Abstract:Under the background of global warming, West Asia has emerged as a prominent hotspot of land surface warming. Observational records reveal significant long-term warming trends in land surface temperature (LST) over this region, accompanied by notable interdecadal variation and substantial interannual variability. Understanding the basic features, drivers and climatic effects of land surface thermal anomalies in West Asia is of great practical significance for addressing climate change chanllenges. This article reviews the recent studies on land surface thermal anomalies in West Asia. Beginning from observational evidence, the article examines the associated atmospheric circulation variations and external forcings, and then further explores the impacts of these thermal anomalies on regional climate, Indian monsoon and climate, large-scale circulation systems and atmospheric teleconnection patterns, and on climate anomalies in China as well. Nevertheless, the complex topography and high spatiotemporal heterogeneity of land surface thermal conditions in West Asia necessitate further investigation. Critical research gaps include identifying the dominant causes of LST anomalies, and the mechanisms of local land-atmosphere interactions. Advancing the understanding of global and regional climate change through the lens of land surface thermal anomalies can strengthen the scientific basis for reliable climate prediction.