Influence of traffic and transportation characteristics over road surface temperature (RST)

Abstract

Global warming phenomenon had urged scholars to study various factors that may contribute toward escalating pattern of urban temperature. Among the sector that is a significant contributor, is transportation sector. In previous studies, road surface had been identified as one of urban element that has among of the highest average surface temperature in urban area. Therefore, this research aims to identify and investigate various factors that may influence road surface temperature (RST) intensity in urban area. After review over tens of previous studies related to RST, traffic volume, vehicle type, road hierarchy, and, road density were selected as the independent variables to be examined. By processing Landsat +ETM 7 thermal band data to acquire RST in the selected area (Iskandar Malaysia), and utilizing spatial analysis capability of geographical information system (GIS), linear regression model of each identified variable was constructed, and then compared. Results of this research showed that traffic volume does have positive relationship toward RST intensity with R2 value of 0.411. This study also indicates that different type of vehicle, would have different influence or relationship with RST value with most of them are positive. Road density however, had no significant relationship toward RST value. This study had successfully showed that satellite remote sensing and GIS may be used to analyse relationship between RST and various traffic characteristics. However, several improvements to this study, such requirement for temperature's ground truthing process, still need to be address