Spatial characterization of global heat waves using satellite-based land surface temperature

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2023.103604
• Publication Date: 2023-12-06T22:38:37Z
• Authors: Yonghong Hu; Gensuo Jia; Hao Gao; Yapeng Li; Meiting Hou; Jingyang Li; Chen Miao
• Keywords: Heat wave; Middle latitudes

The warming world greatly suffers the increase of frequency, severity and duration heat wave events, which would cause significant societal environmental damages implications from local to global scales. In order eliminate limitations site observations in accurate spatial extent identification large scale monitoring, this study tried investigate waves 2018 using datasets land surface temperature (LST) derived AQUA TIR sensors. A 15-year daily maximum LST dataset was used identify hot days events relative threshold method based on probability density function analysis sequences, then they were adopted analyzing patterns duration, frequency intensity numbers (HWN), appeared (HWF) amplitude impacts (HWA) indices, respectively. Our results indicated that more longer happened low middle latitudes under warmer than last decade, especially many occurred environmentally fragile regions dense population area. Urban achieved largest HWA by 45.5 ± 6.9℃. Both annual HWF HWN highlighted seven spot influenced waves, most them distributed around latitude 30°N 30°S. Extreme Southern Hemisphere mainly winter spring contrast North summer autumn. Dry climate could contribute occurrence indices variations also implied compound consequences between drought. findings demonstrate remote sensing are capable providing continuous whole-Earth coverage changes, play important roles preventing or mitigating extreme people natural environment.