This is an InterDisciplinary Science (IDS) research supported by the NASA Land-Cover / Land-Use Change Program, led by the PI S. V. Nghiem of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The objective is to investigate impacts of urban changes on the environment during the unprecedented growth of large cities (mega-urbanization) in the decade of 2000s. We study these environmental changes, among others: urban heat island, urban dome, greenhouse gas emission, and pollutions in the atmosphere and water systems across various urban regions in different continents. We also study demographic factors associated with urbanization during this decade of change including population distribution, population dynamics and changes in livelihoods such as housing, living arrangements and socioeconomic status. We use decadal data from multiple satellites, measurements from aircraft campaigns and surface networks, and socioeconomic, together with modeling from the global through urban scale.
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