Retrieving spatial variations of land surface temperatures from satellite data - Cairo region, Egypt

Cairo region is characterized by a range of physiographic features, including: flat agricultural lands, bare sandy deserts, highlands, calcareous terrains and urban land use. A time series data-set (300 images) acquired from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer for the period July 2002-June 2015 were utilized to retrieve the spatial variations in the mean land surface temperature (LST) for the above-mentioned surface features. Results showed that vegetation, topography and surface albedo have negative correlations with LST. Vegetation/LST correlation has the maximum regression coefficient (R-2 = 0.68) and albedo/LST has the minimum (R-2 = 0.03). Cultivated lands reveal the lowest mean LST (< 32 degrees C), whereas industrial lands exhibit the highest LST (> 40 degrees C) of Cairo region. There is a considerable urban heat island formed at Helwan south of Cairo, where heavy industries are settled. Industrial activities raised the mean LST of the region by at least 4 degrees C than the surrounding urban lands.