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A Thermodynamic Geography: Night-Time Satellite Imagery as a Proxy Measure of Emergy

AMBIO volume 43, pages 969–979 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Night-time satellite imagery enables the measurement, visualization, and mapping of energy consumption in an area. In this paper, an index of the “sum of lights” as observed by night-time satellite imagery within national boundaries is compared with the emergy of the nations. Emergy is a measure of the solar energy equivalent used, directly or indirectly, to support the processes that characterize the economic activity in a country. Emergy has renewable and non-renewable components. Our results show that the non-renewable component of national emergy use is positively correlated with night-time satellite imagery. This relationship can be used to produce emergy density maps which enable the incorporation of spatially explicit representations of emergy in geographic information systems. The region of Abruzzo (Italy) is used to demonstrate this relationship as a spatially disaggregate case.

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Notes

  1. The National Environmental Accounting Database, Center for Environmental Policy, University of Florida (http://www.cep.ees.ufl.edu/nead/).

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Acknowledgments

We deeply thank two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions which contributed to improve the quality of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecodynamics Group, DEEPS Department of Earth Environmental and Physical Sciences, University of Siena, Pian dei Mantellini 44, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Luca Coscieme, Federico M. Pulselli & Simone Bastianoni

  2. Earth Observation Group, NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO, 80305, USA

    Christopher D. Elvidge

  3. School of Natural and Built Environments, Barbara Hardy Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA, 5095, Australia

    Luca Coscieme, Sharolyn Anderson & Paul C. Sutton

  4. Department of Geography, University of Denver, 2199 S. University Blvd, Denver, CO, 80208, USA

    Paul C. Sutton

Authors
  1. Luca Coscieme
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  2. Federico M. Pulselli
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  4. Christopher D. Elvidge
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Correspondence to Federico M. Pulselli.

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Coscieme, L., Pulselli, F.M., Bastianoni, S. et al. A Thermodynamic Geography: Night-Time Satellite Imagery as a Proxy Measure of Emergy. AMBIO 43, 969–979 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-013-0468-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-013-0468-5

Keywords

  • Emergy
  • Night-time lights
  • Geographic information systems
  • Territorial systems
  • Thermodynamic geography