Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery

Land Surface Temperature (LST) is an important variable within the Earth climate system. It describes processes such as the exchange of energy and water between the land surface and atmosphere, and influences the rate and timing of plant growth.

Accurately understanding LST at the global and regional level helps to evaluate land surface–atmosphere exchange processes in models and, when combined with other physical properties such as vegetation and soil moisture, provides a valuable metric of surface state.

LST also provides independent temperature data to complement in situ measurements and reanalysis associated with near-surface air temperature – a fundamental target outlined in the UNFCCC Paris agreement.

Example of crucial information about LST provided by Sentinel 3 satellites during heatwave 2026 over Belgium:

Urban heat island effect in Brussels, Belgium, during the late June 2026 heatwave