Enhancing the spatial and temporal resolution of satellite-derived land surface temperature in urban environments: A systematic literature review

The urban heat island effect significantly challenges human health, energy consumption, and overall urban living conditions. Accurate land surface temperature (LST) measurement at fine spatial and temporal scales is essential to understand urban thermal dynamics and develop effective mitigation strategies. However, current satellite sensors offer a trade-off between spatial and temporal resolutions. This review critically examines recent techniques for enhancing the resolutions of satellite-derived LST, focusing on urban applications. A comprehensive search was conducted with Scopus and Web of Science databases using keywords related to LST resolution enhancement. After applying criteria to remove irrelevant and duplicate studies, 60 papers were selected for in-depth analysis. Our findings indicate that LST data from polar and geostationary orbit satellite thermal infrared (TIR) sensors are mainly used for resolution enhancements. The identified enhancement methods fall into three categories: spatial, temporal, and combined spatial and temporal approaches. Existing techniques achieve spatial and temporal resolutions, respectively, 10 m and 15 min. High-resolution LST data are valuable for urban planners and policymakers to assess public health risks, energy use, insurance considerations, and emergency response planning. This review provides insights into current LST resolution enhancement methods and their practical implications in addressing urban heat challenges.