Acquisition and Characterization of Surface Material Data for Urban Climatological Studies

Abstract

A sampling and analysis scheme is presented and briefly illustrated for examination of the type, amount and degree of areas contiguity among surface materials in urban areas. Such data are necessary if we are to understand and model the spatial and temporal effects of urban places on atmospheric variables. Medium-scale aerial photographs are used as the data source; surface material information is extracted using a systematic grid-cell routine. Percent coverage values are computed and a linkage technique is used to compare areal contiguity of materials within and among five selected eastern Kansas cities. Results suggest that 1) the amount of vegetated surface within a city has been grossly underestimated, 2) materials tend to aggregate by types in essentially bimodal fashion, 3) materials within each modal category change with city size, and 4) geographic location affects the nature of the surface material matrix.