Abstract
Purpose Urbanization may be the most measured form of permanent land transformation. Jeddah, the second largest city of Saudi Arabia, has witnessed an unprecedented rate of growth over the last 40 years. In cities like Jeddah, the rapid increase in population along with the consequent urban development may have impact on the environment. Methods Data from various sensors on the Landsat satellite have been used to monitor urban expansion in Jeddah for 41 years. For this study, eight images, three each from the Multispectral Sensor and Thematic Mapper as well as two from the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus between the years 1973 and 2014, were acquired and analyzed to monitor the spatial and temporal changes in Jeddah. Information on land use with regard to vegetation, bare soil, sand, urban area, rocks, road/concrete structures, and water bodies was extracted. Results The results of our analysis show that urbanization in the study area increased by 109.76 km(2) for the period 1973-2014, and in some areas has altered the structure and spatial pattern of the city. However, analyses of the impact of urban growth on temperature variations show that urban sprawl has a minimal impact on land surface temperature in the city. Conclusions This study indicates that the most efficient way to determine the environmental impacts of urban sprawl is through the use of satellite data.