Land-surface temperature dynamics in the fringes of north Bhubaneswar, India: an empirical analysis

The urban fringes are experiencing a significant surge in surface temperature during the transition from rural to urban, inducing imperceptible disturbances. The present study analyses the temperature modulations from 2000 to 2022 in Kalarahanga and Raghunath­purjali fringes in North Bhubaneswar to understand the relationship between spatiotemporal changes and land-surface temperature in the fringes. The investigations reveal a consistent decrease in the area under water bodies and crops, with an increase in the built-up area. Besides, there exists an inverse correlation between the area under high and medium temperature with the area under cropland (–0.820) and the area under water bodies (–0.799), and a positive correlation coefficient (0.813) with the built-up area/impervious surfaces. This insists on eco-sensitive planning of the urban fringes with consistent monitoring of land use and thermal dynamics for apt control of the changes in the urban microclimate.