The Global Land Surface Temperature Change in the 21st Century—A Satellite Remote Sensing Based Assessment

Abstract

Changes in land surface temperature (LST) affect human society and the natural environment, especially for agricultural activities. In recent decades, satellite remote sensing has been used as an alternative approach to ground observation sites for monitoring LST. Prior research has offered broad insights into global and continental-level LST changes, yet these studies have utilized coarse resolutions and have not delved into the intricate spatial and temporal fluctuations. Simultaneously, recognizing the vital significance of LST changes is essential for advancing climate-smart and sustainable agricultural practices. This study utilizes the MODIS product from 2003 to 2021 on the Google Earth Engine to assess the LST change for the entire Earth's land surface. The study quantified the LST changes for the past 19 years at 1-km spatial resolution. We found that the global mean LST has increased by 0.38 °C from 2003 to 2021, and is mainly concentrated on high latitude regions, potentially boosting agriculture activities in these regions. The result also shows that the urban areas are experiencing a rapid LST increase, at a rate of 18% faster than the global average. The outcomes of this study offer invaluable insights, serving as a crucial compass for informed farming decision-making and climate-smart agro-geoinformation studies.

Keywords

• Climate change
• land surface temperature (LST)
• MODIS