Retrieval of land surface temperature, normalized difference moisture index, normalized difference water index of the Ravi basin using Landsat data

Land surface temperature (LST) is an important parameter for the biosphere, cryosphere, and climate change studies. In this study, we estimate LST, NDMI, and NDWI over the Ravi basin, India, and parts of Pakistan, using Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) data. The study develops an ERDAS IMAGINE image processing method by using the LANDSAT 8 band 3(Green), band 4(Red), band 5(NIR), band 6(SWIR 1), and band 10 (TIR) data for determining the various spectral indices. The LST results show that most of the areas experienced extreme anomalies ranging from-350Cand 36 degrees C. The normalized difference moisture index (NDMI) value ranges from 0.685 to - 0.154. The normalized difference water index (NDWI) value ranges from 0.146 to - 0.444. Further, the LST result validated with in situ temperature observations at six locations in the study area, providing excellent correlation.