Using Earth Observations to Identify Communities Most Susceptible to Heat Exposure in Austin, Texas

Keywords: Earth observations, ECOSTRESS, urban heat, Landsat 8, Aqua MODIS
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Tuesday
Session Start / End Time: 3/1/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 3/1/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 8

Abstract

Urban heat is a significant problem for Austin, Texas. It can be seriously detrimental to health (increasing heat-related illnesses, including deaths) and reduces day-to-day comfort and quality of life. This problem has intensified recently as Austin’s population and urban development have drastically increased, and climate change brings more intense heat and drought. Urban heat will continue to get worse as these trends continue, which will be especially damaging to those more vulnerable to heat (such as the elderly or infirm). In response to this, The City of Austin, The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) partnered with NASA DEVELOP to examine the distribution of urban heat throughout the City. This project utilized land surface temperature, greenness, plant water content, and urban surface material analysis parameters derived from NASA Earth observations from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The DEVELOP team created a sharable geodatabase mapping heat exposure severity, social vulnerability (measured using socioeconomic data), and a heat priority index: the areas of highest combined heat exposure and social vulnerability. The team tested the sensitivity of this score to a wide range of parameter decisions to check its robustness. This heat priority index can be used to make informed infrastructure improvement plans in targeted areas (e.g., siting of cooling centers) and ensure equitable sustainable development.