Spatial Variability of Soil Temperature in an Unreclaimed Mining Area in Ghana: Implications for Environmental Monitoring and Reclamation Efforts

Abstract Unreclaimed surface mining sites pose serious environmental challenges, characterized by persistent soil degradation and disrupted land surface thermal properties. While mining-related impacts on biochemistry are well documented, the spatial variability of soil temperature (ST) in these anthropogenic landscapes remains a critical knowledge gap. This study investigates ST dynamics at an abandoned mining site in the Talensi District, Ghana, by integrating high-precision in-situ surveys with drone-acquired multispectral imagery. Using both univariable and multivariable linear regression, we modeled the biophysical drivers of ST across a degraded dryland catena. Our univariable analysis revealed that bare land significantly increases ST by 0.753°C (p < 0.01, R² = 0.152), whereas closed shrub vegetation provides a vital cooling effect of 0.734°C (R² = 0.106). Multivariable modeling further demonstrated that open and closed shrubs reduce ST by -1.068°C and − 1.091°C, respectively, while unit increases in elevation and slope contribute to thermal reductions of -0.129°C and − 0.223°C. Collectively, vegetation and terrain variables accounted for 36.7% of the thermal variance (Adjusted R² = 0.367, p < 0.01). These results provide a robust empirical framework for evidence-based reclamation, highlighting that strategic re-vegetation is essential for mitigating thermal pollution and facilitating ecosystem restoration in mining-disturbed arid environments.