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Building on the past success of the USGS Urban Dynamics Program, this task seeks to develop research related to large-scale, policy-relevant aspects of urban ecosystems. Three separate projects are currently ongoing:
- Geographic Support and Research for the BROWNFIELDS Program:
Brownfields (BF) are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourages the redevelopment of brownfields properties by providing grants to characterize and remediate pollution hazards and more importantly, by removing any potential future liability to prospective purchasers, lenders, property owners, and others regarding their association with a brownfields site. Through the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative, the EPA has provided over $250 million dollars to redevelop brownfields properties. Working with the EPA, local BF coordinators, and the Office of Surface Mining, we have identified seven BF sites and are working with the local communities to determine the role that GIS and remote sensing can play in the overall BF process.
- Mapping the Components of Impervious Surfaces:
Impervious surfaces (i.e., driveways, rooftops, roads) prevent water from being absorbed into the ground and therefore change the hydrologic profile and environmental quality of aquatic systems. This effort is determining the extent and individual components of impervious surfaces in 5 – 8 watersheds across the United States. Mapping and scale issues are critical and impervious surface areas of each watershed is being addressed and three different scales, from Landsat to very high-resolution aerial imagery. The individual components of impervious surfaces are being mapped in detail to determine the contribution of each to the total impervious surface area.
- Correlating Localized Ozone Development with Land Cover:
Ozone is the main component of urban smog and forms when precursor chemicals, mainly from auto exhaust, react in the presence of heat and sunlight. Ozone and poor urban air quality cause thousands of premature deaths every year and is one the most serious problems facing urban populations. This research is correlating the levels of daily ozone measurements with the components of land cover in the immediate area of the ozone monitoring station. Preliminary data indicate that land cover plays an important role in ozone formation. Impervious surfaces, tall buildings that create urban canyons and lack of significant vegetation create ‘heat islands’ that are conducive to ozone formation. Quantifying the role that local land cover plays in air quality could have significant policy implications.
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