Surface Urban Heat Island Assessment of a Cold Desert City: A Case Study over the Isfahan Metropolitan Area of Iran

This study investigates the diurnal, seasonal, monthly and temporal variation of land surface temperature (LST) and surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII) over the Isfahan metropolitan area, Iran, during 2003–2019 using MODIS data. It also examines the driving factors of SUHII like cropland, built-up areas (BI), the urban–rural difference in enhanced vegetation index (ΔEVI), evapotranspiration (ΔET), and white sky albedo (ΔWSA). The results reveal the presence of urban cool islands during the daytime and urban heat islands at night. The maximum SUHII was observed at 22:30 p.m., while the minimum was at 10:30 a.m. The summer months (June to September) show higher SUHII compared to the winter months (February to May). The daytime SUHII demonstrates a robust positive correlation with cropland and ΔWSA, and a negative correlation with ΔET, ΔEVI, and BI. The nighttime SUHII displays a negative correlation with ΔET and ΔEVI.