Sea surface temperature estimation using remotely sensed imagery of Landsat 8 along the coastline of Tangier - Ksar Sghir region

Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materials, Natural Substances and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, AbdelmalekEssaadi University, Tangier, Morocco

^* Corresponding author: ibourouhou@uae.ac.ma

Abstract

Seawater temperature is an extremely important factor as it affects the ecological balance of marines ecosystems, the continental weather, and the earth's atmosphere. However, the pressure on both coastal and marine resources, the use of oceans as a wastes deposit, the increase of urbanization, and anthropogenic activities in coastal zones are all causes of thermal pollution. The degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature constitutes a significant danger in many coastal areas in the world. The region of Tangier-Ksar Sghir overlooking the Mediterranean Sea is experiencing growth of population and increasing urbanization and human activities, in addition to the industrial and touristic activities along the coastline. These activities are the main sources of thermal pollution that have effects on human health and the environment in the region. So, it is very important to examine seawater temperature in order to protect the marine and coastal areas from thermal pollution. In the current study, an approach based on TIRS thermal band data was used to estimate sea surface temperature. The results showed a good correlation between in-situ measurements and the estimated values from Landsat8 images along the coastline of the study area.