Estimation of the urban heat island in Medellin, Colombia

The urban heat island (UHI) effect describes the phenomenon whereby cities are generally warmer than surrounding rural areas. UHI increases energy consumption, air and water pollution, and, in general, reduces the urban life quality. Consequently, UHI mitigation and adaptation is a priority in many cities around the world. Although the UHI effect can be perceived in the Aburra Valley, where the city of Medellin is located, it has been studied superficially and so far there are no prevention or mitigation measures at the regional scale. This paper presents an estimation of the UHI in the metropolitan area of the Aburra Valley. The UHI was estimated using Landsat TM, ETM+ and OLI/TIRS images acquired between 1986 and 2016. Results showed that the average surface temperature in the urban area was 4.81 degrees C warmer than in the rural surroundings.