Estimación de la concentración de material particulado menor a 10 micras a través de sensores remotos en el área urbana de la ciudad de Cuenca

Abstract

The city of Cuenca presents high atmospheric pollution values due to a series of factors such as traffic, industrial activity, and urban expansion. Among the main pollutants for the city, particulate matter affects the citizen’s health and fauna and flora development due to their atmospheric interaction and permanence. This research study identifies an empirical equation to estimate particulate matter lessthan 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) concentrations through correlations between in situ measurements of this pollutant with values derived from Cuenca’s urban area Landsat 8 satellite imagery. A multiple linear regression model is generated applying top of the atmosphere reflectance (TOA) and digital numbers (DN), which gives a multiple determination coefficient R2 of 0.55 and a p-value of 0.002, acceptable values according to literature. A PM10 distribution map is produced that allows the estimation of the pollutant’s concentration in places where the monitoring network has no coverage. To conclude, unlike the revised literature, the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) doesn’t present significant results for Cuenca, therefore working with TOA values. In addition, including thermal bands in the models improves substantially the correlation coefficient. However, there are certain locations where estimated PM10 values overpasses the average range, for which an in situ validation is suggested in the spots in question.