Spatiotemporal Analysis of Land Surface Temperature and Vegetation Changes in Duhok District, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Abstract

The temperature rise has become a serious environmental concern affected by both human and natural factors. Worldwide, rising land surface temperatures have emerged as the most pressing issue facing the twenty-first century. In the last two decades, a curious change was realized in temperature in the Duhok district of Iraq. Hence, this study examined the spatiotemporal land surface temperature distribution and Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI2) and the correlation between them in the Duhok district in three different years 2001, 2011, and 2021 using Landsat satellite images. Air temperature data from seven weather stations were used to validate the land surface temperature results. The study's findings revealed that the Duhok district’s LST has risen during the study period. In general, the average land surface temperature has been increasing at a rate of 0.15 °C per year. Other findings showed that the vegetation cover of the Duhok district has changed dynamically. In all three years of study, the regression analysis results indicated that there was a negative correlation between LST and MSAVI2. This method of evaluation will be useful in guiding future urban management work and local government strategies.