Satellite-based thermal analysis of water-induced cooling in Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

The concept “the cooling effect of the water bodies” is one of the effective solutions for reducing heat island effects in urban environments. Previous studies have shown that satellite-derived surface temperature products can be used to monitor the cooling effect of water bodies. This study aims to examine the effect of the artificial water structures/bodies on the Land Surface Temperature (LST) by applying Landsat satellite imagery. The study area includes many artificial water bodies, which were built intensively in İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar province, Türkiye. We used Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 images acquired during summer months between 2004 and 2019. The LST images were obtained using NASA's atmospheric parameter calculator and the Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE) method for Landsat images. Taking the area-based temporal analysis into account, an average decrease of 3.20 °C was detected in surface temperature values between the years 2004 and 2019. Concerning the pond-based LST analysis, a decrease was observed in average LST values of the surrounding land surfaces as the water volume in the reservoir areas of the constructed ponds increased. The obtained results proved the ability of the artificial water bodies to reduce the LST values on a local scale.