A study to investigate the impact of aerosol loading on Land surface Temperature.

Abstract

Aerosol optical thickness (AOT) is an important statistic used to communicate air quality in the atmosphere and the environment at large. When estimating LST by contrast reduction, Aerosol loading is an independent variable known to affect the results. Therefore, this study is set out to assess how aerosols affect the land surface temperature. During the study, aerosol distribution mapping was done to determine AOT at different study epochs. Land surface temperature mapping was then also done to determine how land surface temperatures vary at different study epochs. Landsat images (Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI) from 1987 to 2019 were used in carrying out the analysis. AOT distribution maps were derived by use of the CHRISTINE code (Code for High Resolution Satellite Mapping of Optical Thickness and Angstrom Exponent). Results derived indicated that aerosols increased steadily from the year 1995 in positive direction to the year 2019. Land Surface Temperature maps were also derived using the Landsat images as mentioned above and the results by average showed a tremendous increase from the year 1995 to the year 2019.According to the obtained and analysed results, it clearly indicated that land surface temperature values rise as a stimulation from the rising aerosol loading rates all factors kept constant