Abstract
Land Surface Temperature (LST) is an important variable within global climate change. With the appearance of remote sensing techniques and advanced GIS software, it is now possible to estimate LST. In this study, the effect of lockdown during COVID-19 on the LST was assessed using Landsat 8 Imagery. LST dynamic was investigated for three different periods: Before, during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The study was conducted in Casablanca City. The results showed that during the emergence of COVID-19 with lockdown policy applied, the LST decreases remarkably compared to the previous 4-years’ average LST. After the easing of restrictions, the LST increased to exceed the previous 4-year mean LST. Furthermore, throughout all studied periods, the LST recorded its higher values in industrial zones and areas with high urban density and urban transportation, which indicates the conspicuous impact of anthropogenic activities on the LST variation. These findings indicate an ability to assess the feasibility of planned lockdowns intended as a potential preventive mechanism to reduce LST peaks and the loss of air quality in metropolitan environments in the future.
Highlights
The 2019 novel coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, is one of the ma‐ jor pathogens that primarily targets the human respiratory system [1]
The results showed that during the emergence of COVID-19 with lock‐ down policy applied, the Land Surface Temperature (LST) decreases remarkably compared to the previ‐ ous 4-years’ average LST
The results show that the average LST of the past four years has the same trend as the LST of 2020 for the same time frame representing before the emergence of COVID-19 in Casablanca
Summary
The 2019 novel coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, is one of the ma‐ jor pathogens that primarily targets the human respiratory system [1]. COVID-19 was first reported in the Huanan seafood market in the city of Wuhan, China, late December 2019 [2]. Many of the initial 41 cases reported exposure to seafood and live animals in the Huanan Seafood Market [3]. The zoonotic origin of SARS-CoV-2 is not yet confirmed [4]. Human‐to‐human transmission was confirmed and quickly spread globally. The disease is being exported to a growing number of countries and has caused an increasing number of deaths around the world [6]. Despite efforts to limit its spread, COVID-19 cases had increased drastically in many countries. According to the last report published by the WHO, a total of 4,287,981,729,406 confirmed cases have been recorded around the world, including 1,022,397 deaths [8]
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