IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i12p4905-d372164.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Global Nighttime Light Change from 1992 to 2017: Brighter and More Uniform

Author

Listed:
  • Yunfeng Hu

    (State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Yunzhi Zhang

    (State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

Abstract

Nighttime light images record the brightness of the Earth surface, indicating the scope and intensity of human activities. However, there are few studies on the long-term changes in global nighttime lights. In this paper, the authors constructed a long time series (1992~2017) nighttime light dataset combining the Defense Meteorological Satellites Program/Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) and the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS) data sources and observed the following: (1) Global nighttime lights have become brighter. The global nighttime brightness in 2017 was 2.2 times that of 1992. Approximately 40.3% of the lighted area was significantly brightened, and an area of 1.3 × 10 7 km 2 transitioned from an unlighted area to a lighted area. (2) Approximately 85.7% of the nighttime light increase occurred in the low-brightness zone (LBZ). Therefore, global brightness has become more uniform than before. (3) China, India, and the United States have led the global lighting trend. The increase in Chinese nighttime lights is the largest, with an average annual growth of 6.48%, followed by the light growth in India, while the United States has the largest brightened area. (4) The changes in nighttime lights in developing countries (e.g., China and India) are closely and positively related to their electricity consumption, industrial added value and gross domestic product (GDP). The shift of the LBZ center from Asia to Africa indicates the intercontinental transition of poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunfeng Hu & Yunzhi Zhang, 2020. "Global Nighttime Light Change from 1992 to 2017: Brighter and More Uniform," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-17, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:12:p:4905-:d:372164
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/12/4905/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/12/4905/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shi, Kaifang & Yu, Bailang & Huang, Chang & Wu, Jianping & Sun, Xiufeng, 2018. "Exploring spatiotemporal patterns of electric power consumption in countries along the Belt and Road," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 847-859.
    2. Kevin J. Stiroh, 2002. "Information Technology and the U.S. Productivity Revival: What Do the Industry Data Say?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(5), pages 1559-1576, December.
    3. Wang, Qiang & Li, Rongrong, 2016. "Drivers for energy consumption: A comparative analysis of China and India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 954-962.
    4. Christopher D. Elvidge & Daniel Ziskin & Kimberly E. Baugh & Benjamin T. Tuttle & Tilottama Ghosh & Dee W. Pack & Edward H. Erwin & Mikhail Zhizhin, 2009. "A Fifteen Year Record of Global Natural Gas Flaring Derived from Satellite Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 2(3), pages 1-28, August.
    5. Zhaoxin Dai & Yunfeng Hu & Guanhua Zhao, 2017. "The Suitability of Different Nighttime Light Data for GDP Estimation at Different Spatial Scales and Regional Levels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, February.
    6. Jeremy Proville & Daniel Zavala-Araiza & Gernot Wagner, 2017. "Night-time lights: A global, long term look at links to socio-economic trends," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(3), pages 1-12, March.
    7. Sutton, Paul C. & Costanza, Robert, 2002. "Global estimates of market and non-market values derived from nighttime satellite imagery, land cover, and ecosystem service valuation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 509-527, June.
    8. Yang, Wangming & Luan, Yibo & Liu, Xiaolei & Yu, Xiaoyong & Miao, Lijuan & Cui, Xuefeng, 2017. "A new global anthropogenic heat estimation based on high-resolution nighttime light data," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 4, pages 1-11.
    9. Doll, Christopher N.H. & Muller, Jan-Peter & Morley, Jeremy G., 2006. "Mapping regional economic activity from night-time light satellite imagery," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 75-92, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Krittaya Sangkasem & Nattapong Puttanapong, 2022. "Analysis of spatial inequality using DMSP‐OLS nighttime‐light satellite imageries: A case study of Thailand," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(4), pages 828-849, August.
    2. Tingting Xu & Yunting Zong & Heng Su & Aohua Tian & Jay Gao & Yurui Wang & Ruiqi Su, 2023. "Prediction of Multi-Scale Socioeconomic Parameters from Long-Term Nighttime Lights Satellite Data Using Decision Tree Regression: A Case Study of Chongqing, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lionel Roger, 2018. "Blinded by the light? Heterogeneity in the luminosity-growth nexus and the African growth miracle," Discussion Papers 2018-04, University of Nottingham, CREDIT.
    2. Jasiński, Tomasz, 2019. "Modeling electricity consumption using nighttime light images and artificial neural networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 831-842.
    3. Qian Chen & Tingting Ye & Naizhuo Zhao & Mingjun Ding & Zutao Ouyang & Peng Jia & Wenze Yue & Xuchao Yang, 2021. "Mapping China’s regional economic activity by integrating points-of-interest and remote sensing data with random forest," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 48(7), pages 1876-1894, September.
    4. Jaqueson K. Galimberti, 2020. "Forecasting GDP Growth from Outer Space," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 82(4), pages 697-722, August.
    5. Ziyang Cao & Zhifeng Wu & Yaoqiu Kuang & Ningsheng Huang & Meng Wang, 2016. "Coupling an Intercalibration of Radiance-Calibrated Nighttime Light Images and Land Use/Cover Data for Modeling and Analyzing the Distribution of GDP in Guangdong, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Nguyen, Cuong & Noy, Ilan, 2018. "Measuring the impact of insurance on urban recovery with light: The 2011 New Zealand earthquake," Working Paper Series 6955, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    7. Addison,Douglas M. & Stewart,Benjamin P., 2015. "Nighttime lights revisited : the use of nighttime lights data as a proxy for economic variables," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7496, The World Bank.
    8. Ilari Määttä & Thomas Ferreira & Christian Leßmann, 2022. "Nighttime lights and wealth in very small areas: [Nachtlichter und Wohlstand in Kleinräumigen Daten:]," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 42(2), pages 161-190, August.
    9. Shapiro, Daniel & Oh, Chang Hoon & Zhang, Peng, 2023. "Nighttime lights data and their implications for IB research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    10. Tilottama Ghosh & Sharolyn J. Anderson & Christopher D. Elvidge & Paul C. Sutton, 2013. "Using Nighttime Satellite Imagery as a Proxy Measure of Human Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-32, November.
    11. Jeremy Proville & Daniel Zavala-Araiza & Gernot Wagner, 2017. "Night-time lights: A global, long term look at links to socio-economic trends," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(3), pages 1-12, March.
    12. Nguyen, Cuong & Noy, Ilan, 2018. "Measuring the impact of insurance on urban recovery with light: The 2011 New Zealand earthquake," Working Paper Series 20316, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    13. World Bank, 2015. "Socioeconomic Impact of Mining on Local Communities in Africa," World Bank Publications - Reports 22489, The World Bank Group.
    14. Hoang Ha Nguyen Thi & Alfons Weichenrieder, 2023. "Tax Haven Welfare and the Crackdown on Secrecy: Evidence from Night Light Emissions," CESifo Working Paper Series 10721, CESifo.
    15. Cuong Nguyen & Ilan Noy, 2018. "Measuring the Impact of Insurance on Urban Recovery with Light: The 2010-2011 New Zealand Earthquakes," CESifo Working Paper Series 7031, CESifo.
    16. Corral, Leonardo R. & Schling, Maja, 2017. "The impact of shoreline stabilization on economic growth in small island developing states," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 210-228.
    17. Boslett, Andrew & Hill, Elaine & Ma, Lala & Zhang, Lujia, 2021. "Rural light pollution from shale gas development and associated sleep and subjective well-being," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    18. Juergen Bitzer & Erkan Goeren, 2018. "Foreign Aid and Subnational Development: A Grid Cell Analysis," Working Papers V-407-18, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2018.
    19. Mohammed Iddrisu Kambala, 2023. "Colonial Origins of Comparative Development in Ghana," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(2), pages 188-208, February.
    20. De Luca, Giacomo & Hodler, Roland & Raschky, Paul A. & Valsecchi, Michele, 2018. "Ethnic favoritism: An axiom of politics?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 115-129.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:12:p:4905-:d:372164. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.