Warming inland water in peninsular Spain revealed by landsat 5 analysis

Abstract

Lakes and reservoirs provide habitat for a wide range of species and are essential components of numerous ecosystems. In Spain, these water bodies are particularly important and sensitive, so studying the impact of climate change critical for their long-term management and maintenance. This study aims to identify warming trends in these water bodies and determine whether they vary by season or geographical location by processing time series data of surface temperatures from Landsat 5 images to identify changes in the surface temperature of lakes and reservoirs between 1994 and 2011. This analysis revealed that 87% of water bodies exhibit a warming trend, with an average increase in water surface temperature of +0.037 °C per year. The Ebro and Guadalquivir depressions exhibited the highest temperature increases. However, temperature changes vary across the peninsula, generally associated with air surface temperatures, and are influenced by altitude in the mountain areas and Atlantic winds in the west depressions. The trends indicate a seasonal pattern: in summer, the number of water bodies with high temperatures increases, while in autumn there are more lakes and reservoirs with intermediate temperatures. In winter and spring, the number of water bodies with low temperatures decreases and they are located further north. The influence of factors such as climate and local conditions should be investigated to better understand the warming of these water bodies.