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oa Geoinformation Modeling of the Urban Heat Island in Kharkiv under Wartime Conditions
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 18th International Conference Monitoring of Geological Processes and Ecological Condition of the Environment, Apr 2025, Volume 2025, p.1 - 5
Abstract
An analysis of the literature sources ( Rees, Hebryn-Baidy, Belenok, 2024 ) identified a list of factors that may contribute to changes in urban heat islands during military conflicts: destruction of green spaces; fires; disruption of natural water regimes due to the destruction of dams and obstruction of watercourses; changes in energy use patterns (use of generators); disruption of urban cooling systems (reduced intensity of air conditioning operation in the summer due to temporary population relocation and power outages); changes in traffic flows (increased frequency of traffic jams due to air raid alerts); forced changes in the operational modes of enterprises (due to shelling and power outages).
An experimental analysis of the changes in urban heat islands in Kharkiv during the winter and spring of 2022, in the early days and weeks of the full-scale invasion, recorded shifts in the location of urban heat islands, which are most likely related to the damage or shutdown of industrial facilities, a reduction in electricity consumption due to emergency power cuts, and population displacement to safer areas outside the city.
The application of the methodology for studying urban heat islands, using Kharkiv as a case study during the period of full-scale military aggression, with the use of GEE and Landsat data, demonstrated its effectiveness and the potential for its application in analyzing changes in other areas.
