Probing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the day and night land surface temperatures using MODIS data over Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states of India

Abstract This work mainly aimed at understanding the actual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Land Surface Temperature (LST) in terms of daytime LST (DLST) and nighttime LST (NLST). MODIS (MOD11A2) derived images from 2017 through 2022, excluding December, were used in this study. GIS maps were prepared and interpreted to know LST fluctuations along with the directions to yield better insights. Time series plots were presented to know the LST fluctuations across the time frame, i.e., 2017 to 2022. The pre-COVID and post-COVID (including COVID) period is considered in this study without using data earlier than 2017 to avoid the noise that might be generated. The correlation analysis was done, and it is observed that daytime LST during the COVID period (2020 and 2021) has witnessed DLST close to the years 2017 (0.93 and 0.92) and 2019 (0.95), and night time LST close to the year 2017 (0.93). This work supports the notion that the COVID pandemic has lowered LST overall and highlights that the actual effect is minimal in the study area.