Reflectance and thermal properties of the urban fabric studied with aerial spectral imaging

The properties of materials used in the urban fabric play an essential role to the microclimate. Their thermal performance, one of the main impacting factors to urban heat island effects, is mainly determined by the physical characteristics, optical and thermal. The present research approach aims at analyzing the relation between material properties and their thermal behavior using airborne multispectral imaging in VIS/NIR and IR with sensors mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), at a survey in Athens. The images have been combined to form maps of surface temperature distribution and of material properties. Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps were computed from the VIS/NIR images and were used to classify the surface material. Calibration of the temperatures was obtained by applying correct emissivity for different materials from the classified surface material map. Maps of estimated albedo and of apparent thermal inertia were derived from the VIS/NIR images and the temperature images. Combining the surface temperature maps with maps of NDVI, albedo and apparent thermal inertia makes it is possible to identify reflectance characteristics of a variety materials utilized in the urban setting in Athens and to relate these to their thermal properties. The applied multisensory technique demonstrates how novel advances in sensor development combined with advanced data analysis provide new and unique tools for urban climate studies. The results give new perspectives of urban features for revealing the complex mechanisms that lead to microclimatic modifications and to quantify their relative contribution.