Analysis of light pollution in Croatia

Svjetlosno onečišćenje definira se kao višak svjetlosti noću koji nastaje ljudskim djelovanjem u prostoru. Svjetlosno onečišćenje kakvo danas poznajemo nuspojava je procesa urbanizacije, industrijalizacije i suburbanizacije koji se odvijaju od kraja 19. stoljeća do danas. Ovaj tip onečišćenja predmet je interesa geografa, ekologa, biologa, građevinara, geofizičara te sve više i medicine zbog mogućeg učinka na ljude. U ovom radu analizirano je svjetlosno onečišćenje u Hrvatskoj na temelju podataka prikupljenih daljinskim istraživanjima DMSPOLS i SNPP-VIIRS senzorima od 1992. do 2018. godine. GIS analizom utvrđeno je da je svjetlosno onečišćenje u Hrvatskoj u neprestanom porastu te da su glavni uzroci suburbanizacija i učinci izgradnje suvremene mreže autocesta.Light pollution is defined as excess night-time light generated by human activities. Light pollution as we know it today is a by-product of urbanisation, industrialisation and suburbanisation, processes which have been observed since the late 19th century all the way to today. The subject of light pollution interests’ geographers, ecologists, biologists, construction engineers, geophysicists, and even medical professionals due to the potential effect on human health. In this thesis light pollution in Croatia is analysed using data collected by the DMSP-OLS and SNPP-VIIRS sensors. Results of a GIS analysis indicate that light pollution in Croatia is increasing and that the driving factors of the increase are suburbanisation and the effects of building a new motorway system