Land Surface Temperature Estimation from Landsat Thermal Infrared Imagery in Karbala, Iraq

The land surface temperature (LST) of the Earth is one of the most important factors influencing the exchange of energy and moisture between the Earth's surface and atmosphere. Through this, it can describe the distribution of thermal radiation emitted from the Earth's surface spatially and temporally. LST is critical in many areas and for various purposes, including agriculture, environment, and environmental protection. The primary objective of this study is to study the changes in the temperature of the Earth's surface occurring in Karbala, Iraq, with the help of GIS geospatial techniques to estimate the temperature of the Earth's surface for 2013 and 2023. The Landsat 9 and 8 OLI/TIRS images are processed using the software ArcGIS v10.8. The results show an increase in LST values between 2013 and 2023 of about 4 degrees. The analysis of LST maps show that the minimum temperatures exist in the water bodies, while the maximum temperatures are found in the category of built areas.