Global Light Pollution Dynamics from 1992 to 2012 Based on Nighttime Light Remote Sensing

Light pollution has become an extensive environmental issue around world and nighttime light remote sensing technology is an unique and convenient mean to capture artificial light of surface earth. This paper aims to investigate the light pollution dynamics at global scale from 1992 to 2012 through nighttime light remote sensing. The time series Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) are selected to be systematically corrected. And then, linear regression trend method, total nighttime light(TNL) index and change rate of total light (RCL) index are employed to explore and analysis the dynamic pattern of global light pollution. We find that: (1) in the longitude level, light pollution mainly ranges from 30W to 130W in western hemisphere. Moreover, the light pollution mainly locates in middle latitudes of northern hemisphere at latitudinal level. (2) light pollution in Asia and South America shows a significant increasing trend and slight growth in Europe, Africa and Oceania. (3) Light pollution in China, India, Southeast Asia, Belarus, Egypt, Iran and Italy, increase rapidly over the past of 21 years. However, light pollution decreases are mainly located in some developed countries, including America, Ukraine, England and France. These results can help us to understand global light pollution dynamics and assist government to make policy regarding to light pollution.