Mapping the Spatial and Temporal Pattern of Day-Night Temperature Difference in Greece from MODIS Imagery

The regional temporal and spatial multi-temporal land surface temperature (LST) MODIS dataset and elevation data are used to compute the day and night temperature variation in Greece in 2008. Clustering was applied and eight cluster centroids captured the temporal pattern of near-diurnal temperature (01:30 a.m. and 01:30 p.m.) variability while elevation statistics were computed per cluster. The spatial distribution of the clusters indicate that mean elevation, elevation variability, proximity to the sea, and the major inland water bodies were the key factors controlling the near-diurnal LST variability in Greece.