Comparing Coarse-Resolution Land Surface Temperature Products over Western Australia

Satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) has commonly been used to monitor global temperature changes. The MODIS MYD11A2 product is the most common coarse-resolution product used for this purpose. An updated MODIS product (MYD21A2) and new VIIRS (VNP21A2) product have also recently become available. This study analyses eight-day, quality-controlled, LST imagery over Western Australia (WA) for the three products for an urban and a non-urban area for the years 2013, 2016, and 2019. An analysis of the data indicates that (i) the averaged daytime LST difference between the three products for Perth city over the three years was 1.32 degrees C, while at night it was 0.89 degrees C; (ii) the averaged daytime difference over the Kimberley region was 7.02 degrees C with a night average difference of 2.39 degrees C; and (iii) both the MYD21A2 and VNP21A2 products still appear to record anomalous monthly LST values, particularly in the humid Kimberley monsoonal months. The overall objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to ensure that the LST values of the two satellite system products are comparable, so evidence of LST value differences will require further investigation, especially if the older product is to be replaced by the newer systems.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the differences in land surface temperature (LST) of three different products in urban and non-urban areas of Western Australia. The results show that there are significant differences in LST between the products, particularly in Perth city and the Kimberley region. It is important to further investigate these differences, especially if the older product is to be replaced by the newer systems.