Chapter 5-

Raster Geoprocessing
Prochnow’s GIS
 Geoprocessing
►A collection of spatial analysis
functions.

► GIStools and processes of creating

and modifying geospatial data using
operations that have one or more
parameters.

► Geoprocessing is central to GIS

because it turns geospatial data into
useful spatial information and
 Geoprocessing
► Conventionally,raster and vector
geospatial data are processed
separately

► Raster
data more often used in spatio-
temporal modeling in environmental
apps.

► Vector
data used primarily for digital
mapping and resource inventories.
 Special Features of Raster
Geospatial Data
► Rasterdata organized into bands, themes,
or layers.

► Raster does not realize discrete features.

► Raster
data sets come in different image
depths (per grid cell).
 One Bit: black and white (0 and 1 only)
 Eight Bits: 256 levels of gray
 True Color: 256 possible values for blue, green
and red each.
Figure 5.1
What is the image depth?
 Raster Formats
► Different methods of compression

► Different data sources

► Designed to work with different

softwares.
 Generic Raster File Formats
► Simplest Format

► Closest to conceptual raster data

format.

► Includes ASCII and IEEE formats, which

just use text files to store data

► Can be used by all raster platforms

 Raster Data Interchange
Format
► Facilitates sharing of raster data.

► Includes
TIFF, GEOTIFF and the USGS
SDTS (which allows for storage with
metadata).
 Raster Data Compression
Formats
► Lesscomputer memory (bandwidth)
required.

► Useswavelet algorithms to decompose

rasters.

► Includes GIF, JPEG, and MrSID

► Have compression ratios, like 5:1, 10:1, and

50:1, respectfully.
Remote Sensing Image Formats
► Landsat MSS, Landsat TM, and SPOT images are
stored using one of three binary formats.
 Band Sequential: Each image band is kept as a separate
file.
 Band Interleaved by Line: pixels of each band are recorded
band by band or each line or row of the image.
 Band Interleaved by Pixel: places all the different bands
from a single pixel together.

► Only band sequential usable by GIS and data

compression techniques.

► All formats for a georeferencing header built in.

Figure 5.2
 Proprietary Raster Geospatial
Data Formats
► Think of ArcGIS GRID format

► Has an associated value attribute table

(VAT). His enables the use of a
database management system to
manipulate cell values and to relate
the cells to other attributes pertaining
to them.
Figure 5.3
 Raster Geoprocessing and
Digital Image Analysis
► RaterProcessing in GIS Differs from Remote
Sensing Image Analysis

► GISRaster Processing focuses on the

Management and Analysis of Geospatial
Data, rather than on the Interpretation of
the Images.
 Determine Spatial Relationships
 Generate New Data Layers
 Develop Models for Spatial Problem Solving
 Advantages and Limitations of
Raster GeoProcessing
► Effective Representation Of Continuous
Surfaces

► Fast Computer Processing

 Rasters All Have A Common Framework
 No Need To Calculate Geometric Intersection,
Topological Building, And Error Checking That
Are Needed By Vector Overlays.

► Fast Display Of Surface Data

 No Need For Shading Routines
 Can Build “Pyramids” With Raster.
► Ability to Handle Very Large Databases

► Applicationsthat are difficult or

impossible to perform using vector
data.
 Hydrologic Modeling
 Wildfires
 Pollution Dispersion
 The Downside of Raster
Geoprocessing
► Network Analysis Impossible

► Notenough precision for land

surveying

► NotGood for Projects that Rely on

Linear Boundaries.