Exploring Spatial Influence of Remotely Sensed PM2.5 Concentration Using a Developed Deep Convolutional Neural Network Model

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Feb 4;16(3):454. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16030454.

Abstract

Currently, more and more remotely sensed data are being accumulated, and the spatial analysis methods for remotely sensed data, especially big data, are desiderating innovation. A deep convolutional network (CNN) model is proposed in this paper for exploiting the spatial influence feature in remotely sensed data. The method was applied in investigating the magnitude of the spatial influence of four factors-population, gross domestic product (GDP), terrain, land-use and land-cover (LULC)-on remotely sensed PM2.5 concentration over China. Satisfactory results were produced by the method. It demonstrates that the deep CNN model can be well applied in the field of spatial analysing remotely sensed big data. And the accuracy of the deep CNN is much higher than of geographically weighted regression (GWR) based on comparation. The results showed that population spatial density, GDP spatial density, terrain, and LULC could together determine the spatial distribution of PM2.5 annual concentrations with an overall spatial influencing magnitude of 97.85%. Population, GDP, terrain, and LULC have individual spatial influencing magnitudes of 47.12% and 36.13%, 50.07% and 40.91% on PM2.5 annual concentrations respectively. Terrain and LULC are the dominating spatial influencing factors, and only these two factors together may approximately determine the spatial pattern of PM2.5 annual concentration over China with a high spatial influencing magnitude of 96.65%.

Keywords: PM2.5 pollution; deep convolutional network; remote sensing; spatial influence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Models, Spatial Interaction
  • Neural Networks, Computer*
  • Particulate Matter / analysis*
  • Remote Sensing Technology / methods*
  • Spatial Regression
  • Water Pollutants / analysis*
  • Water Pollution / analysis*

Substances

  • Particulate Matter
  • Water Pollutants