Abstract
Environmental changes such as ablation of ice and snow, drying of lakes, deforestation, desertification and urbanization may affect the thermal properties of the land surface, and hence, it affects the land surface temperature (LST). MODIS LST data, make it possible to investigate the variations in the frequency distribution of LST. In this research, 16 years of MODIS\Aqua LST data (2002–2022) have been analyzed using principal component analysis. This study shows that the frequency distribution of LST in Iran depends to a great extent on altitude and then depends on the terrain surface features. Lakes, river systems, sand dunes, deserts, woodlands, forests and metropolitan areas are among the terrain surface features that affect the frequency distribution of LST. Hence, analysis of the frequency distribution of LST may be considered as a tool for identifying the geographical boundaries of these terrain features. Additionally, it could be a robust tool for tracking the changes in the boundaries of such geographical phenomena over time. Frequency analysis of LST in Iran reveals many natural and anthropogenic environmental changes. For example, the analysis shows that the drying out of Zayanderud downstream and Urmia Lake is related to man-made changes in the upstream. The comparison of the interdecadal of LST shows that the frequency of LST has increased in some temperature categories and decreased in some other temperature categories. In general, the frequency shift of LST both during the day and at night has been toward higher temperatures.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig1_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig2_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig3_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig4_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig5_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig6_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig7_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig8_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig9_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig10_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig11_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig12_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig13_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig14_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig15_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig16_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig17_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig18_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig19_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig20_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig21_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig22_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig23_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12524-023-01691-3/MediaObjects/12524_2023_1691_Fig24_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Azizi, G., Alavi Panah, S. K., Goodarzi, N., & Kazemi, M. (2007). An estimation of the temperature of Lut desert using MODIS sensor data. Desert Journal (BIABAN), 12, 7–12. https://doi.org/10.22059/JDESERT.2008.31060
Benali, A., Carvalho, A. C., Nunes, J. P., Carvalhais, N., & Santos, A. (2012). Estimating air surface temperature in Portugal using MODIS LST data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 124, 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2012.04.024
Colombi, A., De Michele, C., Pepe, M., Rampini, A., & Michele, C. D. (2007). Estimation of daily mean air temperature from MODIS LST in Alpine areas. EARSeL eProceedings, 6(1), 38–46. http://www.earsel.org/symposia/2006-symposium-Warsaw/pdf/1220.pdf
Diaz, R. C. (2013). Evaluation of MODIS land products for air temperature estimations in Colombia. Agronomia Colombiana, 31(2), 223–233. http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php%3Fscript=sci_arttext%26pid=S0120-99652013000200012
Guangmeng, G., & Mei, Z. (2004). Using MODIS land surface temperature to evaluate forest fire risk of northeast China. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, 1(2), 98–100. https://doi.org/10.1109/LGRS.2004.826550
Hengl, T., Heuvelink, G. B., Tadić, M. P., & Pebesma, E. J. (2012). Spatio-temporal prediction of daily temperatures using time-series of MODIS LST images. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 107(1–2), 265–277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-011-0464-2
Ignatov, A., & Gutman, G. (1998). Diurnal cycles of land surface temperatures. Advanced Space Research, 22, 641–644. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1177(97)01125-3
Imhoff, M. L., Zhang, P., Wolfe, R. E., & Bounoua, L. (2010). Remote sensing of the urban heat island effect across biomes in the continental USA. Remote Sensing of Environment, 114(3), 504–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2009.10.008
Keikhosravi Kiany, M. S., & Masoodian, S. A. (2017a). Identification of seasonal snow-covered seasons of Iran based on MODIS data. Geography and Environmental Planning, 63(3), 33–48. https://doi.org/10.22108/GEP.2017.98088
Keikhosravi Kiany, M. S., & Masoodian, S. A. (2017b). Exploring the Role of Land Surface Temperature on Distribution of Snow Coverage in Iran by Remote Sensing Data. Geography and Development, 15(49), 189–204. https://doi.org/10.22111/GDIJ.2017.3459
Langer, M., Westermann, S., & Boike, J. (2010). Spatial and temporal variations of summer surface temperatures of wet polygonal tundra in Siberia-implications for MODIS LST based permafrost monitoring. Remote Sensing of Environment, 114(9), 2059–2069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2010.11.018
Liu, Y., Hiyama, T., & Yamaguchi, Y. (2006). Scaling of land surface temperature using satellite data: A case examination on ASTER and MODIS products over a heterogeneous terrain area. Remote Sensing of Environment, 105(2), 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2006.06.012
Masoodian, S. A. (2005). A trend analysis of temperature in Iran. Geographical Research, 38(3), 29–45. https://jrg.ut.ac.ir/article_17768.html
Masoodian, S. A. (2011). The climate of Iran. UK: Sharia Tools Publication.
Masoodian, S. A. (2019). Variations of LST frequency Distribution as an indicator of environmental changes, case study Zayabderood and Urmia basins. Journal of Natural Environmental Hazards, 8(19), 264–275. https://doi.org/10.22111/JNEH.2019.28272.1485
Mildrexler, D. J., Zhao, M., & Running, S. W. (2011). Satellite finds highest land skin temperatures on earth. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 92(7), 855–860. https://doi.org/10.1175/2011BAMS3067.1
Moradi, M., (2016). Climatology of land surface temperature in Iran using MODIS data, Ph.D. Thesis in Physical Geography (Climatology), Department of Physical Geography, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Iran. https://repository.uma.ac.ir/id/eprint/1370
Moradi, M., Salahi, B., & Masoodian, S. A. (2016). Analysis of land surface temperature gradient of Iran using MODIS Terra and Aqua data. Physical Geography Research Quarterly, 48(4), 517–532. https://doi.org/10.22059/JPHGR.2016.60823
Moradi, M., Salahi, B., & Masoodian, S. A. (2018). On the relationship between MODIS land surface temperature and topography in Iran. Physical Geography, 39(4), 354–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723646.2018.1426167
Mostovoy, G. V., King, R., Reddy, K. R., & Kakani, V. G. (2005). Using MODIS LST data for high-resolution estimates of daily air temperature over Mississippi. In Analysis of Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Images, 2005 International Workshop on the (pp. 76–80). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/AMTRSI.2005.1469844
Neteler, M. (2010). Estimating daily land surface temperatures in mountainous environments by reconstructed MODIS LST data. Remote Sensing, 2(1), 333–351. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs1020333
Son, N. T., Chen, C. F., Chen, C. R., Chang, L. Y., & Minh, V. Q. (2012). Monitoring agricultural drought in the Lower Mekong Basin using MODIS NDVI and land surface temperature data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 18, 417–427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2012.03.014
Wan, Z. (2008). New refinements and validation of the MODIS land-surface temperature/emissivity products. Remote Sensing of Environment, 112(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RSE.2006.06.026
Wan, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Q., & liang-Li, Z. (2002). Validation of the land-surface temperature products retrieved from Terra moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 83, 163–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(02)00093-7
Wang, X., & Li, Y. (2016). Predicting urban heat island circulation using CFD. Building and Environment, 99, 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.01.020
Westermann, S., Langer, M., & Boike, J. (2011). Spatial and temporal variations of summer surface temperatures of high-arctic tundra on Svalbard—implications for MODIS LST based permafrost monitoring. Remote Sensing of Environment, 115(3), 908–922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2010.11.018
Zeng, L., Wardlow, B. D., Tadesse, T., Shan, J., Hayes, M. J., Li, D., et al. (2015). Estimation of daily air temperature based on MODIS land surface temperature products over the corn belt in the US. Remote Sensing, 7, 951–970. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs70100951
Zhang, W., Huang, Y., Yu, Y., & Sun, W. (2011). Empirical models for estimating daily maximum, minimum and mean air temperatures with MODIS land surface temperatures. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 32, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2011.560622
Zhou, B., Lauwaet, D., Hooyberghs, H., De Ridder, K., Kropp, J. P., & Rybski, D. (2016). Assessing seasonality in the surface urban heat island of London. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 55(3), 493–505. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-15-0041.1
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
This manuscript is the result of my joint research with my colleague Professor Seyed Abolfazl Massoodian, and there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
About this article
Cite this article
Masoodian, S.A., Montazeri, M. Frequency Distribution Analysis of Land Surface Temperature (LST) over Iran Using Remote Sensing Observations from Aqua MODIS. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 51, 1297–1307 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-023-01691-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-023-01691-3