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Nighttime lights and population changes in Europe 1992–2012

Archila, Maria LU ; Hall, Ola LU and Andersson, Magnus (2015) In Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment 44(7). p.653-665
Abstract
Nighttime satellite photographs of Earth reveal the location of lighting and provide a unique view of the extent of human settlement. Nighttime lights have been shown to correlate with economic development and population but little research has been done on the link between nighttime lights and population change over time. We explore whether population decline is coupled with decline in lighted area and how the age structure of the population and GDP are reflected in nighttime lights. We examine Europe between the period of 1992 and 2012 using a Geographic Information System and regression analysis. The results suggest that population decline is not coupled with decline in lighted area. Instead, human settlement extent is more closely... (More)
Nighttime satellite photographs of Earth reveal the location of lighting and provide a unique view of the extent of human settlement. Nighttime lights have been shown to correlate with economic development and population but little research has been done on the link between nighttime lights and population change over time. We explore whether population decline is coupled with decline in lighted area and how the age structure of the population and GDP are reflected in nighttime lights. We examine Europe between the period of 1992 and 2012 using a Geographic Information System and regression analysis. The results suggest that population decline is not coupled with decline in lighted area. Instead, human settlement extent is more closely related to the age structure of the population and to GDP. We conclude that declining populations will not necessarily lead to reductions in the extent of land development. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment
volume
44
issue
7
pages
653 - 665
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:25773533
  • wos:000362290300006
  • scopus:84942986639
  • pmid:25773533
ISSN
0044-7447
DOI
10.1007/s13280-015-0646-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f2a77f7f-bf0a-4f8a-8d76-8846cbd7a121 (old id 5218695)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:58:27
date last changed
2024-03-09 10:15:00
@article{f2a77f7f-bf0a-4f8a-8d76-8846cbd7a121,
  abstract     = {{Nighttime satellite photographs of Earth reveal the location of lighting and provide a unique view of the extent of human settlement. Nighttime lights have been shown to correlate with economic development and population but little research has been done on the link between nighttime lights and population change over time. We explore whether population decline is coupled with decline in lighted area and how the age structure of the population and GDP are reflected in nighttime lights. We examine Europe between the period of 1992 and 2012 using a Geographic Information System and regression analysis. The results suggest that population decline is not coupled with decline in lighted area. Instead, human settlement extent is more closely related to the age structure of the population and to GDP. We conclude that declining populations will not necessarily lead to reductions in the extent of land development.}},
  author       = {{Archila, Maria and Hall, Ola and Andersson, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{0044-7447}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{653--665}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment}},
  title        = {{Nighttime lights and population changes in Europe 1992–2012}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-015-0646-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s13280-015-0646-8}},
  volume       = {{44}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}