This paper presents an algorithm for the retrieval of daytime land surface temperature （ LST） from the Terra/MODIS data

which considers the atmospheric radiation effects due to the viewing zenith angle （ VZA） variation. The MODTRAN4 model

875 profiles of TIGR3 database and 106 surface emissivity spectra of the ASTER spectral library were used to obtain the Split-Window Algorithm （ SWA） coefficients. The Root Mean Square Errors （ RMSEs） of LST retrieval using the MODTRAN4 simulation are 0. 34 K. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the algorithm is not sensitive to total column water vapor content （ TCWVC） for the moderately moist atmospheric conditions. In addition

LST retrieval error due to the VZA effect was reduced. Retrieved LSTs have compared with Mao

et al. ’s LST and MOD11

L

2 LST. Surface Radiation （ SURFRAD） budget network measurements have been used for LST validation over six sites during the entire month of June 2009. The RMSE values of LST were 0. 93 K

1. 49K and 1.0K for this new algorithm

Mao

et al. ’s algorithm and MOD11

L

2 LST

while the average biases were-0. 66K

1. 34K and -0.38 K

respectively.