Correlation between LST, NDVI and NDBI with reference to Urban Sprawling – A Case Study of Shimla city

Abstract

The present study aims to explain the impacts of urban expansion on land surface temperature and vegetation of Shimla city using integrated techniques of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). Remote sensing technique often analyses the thermal characteristics of any area. This study monitors the interrelationship of land surface temperature (LST) with two spectral indices (normalized difference vegetation index and normalized difference built-up index) in Shimla City of India using Landsat 8 satellite for summer season for the period 2014 to 2023. There is a synergetic relationship between urban expansion and LST. The result showed a linear correlation between increasing the built-up area and the higher Land Surface Temperature values while lower Land Surface Temperature was associated with vegetation cover which means that the there was a positive relationship between the normalized difference built-up index values and the Land Surface Temperature while the relation between the normalized difference vegetation index and Land Surface Temperature was inverse. These results provide an insight into the systematic planning of the urban environment in the study.