Estimation and analysis of land surface temperature of Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, by using remote sensing and GIS technologies

Land surface temperature (LST) is one of the key parameter used for analyzing the heat energy balance and thermal flux of land surfaces. It is also useful for making urban heat transfer models, water resource management, climate change modeling, and environmental studies. This study is to find the surface temperature of Jubail Industrial City, which is one of the biggest industrial areas in the world. The study also aims to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of LST of the city. Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Remote Sensor (TIRS) data has been used for this study and the surface temperature has been estimated by using single-channel (SC) method. The study reveals that the surface temperature is relatively low and ranging from 20 to 30 °C in January. However, the industrial area and some parts of the residential area have more temperature than the rest of the city. During the month of March, the temperature increases gradually and reaches high in June. During the summer, the surface temperature in the residential area of the city is around 40–50 °C. The temperature in the sub urban areas is moderate; however, high temperature (50–55 °C) has been recorded in the industrial area of the city. Significant heat islands of temperature more than 60 °C have also been noted near the iron and steel factories of the industrial area. In the month of September, the land surface temperature in most part of the city is lower than that of peak summer.