Land surface temperature and normalized difference vegetation index relationship: a seasonal study on a tropical city

Abstract

Land surface temperature (LST) and its relationship with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are significantly considered in environmental study. The aim of this study was to retrieve the LST of Raipur City of tropical India and to explore its seasonal relationships with NDVI. Landsat images of four specific seasons for three particular years with fourteen years time interval were analyzed. The result showed a gradual rising (3.63 °C during 1991–2004 and 1.54 °C during 2004–2018) of LST during the whole period of study. The mean LST value of three particular years was the lowest (27.21 °C) on green vegetation and the highest (29.81 °C) on bare land and built-up areas. The spatial distribution of NDVI and LST reflects an inverse relationship. The best (− 0.63) and the least (− 0.17) correlation were noticed in the post-monsoon and winter seasons, respectively, whereas a moderate (− 0.45) correlation were found both in the monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons. This LST-NDVI correlation was strong negative (− 0.51) on vegetation surface, moderate positive on water bodies (0.45), and weak positive on the built-up area and bare land (0.14). In summary, the LST is greatly controlled by surface characteristics. This study can be used as a reference for land use and environmental planning in a tropical city.