Spatiotemporal landscape pattern changes and their effects on land surface temperature in greenbelt with semi-arid climate:A case study of the Erbil City,Iraq

Urban expansion of cities has caused changes in land use and land cover(LULC)in addition to transformations in the spatial characteristics of landscape structure.These alterations have generated heat islands and rise of land surface temperature(LST),which consequently have caused a variety of environmental issues and threated the sustainable development of urban areas.Greenbelts are employed as an urban planning containment policy to regulate urban expansion,safeguard natural open spaces,and serve adaptation and mitigation functions.And they are regarded as a powerful measure for enhancing urban environmental sustainability.Despite the fact that,the relation between landscape structure change and variation of LST has been examined thoroughly in many studies,but there is a limitation concerning this relation in semi-arid climate and in greenbelts as well,with the lacking of comprehensive research combing both aspects.Accordingly,this study investigated the spatiotemporal changes of landscape pattern of LULC and their relationship with variation of LST within an inner greenbelt in the semi-arid Erbil City of northern Iraq.The study utilized remote sensing data to retrieve LST,classified LULC,and calculated landscape metrics for analyzing spatial changes during the study period.The results indicated that both composition and configuration of LULC had an impact on the variation of LST in the study area.The Pearson's correlation showed the significant effect of Vegetation 1 type(VH),cultivated land(CU),and bare soil(BS)on LST,as increase of LST was related to the decrease of VH and the increases of CU and BS,while,neither Vegetation 2 type(VL)nor built-up(BU)had any effects.Additionally,the spatial distribution of LULC also exhibited significant effects on LST,as LST was strongly correlated with landscape indices for VH,CU,and BS.However,for BU,only aggregation index metric affected LST,while none of VL metrics had a relation.The study provides insights for landscape planners and policymakers to not only develop more green spaces in greenbelt but also optimize the spatial landscape patterns to reduce the influence of LST on the urban environment,and further promote sustainable development and enhance well-being in the cities with semi-arid climate.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of land use/land cover(LULC)changes and its impact on land surface temperature:A case study in New Town Kolkata,eastern India

Rapid urbanization creates complexity,results in dynamic changes in land and environment,and influences the land surface temperature(LST)in fast-developing cities.In this study,we examined the impact of land use/land cover(LULC)changes on LST and determined the intensity of urban heat island(UHI)in New Town Kolkata(a smart city),eastern India,from 1991 to 2021 at 10-a intervals using various series of Landsat multi-spectral and thermal bands.This study used the maximum likelihood algorithm for image classification and other methods like the correlation analysis and hotspot analysis(Getis–Ord Gi^(*) method)to examine the impact of LULC changes on urban thermal environment.This study noticed that the area percentage of built-up land increased rapidly from 21.91%to 45.63%during 1991–2021,with a maximum positive change in built-up land and a maximum negative change in sparse vegetation.The mean temperature significantly increased during the study period(1991–2021),from 16.31℃to 22.48℃in winter,29.18℃to 34.61℃in summer,and 19.18℃to 27.11℃in autumn.The result showed that impervious surfaces contribute to higher LST,whereas vegetation helps decrease it.Poor ecological status has been found in built-up land,and excellent ecological status has been found in vegetation and water body.The hot spot and cold spot areas shifted their locations every decade due to random LULC changes.Even after New Town Kolkata became a smart city,high LST has been observed.Overall,this study indicated that urbanization and changes in LULC patterns can influence the urban thermal environment,and appropriate planning is needed to reduce LST.This study can help policy-makers create sustainable smart cities.

Spatiotemporal variation of land surface temperature and its driving factors in Xinjiang,China

Land surface temperature(LST) directly affects the energy balance of terrestrial surface systems and impacts regional resources, ecosystem evolution, and ecosystem structures. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is located at the arid Northwest China and is extremely sensitive to climate change. There is an urgent need to understand the distribution patterns of LST in this area and quantitatively measure the nature and intensity of the impacts of the major driving factors from a spatial perspective, as well as elucidate the formation mechanisms. In this study, we used the MOD11C3 LST product developed on the basis of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) to conduct regression analysis and determine the spatiotemporal variation and differentiation pattern of LST in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2020. We analyzed the driving mechanisms of spatial heterogeneity of LST in Xinjiang and the six geomorphic zones(the Altay Mountains, Junggar Basin, Tianshan Mountains, Tarim Basin, Turpan-Hami(Tuha) Basin, and Pakakuna Mountain Group) using geographical detector(Geodetector) and geographically weighted regression(GWR) models. The warming rate of LST in Xinjiang during the study period was 0.24℃/10a, and the spatial distribution pattern of LST had obvious topographic imprints, with 87.20% of the warming zone located in the Gobi desert and areas with frequent human activities, and the cooling zone mainly located in the mountainous areas. The seasonal LST in Xinjiang was at a cooling rate of 0.09℃/10a in autumn, and showed a warming trend in other seasons. Digital elevation model(DEM), latitude, wind speed, precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI), and sunshine duration in the single-factor and interactive detections were the key factors driving the LST changes. The direction and intensity of each major driving factor on the spatial variations of LST in the study area were heterogeneous. The negative feedback effect of DEM on the spatial differentiation of LST was the strongest. Lower latitudes, lower vegetation coverage, lower levels of precipitation, and longer sunshine duration increased LST. Unused land was the main heat source landscape, water body was the most important heat sink landscape, grassland and forest land were the land use and land cover(LULC) types with the most prominent heat sink effect, and there were significant differences in different geomorphic zones due to the influences of their vegetation types, climatic conditions, soil types, and human activities. The findings will help to facilitate sustainable climate change management, analyze local climate and environmental patterns, and improve land management strategies in Xinjiang and other arid areas.

Seasonal constraint of dynamic water temperature on riverine dissolved inorganic nitrogen transport in land surface modeling

水体温度变化对河流可溶性无机氮(DIN)输送有着强烈控制作用.然而,在全球尺度上河流DIN输送量对水温度变化的响应尚不清楚.因此,本文基于陆面过程模式,耦合河流水温估算和DIN传输方案,设定有,无动态水温情景,对比研究陆面模拟中水温变化对河流DIN通量变化的影响.结果表明:在考虑水温动态变化后,在30°N和30°S之间, DIN通量年振幅减小5%–25%.在中国东部地区,水温动态变化使河流DIN通量在夏季减少1%–3%,在冬季增加1%–5%,对DIN通量具有明显的季节性约束作用,表明动态水温的表达在河流DIN输送模拟中的重要性.

Spatial Variation in CO_(2) Concentration Improves the Simulated Surface Air Temperature Increase in the Northern Hemisphere

The increasing concentration of atmospheric CO_(2) since the Industrial Revolution has affected surface air temperature.However,the impact of the spatial distribution of atmospheric CO_(2) concentration on surface air temperature biases remains highly unclear.By incorporating the spatial distribution of satellite-derived atmospheric CO_(2) concentration in the Beijing Normal University Earth System Model,this study investigated the increase in surface air temperature since the Industrial Revolution in the Northern Hemisphere(NH) under historical conditions from 1976-2005.In comparison with the increase in surface temperature simulated using a uniform distribution of CO_(2),simulation with a nonuniform distribution of CO_(2)produced better agreement with the Climatic Research Unit(CRU) data in the NH under the historical condition relative to the baseline over the period 1901-30.Hemispheric June-July-August(JJA) surface air temperature increased by 1.28℃ ±0.29℃ in simulations with a uniform distribution of CO_(2),by 1.00℃±0.24℃ in simulations with a non-uniform distribution of CO_(2),and by 0.24℃ in the CRU data.The decrease in downward shortwave radiation in the non-uniform CO_(2) simulation was primarily attributable to reduced warming in Eurasia,combined with feedbacks resulting from increased leaf area index(LAI) and latent heat fluxes.These effects were more pronounced in the non-uniform CO_(2)simulation compared to the uniform CO_(2) simulation.Results indicate that consideration of the spatial distribution of CO_(2)concentration can reduce the overestimated increase in surface air temperature simulated by Earth system models.

Spatiotemporal detection of land use/land cover changes and land surface temperature using Landsat and MODIS data across the coastal Kanyakumari district, India

This study assesses the changes in land use/land cover(LULC) and land surface temperature(LST) to identify their impacts from 2000 to 2020 along the coast of Kanyakumari district, India using remote sensing techniques. Landsat images are used to estimate the LULC changes and the MODIS data for LST.The Maximum Likelihood Classification(MLC) method is used, and the LULC is classified into six categories: Agriculture Land, Barren Land, Salt Pan, Sandy Beach, Settlement, and Waterbody. Within the two decades of the present change detection study, upheave in the Settlement area of 49.89% is noticed, and the Agriculture Land is exploited by 20.09%. Salt Pan emits a high LST of 31.57°C, and the Waterbodies are noticed with a low LST of 28.9°C. However, the overall rate of LST decreased by 0.56°C during this period. This study will help policymakers make appropriate planning and management to overcome the impact of LULC and LST in the forthcoming years.

Statistical Downscaling Retrieval of Land Surface Temperature in an Area with Complex Landforms in the Eastern Qinling Mountains of China Based on Sentinel-2/3 Satellite Data

The study of land surface temperature(LST)is of great significance for ecosystem monitoring and ecological environmental protection in the Qinling Mountains of China.In view of the contradicting spatial and temporal resolutions in extracting LST from satellite remote sensing(RS)data,the areas with complex landforms of the Eastern Qinling Mountains were selected as the research targets to establish the correlation between the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)and LST.Detailed information on the surface features and temporal changes in the land surface was provided by Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3,respectively.Based on the statistically downscaling method,the spatial scale could be decreased from 1000 m to 10 m,and LST with a Sentinel-3 temporal resolution and a 10 m spatial resolution could be retrieved.Comparing the 1 km resolution Sentinel-3 LST with the downscaling results,the 10 m LST downscaling data could accurately reflect the spatial distribution of the thermal characteristics of the original LST image.Moreover,the surface temperature data with a 10 m high spatial resolution had clear texture and obvious geomorphic features that could depict the detailed information of the ground features.The results showed that the average error was 5 K on April 16,2019 and 2.6 K on July 15,2019.The smaller error values indicated the higher vegetation coverage of summer downscaling result with the highest level on July 15.

Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics of Urban Land Surface Temperature Based on Local Climate Zones in Xi’an Metropolitan,China

Local climate zones(LCZs)are an effective nexus linking internal urban structures to the local climate and have been widely used to study urban thermal environment.However,few studies considered how much the temperature changed due to LCZs transformation and their synergy.This paper quantified the change of urban land surface temperature(LST)in LCZs transformation process by combining the land use transfer matrix with zonal statistics method during 2000–2019 in the Xi’an metropolitan.The results show that,firstly,both LCZs and LST had significant spatiotemporal variations and synchrony.The period when the most LCZs were converted was also the LST rose the fastest,and the spatial growth of the LST coincided with the spatial expansion of the built type LCZs.Secondly,the LST difference between land cover type LCZs and built type LCZs gradually widened.And LST rose more in both built type LCZs transferred in and out.Finally,the Xi’an-Xianyang profile showed that the maximum temperature difference between the peaks and valleys of the LST increased by 4.39℃,indicating that localized high temperature phenomena and fluctuations in the urban thermal environment became more pronounced from 2000 to 2019.

Land Surface Temperature Change in Hangzhou Urban Area in Recent 20 Years Based on Landsat Image

Since the reform and opening-up in 1978, the urbanization level of our country has been continuously improved and the urban development has made great progress. However, with the rapid expansion of urban construction land, the population density and building density have been greatly increased, resulting in the urban heat island effect, which has negative impact on the urban thermal environment and restricts the high-quality development of urbanization. This paper focuses on how the urban surface thermal environment of Hangzhou changes in 20 years. In this paper, the characteristics of land surface temperature (LST) in Hangzhou urban area from 2000 to 2020 were studied by using Landsat images. The radiative transfer equation method is used to retrieve the land surface temperature, and the retrieval results are analyzed. The results show that: 1) the land surface temperature in Hangzhou city area has a slight upward trend in the past 20 years;2) the area of high temperature area is expanding;3) the land surface temperature in the city center area has decreased significantly in the past 20 years, while the ground temperature in other areas around the city center has increased significantly.

On the long-term memory characteristic in land surface air temperatures:How well do CMIP6 models perform?

利用去趋势涨落分析(DFA)方法计算序列的长程记忆性(LTM),以CRUTEM5数据集的结果作为观测参照,评估了60个参与第六次国际耦合模式比较计划(CMIP6)的气候模式对地表气温LTM的再现能力.结果表明:大部分模式可以再现全球平均地表气温序列的LTM特征,其中AWI-ESM-1-1-LR和E3SM-1-0的模拟效果最好;60个模式均能模拟LTM随纬度带的变化;综合来说,全球水平上CNRM-CM6-1和HadGEM3-GC31-LL对地表气温LTM的模拟性能最好;多模式平均相比单一模式模拟性能更好;多模式平均与观测结果的偏差以及模式之间的模拟差异显著体现在赤道和沿海区域,这种偏差可能源于模式对海气耦合过程的模拟差异.

Estimating Monthly Surface Air Temperature Using MODIS LST Data and an Artificial Neural Network in the Loess Plateau, China

Air temperature(Ta)datasets with high spatial and temporal resolutions are needed in a wide range of applications,such as hydrology,ecology,agriculture,and climate change studies.Nonetheless,the density of weather station networks is insufficient,especially in sparsely populated regions,greatly limiting the accuracy of estimates of spatially distributed Ta.Due to their continuous spatial coverage,remotely sensed land surface temperature(LST)data provide the possibility of exploring spatial estimates of Ta.However,because of the complex interaction of land and climate,retrieval of Ta from the LST is still far from straightforward.The estimation accuracy varies greatly depending on the model,particularly for maximum Ta.This study estimated monthly average daily minimum temperature(Tmin),average daily maximum temperature(Tmax)and average daily mean temperature(Tmean)over the Loess Plateau in China based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)LST data(MYD11A2)and some auxiliary data using an artificial neural network(ANN)model.The data from 2003 to 2010 were used to train the ANN models,while 2011 to 2012 weather station temperatures were used to test the trained model.The results showed that the nighttime LST and mean LST provide good estimates of Tmin and Tmean,with root mean square errors(RMSEs)of 1.04℃ and 1.01℃,respectively.Moreover,the best RMSE of Tmax estimation was 1.27℃.Compared with the other two published Ta gridded datasets,the produced 1 km×1 km dataset accurately captured both the temporal and spatial patterns of Ta.The RMSE of Tmin estimation was more sensitive to elevation,while that of Tmax was more sensitive to month.Except for land cover type as the input variable,which reduced the RMSE by approximately 0.01℃,the other vegetation-related variables did not improve the performance of the model.The results of this study indicated that ANN,a type of machine learning method,is effective for long-term and large-scale Ta estimation.

Impacts of Land Use and Cover Change on Land Surface Temperature in the Zhujiang Delta

Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies were used to detect land use/cover changes (LUCC) and to assess their impacts on land surface temperature (LST) in the Zhujiang Delta. Multi-temporal Landsat TM and Landsat ETM+ data were employed to identify patterns of LUCC as well as to quantify urban expansion and the associated decrease of vegetation cover. The thermal infrared bands of the data were used to retrieve LST. The results revealed a strong and uneven urban growth,which caused LST to raise 4.56℃in the newly urbanized part of the study area. Overall, remote sensing and GIS technologies were effective approaches for monitoring and analyzing urban growth patterns and evaluating their impacts on LST.

Impact of the Zhalong Wetland on Neighboring Land Surface Temperature Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Wetlands play a key role in regulating local climate as well as reducing impacts caused by climate change. Rapid observations of the land surface temperature(LST) are, therefore, valuable for studying the dynamics of wetland systems. With the development of thermal remote sensing technology, LST retrieval with satellite images is a practicable way to detect a wetland and its neighboring area’s thermal environment from a non-point visual angle rather than the traditional detection from a point visual angle. The mono-windows(MW) method of retrieving LST was validated. On the basis of estimated LST, we used Geographical Information System(GIS) technology to study the impact of wetland reclamation on local temperatures at a regional scale. Following that, correlations between LST and the wetland were analyzed. The results show that: 1) It is feasible to retrieve the LST from Landsat 8 OLI satellite images with MW model. The model was validated with the land surface temperature observed in four meteorological stations when the satellite scanned the study region. The satellite retrieval error was approximately 1.01°C. 2) The relationship between the spatial distribution of land surface temperatures and the Zhalong wetland was analyzed based on GIS technology. The results show that wetland has an obvious influence on LST, and that this influence decreases with increasing distance from the wetland. When the distance from the wetland was less than 500 m, its influence on LST was significant. Results also illustrated that the effect of the wetland’s different land use/land cover’s LST distribution varied with different seasons.

Improvement of Mono-window Algorithm for Retrieving Land Surface Temperature from HJ-1B Satellite Data

The thermal infrared channel (IRS4) of HJ-1B satellite obtains view zenith angles (VZA) up to ±33°. The view angle should be taken into account when retrieving land surface temperature (LST) from IRS4 data. This study aims at improving the mono-window algorithm for retrieving LST from IRS4 data. Based on atmospheric radiative transfer simulations,a model for correcting the VZA effects on atmospheric transmittance is proposed. In addition,a generalized model for calculating the effective mean atmospheric temperature is developed. Validation with the simulated dataset based on standard atmospheric profiles reveals that the improved mono-window algorithm for IRS4 obtains high accuracy for LST retrieval,with the mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) being 1.0 K and 1.1 K,respectively. Numerical experiment with the radiosonde profile acquired in Beijing in winter demonstrates that the improved mono-window algorithm exhibits excellent ability for LST retrieval,with MAE and RMSE being 0.6 K and 0.6 K,respectively. Further application in Qinghai Lake and comparison with the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST product suggest that the improved mono-window algorithm is applicable and feasible in actual conditions.

Estimation of Land Surface Temperature over the Tibetan Plateau Using AVHRR and MODIS Data

Estimation of large-scale land surface temperature from satellite images is of great importance for the study of climate change. This is especially true for the most challenging areas, such as the Tibetan Plateau （TP）. In this paper, two split window algorithms （SWAs）, one for the NOAA’s Advanced Very High Resolu-tion Radiometer （AVHRR）, and the other for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS）, were applied to retrieve land surface temperature （LST） over the TP simultaneously. AVHRR and MODIS data from 17 January, 14 April, 23 July, and 16 October 2003 were selected as the cases for winter, spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Firstly, two key parameters （emissivity and water vapor content） were calculated at the pixel scale. Then, the derived LST was compared with in situ measurements from the Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period （CEOP） Asia-Australia Monsoon Project （CAMP） on the TP （CAMP/Tibet） area. They were in good accordance with each other, with an average percentage error （PE） of 10.5% for AVHRR data and 8.3% for MODIS data, meaning the adopted SWAs were applicable in the TP area. The derived LST also showed a wide range and a clear seasonal difference. The results from AVHRR were also in agreement with MODIS, with the latter usually displaying a higher level of accuracy.

Examining the Relationship Between Spatial Configurations of Urban Impervious Surfaces and Land Surface Temperature

The urban heat island(UHI) effect has significant effects on the quality of life and public health. Numerous studies have addressed the relationship between UHI and the increase in urban impervious surface area(ISA), but few of them have considered the impact of the spatial configuration of ISA on UHI. Land surface temperature(LST) may be affected not only by urban land cover, but also by neighboring land cover. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of the abundance and spatial association of ISAs on LST. Taking Harbin City, China as an example, the impact of ISA spatial association on LST measurements was examined. The abundance of ISAs and the LST measurements were derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM) imagery of 2000 and 2010, and the spatial association patterns of ISAs were calculated using the local Moran’s I index. The impacts of ISA abundance and spatial association on LST were examined using correlation analysis. The results suggested that LST has significant positive associations with both ISA abundance and the Moran’s I index of ISAs, indicating that both the abundance and spatial clustering of ISAs contribute to elevated values of LST. It was also found that LST is positively associated with clustering of high-ISA-percentage areas(i.e.,>50%) and negatively associated with clustering of low-ISA-percentage areas(i.e.,<25%). The results suggest that, in addition to the abundance of ISAs,their spatial association has a significant effect on UHIs.

Impact of land cover change on land surface temperature: A case study of Spiti Valley

Land surface temperature(LST) is the skin temperature of the earth surface. LST depends on the amount of sunlight received by any geographical area. Apart from sun light, LST is also affected by the land cover, which leads to change in land surface temperature. Impact of land cover change(LCC) on LST has been assessed using Landsat TM5, Landsat 8 TIRS/OLI and Digital Elevation Model(ASTER) for Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. In the present study, Spiti valley was divided into three altitudinal zones to check the pattern of changing land cover along different altitudes and LST was calculated for all the four land cover categories extracted from remote sensing data for the years of 1990 and 2015. Matrix table was used as a technique to evaluate the land cover change between two different years. Matrix table shows that as a whole, about 2,151,647 ha(30%) area of Spiti valley experienced change in land cover in the last 25 years. The result also shows vegetation and water bodies increased by 107,560.2 ha(605.87%) and 45 ha(0.98%), respectively. Snow cover and barren land decreased by 19,016.5 ha(23.92%) and 88,589(14.14%), during the study period. A significant increase has been noticed in vegetation amongst all land cover types. Minimum, maximum and mean LST for three altitudinal zones have been calculated. The mean LST recorded was 11℃ in 1990 but it rose by 2℃ and reached to 13℃ in 2015. Changes in LST were obtained for each land cover categories. The mean temperature of different land cover types was calculated by averaging value of all pixels of a given land cover types. The mean LST of vegetation, barren land, snow cover and water body increased by 6℃, 9℃, 1℃, and 7℃, respectively. Further, relationships between LST, Normalized Difference Snow Index(NDSI), and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) were established using Linear Regression.

Spatio-temporal variation and propagation direction of coal fire in Jharia Coalfield,India by satellite-based multi-temporal night-time land surface temperature imaging

In this paper,the spatio-temporal variation and propagation direction of coal fire were studied in the Jharia Coalfield(JCF),India during 2006–2015 through satellite-based night-time land surface temperature(LST)imaging.The LST was retrieved from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer(ASTER)night-time thermal-infrared data by a robust split-window algorithm based on scene-specific regression coefficients,band-specific hybrid emissivity,and night-time atmospheric transmittance.The LST-profile-based coal fire detection algorithm was formulated through statistical analysis of the LST values along multiple transects across diverse coal fire locations in the JCF in order to compute date-specific threshold temperatures for separating thermally-anomalous and background pixels.This algorithm efficiently separates surface fire,subsurface fire,and thermally-anomalous transitional pixels.During the observation period,it was noticed that the coal fire area increased significantly,which resulted from new coal fire at many places owing to extensive opencast-mining operations.It was observed that the fire propagation occurred primarily along the dip direction of the coal seams.At places,lateral-propagation of limited spatial extent was also observed along the strike direction possibly due to spatial continuity of the coal seams along strike.Moreover,the opencast-mining activities carried out during 2009–2015 and the structurally weak planes facilitated the fire propagation.

Spatial and temporal variation of daytime and nighttime MODIS land surface temperature across Nepal

Land surface temperature(LST)is an important variable for assessing climate change and related environmental impacts observed in recent decades.Regular monitoring of LST using satellite sensors such as MODIS has the advantage of global coverage,including topographically complex regions such as Nepal.In order to assess the climatic and environmental changes,daytime and nighttime LST trend analysis from 2000 to 2017 using Terra-MODIS monthly daytime and nighttime LST datasets at seasonal and annual scales over the territory of Nepal was performed.The magnitude of the trend was quantified using ordinary linear regression,while the statistical significance of the trend was identified by the Modified Mann—Kendall test.Our findings suggest that the nighttime LST in Nepal increased more prominently compared to the daytime LST,with more pronounced warming in the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.The annual nighttime LST increased at a rate of 0.05 K yr-1(p<0.01),while the daytime LST change was statistically insignificant.Spatial heterogeneity of the LST and LST change was observed both during the day and the night.The daytime LST remained fairly unchanged in large parts of Nepal,while a nighttime LST rise was dominant all across Nepal in the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.Our results on LST trends and their spatial distribution can facilitate a better understanding of regional climate changes.

Impact of large-scale vegetation restoration project on summer land surface temperature on the Loess Plateau, China

A large-scale afforestation project has been carried out since 1999 in the Loess Plateau of China. However, vegetation-induced changes in land surface temperature (LST) through the changing land surface energy balance have not been well documented. Using satellite measurements, this study quantified the contribution of vegetation restoration to the changes in summer LST and analyzed the effects of different vegetation restoration patterns on LST during both daytime and nighttime. The results show that the average daytime LST decreased by 4.3°C in the vegetation restoration area while the average nighttime LST increased by 1.4°C. The contributions of the vegetation restoration project to the changes in daytime LST and nighttime LST are 58% and 60%, respectively, which are far greater than the impact of climate change. The vegetation restoration pattern of cropland (CR) converting into artificial forest (AF) has a cooling effect during daytime and a warming effect at nighttime, while the conversion of CR to grassland has an opposite effect compared with the conversion of CR to AF. Our results indicate that increasing evapotranspiration caused by the vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau is the controlling factor of daytime LST change, while the nighttime LST change is affected by soil humidity and air humidity.