Automated mapping of snow/ice surface temperature using Landsat-8 data in Beas River basin, India, and validation with wireless sensor network data

In this paper, an automated method for retrieval of snow surface temperature (SST) in Beas River Basin, India, using Landsat-8 thermal data is proposed. Digital number (DN) values of thermal data were converted into Top of Atmospheric (TOA) radiance. Surface radiance has been estimated from TOA radiance using a single channel method. The estimated surface radiance was then converted into SST. Cloud free Landsat-8 data for January and February 2017 has been used to estimate SST. Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) has established a wireless sensor network (WSN) in an avalanche prone slope in Beas River Basin, India. Landsat-8 retrieved SST has been compared and validated with recorded SST at WSN stations. The retrieved SST using proposed algorithm was in good agreement with SST recorded on ground by sensor network. The mean absolute error (MAE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) between estimated and recorded SST has been observed as similar to 1.1 K and similar to 1.5 K for 23 January 2017 and similar to 0.7 and similar to 1.6 K for 24 February 2017. Algorithm has shown a potential for automated mapping of snow and ice surface temperature using Landsat-8 data for snow cover and glaciers in Himalaya.