Quantitative analysis of spatial heterogeneity and driving forces of the thermal environment in urban built-up areas: A case study in Xi’an, China

Abstract

Clarifying the spatial heterogeneity of urban heat island (UHI) effect is of great significance for promoting sustainable urban development. A GeoDetector was used to detect the influential natural and society factors. Natural factors (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil-regulating vegetation index (SAVI), normalized building index (NDBI), and modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI)) as well as society factors (road density (RDD), and population density (POPD)) were selected as driving factors to be tested for their explanatory power for land surface temperature (LST). Results indicated that the Moran’s I index value for the LST of the built-up area is 0.778. The top three factors influencing the LST were NDBI, NDVI, and SAVI, the explanatory power of which was 0.7593, 0.6356, and 0.6356, respectively. The interactive explanatory power for NDBI and MNDWI was 0.8108 and for NDBI and RDD was 0.8002, these two interactions are double enhanced interaction relationships. The results of this study play a guiding role in the development of urban thermal environment regulation schemes and ecological environment planning.