Spatially distributed air temperature data are required for climatological, hydrological and environmental studies. However, high spatial distribution patterns of air temperature are not available from meteorological stations due to its sparse network. The objective of this study was to estimate high spatial resolution minimum air temperature (T min) and maximum air temperature (T max) over the Indo-Gangetic Plain using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and India Meteorological Department (IMD) ground station data. T min was estimated by establishing an empirical relationship between IMD T min and night-time MODIS Land Surface Temperature (T s). While, T max was estimated using the Temperature-Vegetation Index (TVX) approach. The TVX approach is based on the linear relationship between T s and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data where T max is estimated by extrapolating the NDVI-T s regression line to maximum value of NDVI max for effective full vegetation cover. The present study also proposed a methodology to estimate NDVI max using IMD measured T max for the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Comparison of MODIS estimated T min with IMD measured T min showed mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.73 • C and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.2 • C. Analysis in the study for T max estimation showed that calibrated NDVI max performed well, with the MAE of 1.79 • C and RMSE of 2.16 • C.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract