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<p>This study presents a spatially explicit, seasonally resolved analysis of the intra-urban thermal heterogeneity in Chennai, a rapidly urbanizing tropical megacity along India’s southeast coast. Leveraging mobile environmental surveys across 81 georeferenced sites spanning six land-use zones, data on temperature, humidity, PM<sub>2.5</sub>, PM<sub>10</sub>, CO₂, and formaldehyde were collected during nighttime in summer and winter seasons. Thermal comfort was assessed using the thermal humidity index (THI), while spatial variability was visualized using GIS-based heat maps and inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation. Results revealed a pronounced summer intra-urban thermal contrast, with air temperatures in urban cores exceeding 32.5&#xa0;°C compared to 31&#xa0;°C or lower in vegetated suburban zones. In winter, central hotspots remained elevated at ~ 28.9&#xa0;°C relative to peripheral regions (~ 25–26&#xa0;°C). PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were significantly higher in summer (<i>p</i> = 0.00082), reflecting enhanced photochemical activity and dust resuspension under drier conditions. CO₂ showed a moderate positive correlation with temperature (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.096, <i>p</i> = 0.0052), suggesting a potential climate–pollution feedback linked to anthropogenic heat emissions and increased energy demand. Analysis of thermal comfort revealed that 63% of surveyed sites were in the “torrid” discomfort category during summer, while the remaining 37% were “very hot.” Even in winter, 98% of sites were classified as “hot,” indicating persistent nocturnal thermal stress across the city. PCA indicated that temperature and pollution gradients jointly shaped the spatial clustering of intra-urban thermal hotspots, particularly in industrial and commercial zones. The study emphasizes the compounded impact of heat and pollution in shaping Chennai’s urban microclimates and highlights the need for climate-sensitive planning, urban greening, and adaptive infrastructure for tropical coastal Indian cities.</p>

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Multi-season mobile monitoring of intra-urban heat and pollution gradients in a rapidly urbanizing coastal Indian city

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月18日

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  • Syed Zaki Ahmed,
  • Shanmuganathan Jayakumar

摘要

This study presents a spatially explicit, seasonally resolved analysis of the intra-urban thermal heterogeneity in Chennai, a rapidly urbanizing tropical megacity along India’s southeast coast. Leveraging mobile environmental surveys across 81 georeferenced sites spanning six land-use zones, data on temperature, humidity, PM2.5, PM10, CO₂, and formaldehyde were collected during nighttime in summer and winter seasons. Thermal comfort was assessed using the thermal humidity index (THI), while spatial variability was visualized using GIS-based heat maps and inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation. Results revealed a pronounced summer intra-urban thermal contrast, with air temperatures in urban cores exceeding 32.5 °C compared to 31 °C or lower in vegetated suburban zones. In winter, central hotspots remained elevated at ~ 28.9 °C relative to peripheral regions (~ 25–26 °C). PM2.5 concentrations were significantly higher in summer (p = 0.00082), reflecting enhanced photochemical activity and dust resuspension under drier conditions. CO₂ showed a moderate positive correlation with temperature (R2 = 0.096, p = 0.0052), suggesting a potential climate–pollution feedback linked to anthropogenic heat emissions and increased energy demand. Analysis of thermal comfort revealed that 63% of surveyed sites were in the “torrid” discomfort category during summer, while the remaining 37% were “very hot.” Even in winter, 98% of sites were classified as “hot,” indicating persistent nocturnal thermal stress across the city. PCA indicated that temperature and pollution gradients jointly shaped the spatial clustering of intra-urban thermal hotspots, particularly in industrial and commercial zones. The study emphasizes the compounded impact of heat and pollution in shaping Chennai’s urban microclimates and highlights the need for climate-sensitive planning, urban greening, and adaptive infrastructure for tropical coastal Indian cities.