LAND USE AND LAND COVER DYNAMICS: IMPACTS ON LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE IN SÃO PAULO STATE

Abstract

Land Surface Temperature (LST) is related to several physical processes and impacts significantly on the environment. It is important to highlight that the increase in LST causes adverse effects on the environment and climate. Changing natural coverage negatively impacts human health, ecosystems, energy efficiency and quality of life. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impacts of variations in land use/cover on variations in Land Surface Temperature in São Paulo state (Brazil) over 10 years. Furthermore, it was also intended to look for correlations with LST and spectral indices (NDVI, NDBI, NDWI). It was possible to observe that areas with natural vegetation formation had lower temperatures than urban and sugar cane areas. On the other hand, three of the four main uses, combined with urban areas, stood out with higher average temperatures than the other uses. We highlight that the most abundant use in the state is also the one with the highest soil surface temperatures. Each index has a distinct correlation with temperature, which may indicate that they can be considered to establish models for prediction, filling gaps and even improving LST resolution.