

Heat of vaporization

Heat from vehicles

Heat from building surfaces

Heat from road surfaces

Anthropo-genic heat

Rivers

Temperature increase

Temperature increase

What do you notice among the different temperatures?

Why are they different or similar?

Heat Island Impacts

• Heat islands increase demand for air conditioning to cool buildings. Electricity demand for air conditioning increases 1–9% for each 2°F increase. 
• Fossil fuel power plants supply this �energy, which increases air �pollutants (smog, particulates, �acid rain) and greenhouse gas �emissions.

Matsumoto 2021

Singh et al. 2020

Health Impacts

• Direct Heat Exposure
• Fatigue
• Heat stress
• Heat stroke
• Respiratory distress
• Dehydration and kidney stress
• Cardiovascular stress
• Increase in morbidity and fatality/death
• Heat in combination with air pollution
• Asthma attack
• Respiratory track irritation
• Respiratory stress
• Exposure to carcinogens
• Mental health impacts

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Mental Illness Can Be Deadly During Heat Waves

• People with schizophrenia 3 times more likely to die during heat event.
• Some mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, �are associated with a condition called anosognosia, �which inhibits a person’s insight into their own �health status.
• Depression was associated with nearly twice �the likelihood of death from heat.

Who is most affected and why?

• 5 groups—can you name them?

Sensitive populations are particularly �at risk during these events

• Older adults are among the most vulnerable to extreme heat events. Older adults are more likely to be in poor health, to be less mobile and more isolated, to be more sensitive to high heat, and to live on reduced incomes.
• Young children tend to be more susceptible to extreme heat due to their small size, rapid breathing rates relative to body size, time spent outdoors, and their developing respiratory systems, which raise their chances of aggravated asthma and other lung diseases caused by ozone air pollution and smog, which usually increases during heat waves.
• Populations with low-income are at greater risk of heat-related illnesses due to poor housing conditions, including lack of air conditioning and small living spaces, and inadequate resources to find alternative shelter during a heat wave.
• People who spend their working hours outdoors are more prone to conditions such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. They have higher exposures to ozone air pollution and heat stress, especially if work tasks involve heavy exertion.
• People in poor health, including chronic conditions, disabilities, mobility constraints, and those taking certain medications, are vulnerable to extreme temperatures. People with diabetes, kidney problems, heart disease, pulmonary disease, stroke, physical impairments, osteoporosis, and cognitive deficits are especially at risk.
• Excessive heat events, or abrupt and dramatic temperature increases, are particularly dangerous and can result in above-average rates of mortality.
• Since 2004, there has been an average of 702 deaths per year in the US where heat was the underlying cause.

• The average person of color lives with higher SUHI intensity than whites in 169 of the 175 largest urbanized areas in the continental United States.
• A similar pattern emerges for people living in households below the poverty line.

a White vs. people of color. People of color have an average SUHI exposure greater than 2 °C in more cities than whites.

b 2× above poverty vs. below poverty. 

c Below poverty vs. all people of color. 

d Over 5 vs. under 5. 

e Under 65 vs. over 65. 

f Over 65: non-Hispanic white vs. all people of color. 

g Under 5: non-Hispanic white vs. all people of color. 

Observing Earth from Above

JOSHUA B. FISHER & GREGORY R. GOLDSMITH

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY

Supported by: NASA ECOSTRESS Science and Applications Team (ESAT) (80NSSC23K0309)

Smart Water Magazine

Urban Heat

​

Dr. Joshua B. Fisher

Chapman University

​

Learning Objectives

• Understand basics of urban heat;
• Identify who is impacted most by urban heat waves and why;
• Use ECOSTRESS for analyzing urban heat.

​

Requirements discussion

1. What data would you need to assess urban heat and its impact on health?
2. Where would you need the data and at what resolution?
3. How frequent would you need the data?
4. What accuracy/uncertainty is tolerable?

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Path Radiance

Sky Transmittance

Geolocation Parameters

SRTM DEM

Atmospheric

Correction

Temperature

Emissivity

Separation

Calibrated Sensor Radiances

Cloud

Masking

GEOS5

Atmosphere

Surface

Radiance

Calc.

Surface Radiance

Sky Irradiance

Cloud Mask

Space/Time interp. NWP Fields:

• Surface Pressure
• Air Temperature Profile
• Relative Humidity Profile
• Geopotential Height
• Net Radiation (for L3)

• Surface Temperature
• Surface Emissivity (5 bands)

L1A Products

L1B Products

L2 Products

PGEs*

Intermediate data

Other agency data

Geolocation Parameters

ASTER GED

Emissivity

*PGE = Production Generation Executable

Science Algorithms: L2(LSTE)

The Temperature Emissivity Separation (TES) Algorithm

Hulley, G. C., C. G. Hughes, and S. J. Hook (2012), Quantifying uncertainties in land surface temperature and emissivity retrievals from ASTER and MODIS thermal infrared data, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 117(D23).

NASA Equity & Environmental Justice

von Allmen, Z., Fisher, J.B., Tacazon, K., Rivera, A., Zayas, R., Douglas, J.A., in prep. An examination of thermal inequities in recreational spaces between South and West Los Angeles.

NASA Equity & Environmental Justice

von Allmen, Z., Fisher, J.B., Tacazon, K., Rivera, A., Zayas, R., Douglas, J.A., in prep. An examination of thermal inequities in recreational spaces between South and West Los Angeles.

NASA Equity & Environmental Justice

von Allmen, Z., Fisher, J.B., Tacazon, K., Rivera, A., Zayas, R., Douglas, J.A., in prep. An examination of thermal inequities in recreational spaces between South and West Los Angeles.

NASA Equity & Environmental Justice

von Allmen, Z., Fisher, J.B., Tacazon, K., Rivera, A., Zayas, R., Douglas, J.A., in prep. An examination of thermal inequities in recreational spaces between South and West Los Angeles.

$USD

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Credit: Glynn Hulley

“I call this my $4, 6, 8 million dollar image”

Greg Spotts, StreetsLA

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$4 million: Cool roads (2021 – 2022)

$2 million: Shade trees (2021 – 2022)

$2 million: Federal earmark (2022 – 2023)

TIR Camera Demo