CONTRIBUTION INDEX OF LAND COVER AND LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN UPPER HILL NAIROBI, KENYA

Abstract. Urban heat island is the difference in thermal temperature between rural and urban areas. The urbanization process alters the material type with impervious surfaces being absorbers of incoming radiation during the day and emitting it at night. The research involved the use of time-series satellite imagery from Sentinel, Landsat, ASTER and MODIS for the period 1986, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2015 and 2017 over the Upper Hill, Nairobi. Morning, afternoon and night land surface temperatures (LST) were calculated for each of these years and analyzed together with the land cover. The mean albedo was calculated to determine the relationship between each land cover and mean LST. The contribution index was calculated to determine whether a land contributed positively or negatively to the mean LST in Upper Hill. Results indicated that built-up land cover had increased from 1986 to 2017 by 0.86% per annum while forest land cover had decreased by 0.99% per annum. Sparse grassland had higher albedo and LST values of 0.81 and 27.9 °C respectively, whereas water had lower albedo and LST values of 0.09 and 25.1 °C. Water had the lowest mean LST during the day but highest mean LST in the afternoon and night in each of the years due to its high thermal capacity. Bare ground tends to have a higher contribution index compared to other land covers, while forest land cover has a negative contribution index, indicating the impact land cover types have on LST and the urban heat island effect.