Dynamics of the surface thermal landscape (STL) in northern slope of central Tianshan mountains, Xinjiang, NW China from 2000 to 2018.

Abstract

Using the 2000-2018 MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) data and taking 11 cities (counties) in the northern slope of the central Tianshan Mountains in northwestern China as the study area, the spatial-temporal characteristics, landscape indices, centroid, and geo-information Tupu (carto-methodology in geo-information, CMGI) of surface thermal landscape (STL) were analyzed, and the paper draws the following results: (1) There are great differences in the diurnal and seasonal STL. The higher thermal levels are distributed more northerly in spring, summer, and autumn, and more southerly in winter. (2) In terms of class type level and landscape level, different landscape indices show different characteristics in diurnal and seasonal thermal landscapes. (3) Centroids at different thermal levels during the daytime are more dispersed than at nighttime in spring and summer, while the opposite is found in autumn. In winter, centroids of different thermal levels are concentrated in the southern and central-southern regions. During the period of 2000-2018, centroids of different thermal levels tend to move with the varying of STL. (4) The whole STL in same seasons changed little, transition usually happens between adjacent thermal levels. Overall, compared with the eastern monsoon area, there are similarities and differences in the characteristics of the STL.