An estimation of the accuracy of the topoclimate range based on the land surface temperature with reference to a case study of the Drawa National Park, Poland

Abstract

AbstractTopoclimate depends on specifically local-scale climatic features caused by the interrelations between topography, water, soil, and land cover. The main purpose of this study is to identify, characterize, and delimit the range of topoclimate types at the Drawa National Park (DPN) and to estimate their accuracy while taking into consideration the thermal conditions of the land surface. Based on a set of digital maps, and with the use of the heat-balance Paszyński method, seven types of topoclimate were distinguished. Next, with the use of Landsat 8 and Terra satellite images, the DPN’s land surface temperature (LST) was calculated. The estimation of LST using the distinguished types of topoclimate allowed for determining their degree of quantity diversification as well as assessing the differences between those types. The obtained LST values indicated statistically significant differences between the medians of LST values for almost all of the distinguished topoclimate types, thereby confirming the suitability of the applied topoclimate determination procedure.