"Relationship Between Land Surface Temperature and Imperviousness Density in The Urban Area of Iasi. "

Abstract

This study aims to quantify the relationship between Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Imperviousness Density (IMD) in Iași. This was done through linear regression analysis which involves quantifying the relationship between one independent variable (explanatory, predictor) and one dependent variable (response). Thus, in our study, the dependent variable is represented by the LST product obtained through MODIS sensors in the period 2014-2018, while the independent variable is represented by IMD. The coefficient of determination (R2) obtained, higher than 0.5 for most of the year, indicates a statistically significant relationship between LST and IMD. The highest values of R2 are identified during the day spring and summer seasons. Thus, 70% and respectively 80% of the spatial variation of LST is explained by the distribution of IMD during these two seasons and the regression coefficients indicate, on the one hand, that the relationship between the two variables is a direct one (LST values increase at the same time with IMD values), and on the other hand, that the increase of LST corresponds to a gradient between 0.3-0.6 oC per 10% IMD. During the day, the lowest values of R2 appear in autumn and winter seasons, as a result of the local topography that facilitates the frequency of thermal inversions in this period of the year. On the other hand, during the night, R2 has values between 0.40 and 0.60, with the lowest values in the autumn season and the highest in the spring season, respectively.