Urban Heat and Cool Island Temperature Differences Across Quebec 2020-2022

15-meter resolution mapping of temperature differences between urban areas and nearby forests across Quebec's ecumene (185,453 km²). Data includes classification of Urban Heat and Fresh Islands for 2021 census population centers with at least 1,000 inhabitants, covering 14,072 km² of major urban areas. The dataset was produced using a predictive machine learning model on Landsat-8 satellite data and other geospatial variables.

Use Cases

• Train a model to predict temperature differences using Landsat-8 satellite data and geospatial variables like hydrography and topography.
• Analyze the distribution of Urban Heat Island (classes 8 and 9) and Urban Fresh Island (classes 1, 2, and 3) classifications across different population centers.
• Calculate the Surface Urban Heat Island Intensity (SUHII) index for urban areas to assess localized heat effects.
• Compare relative temperature differences between northern and southern Quebec population centers using the 9-level classification system.

Strengths

• High spatial resolution of 15 meters for temperature difference mapping.
• Covers a large geographic area of 185,453 km² (Quebec ecumene).
• Includes data for all major urban centers, covering 14,072 km² of populated areas.
• Provides a multi-year temporal coverage from 2020 to 2022.

Limitations

• Temperature difference classifications are relative per population center, making direct cross-region comparisons of class values misleading.
• Urban Heat Island map does not fully cover all urbanization perimeters, requiring a separate dataset for complete Quebec coverage.

Provenance

Source

Government and Municipalities of Québec, using Landsat-8 data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Collection Method

Predictive machine learning model built on satellite and geospatial variables (hydrography, topography).

Time Range

2020-2022

Freshness

Data covers 2020-2022 period, with metadata last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Quebec ecumene (185,453 km²) and its population centers.