CHAPTER 12

RASTER DATA ANALYSIS

Dr. K V. Kale
Professor
Dept. of Computer Science & Information Technology
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad
Email-kvkale91@rediffmail.com
CHAPTER 12 RASTER DATA ANALYSIS
12.1 Data Analysis Environment
Box 12.1 How to Make an Analysis Mask
12.2 Local Operations
12.2.1 Local Operations with a Single Raster
12.2.2 Reclassification
12.2.3 Local Operations with Multiple Rasters
Box 12.2 Local Operations in ArcGIS
12.2.4 Applications of Local Operations
12.3 Neighborhood Operations
12.3.1 Neighborhood Statistics
Box 12.3 Neighborhood Operations in ArcGIS
12.3.2 Applications of Neighborhood Operations
Box 12.4 More Examples of Neighborhood Operations
12.4 Zonal Operations
12.4.1 Zonal Statistics
Box 12.5 Zonal Operations in ArcGIS
12.4.2 Applications of Zonal Operations
12.5 Physical Distance Measure Operations
12.5.1 Allocation and Direction
Box 12.5 Distance Measure Operations in ArcGIS
12.5.2 Applications of Physical Distance Measure Operations
12.6 Other Raster Data Operations
12.6.1 Raster Data Management
12.6.2 Raster Data Extraction
12.6.3 Raster Data Generalization
12.7 Comparison of Vector- and Raster-Based Data Analysis
12.7.1 Overlay
12.7.2 Buffering
Key Concepts and Terms
Review Questions
Applications: Raster Data Analysis
Task 1: Perform a Local Operation
Task 2: Perform a Combine Operation
Task 3: Perform a Neighborhood Operation
Task 4: Perform a Zonal Operation
Task 5: Measure Physical Distances
Challenge Task
References
 Raster Data Analysis
Raster data analysis is based on cells and rasters.
Raster data analysis can be performed at the level of
individual cells, or groups of cells, or cells within an entire
raster.
Some raster data operations use a single raster; others
use two or more rasters.
Raster data analysis also depends on the type of cell
value (numeric or categorical values).
Raster Analysis Environment
The analysis environment refers to the area for
analysis and the output cell size.
Local Operations: Single Raster

Given a single raster as the input, a local operation computes

each cell value in the output raster as a mathematical function
of the cell value in the input raster.
Figure 12.1
Arithmetic, logarithmic, trigonometric, and power functions for
local operations.
Figure 12.2
A local operation can convert a slope raster from percent (a) to
degrees (b).
Local Operations: Multiple Rasters
A common term for local operations with multiple input rasters is
map algebra, a term that refers to algebraic operations with raster
map layers.
Besides mathematical functions that can be used on individual
rasters, other measures that are based on the cell values or their
frequencies in the input rasters can also be derived and stored on
the output raster of a local operation with multiple rasters.
Figure 12.3
The cell value in (d) is the mean
calculated from three input rasters (a,
b, and c) in a local operation. The
shaded cells have no data.
Figure 12.4
The cell value in (d) is the
majority statistic derived from
three input rasters (a, b, and
c) in a local operation. The
shaded cells have no data.
Figure 12.5
Each cell value in (c) represents a unique combination of cell values in (a)
and (b). The combination codes and their representations are shown in (d).
Neighborhood Operations
A neighborhood operation involves a focal cell and a set of
its surrounding cells. The surrounding cells are chosen for
their distance and/or directional relationship to the focal cell.
Common neighborhoods include rectangles, circles,
annuluses, and wedges.
Figure 12.6
Four common
neighborhood types:
rectangle (a), circle
(b), annulus (c), and
wedge (d). The cell
marked with an x is
the focal cell.
Figure 12.7
The cell values in (b)
are the neighborhood
means of the shaded
cells in (a) using a 3 x 3
neighborhood. For
example, 1.56 in the
output raster is
calculated from (1 +2 +2
+1 +2 +2 +1 +2 +1) / 9.
Figure 12.8
The cell values in (b) are
the neighborhood range
statistics of the shaded
cells in (a) using a 3 x 3
neighborhood. For
example, the upper-left
cell in the output raster
has a cell value of 100,
which is calculated from
(200 – 100).
Figure 12.9
The cell values in (b) are
the neighborhood
majority statistics of the
shaded cells in (a) using
a 3 x 3 neighborhood.
For example, the upper-
left cell in the output
raster has a cell value of
2 because there are five
2s and four 1s in its
neighborhood.
 Zonal Operations
A zonal operation works with groups of cells of same values
or like features. These groups are called zones. Zones may be
contiguous or noncontiguous.
A zonal operation may work with a single raster or two
rasters.
Given a single input raster, zonal operations measure the
geometry of each zone in the raster, such as area, perimeter,
thickness, and centroid.
Given two rasters in a zonal operation, one input raster and
one zonal raster, a zonal operation produces an output raster,
which summarizes the cell values in the input raster for each
zone in the zonal raster.
Figure 12.10
Thickness and centroid for two large watersheds (zones). Area is
measured in square kilometers, and perimeter and thickness are measured
in kilometers. The centroid of each zone is marked with an x.
Figure 12.11
The cell values in (c)
are the zonal means
derived from an input
raster (a) and a zonal
raster (b). For
example, 2.17 is the
mean of {1, 1, 2, 2, 4,
3} for zone 1.
Physical Distance Measure
Operations
The physical distance measures the straight-line or
euclidean distance.
Physical distance measure operations calculate straight-
line distances away from cells designated as the source
cells.
Figure 12.12
A straight-line distance is measured from a cell center to another
cell center. This illustration shows the straight-line distance
between cell (1,1) and cell (3,3).
Figure 12.13
Continuous distance measures from a stream network.
Allocation and Direction
Allocation produces a raster in which the cell value
corresponds to the closest source cell for the cell.
Direction produces a raster in which the cell value
corresponds to the direction in degrees that the cell is
from the closest source cell.
Figure 12.14
Based on the source cells denoted as 1 and 2, (a) shows the physical
distance measures in cell units from each cell to the closest source cell; (b)
shows the allocation of each cell to the closest source cell; and (c) shows
the direction in degrees from each cell to the closest source cell. The cell in
a dark shade (row 3, column 3) has the same distance to both source cells.
Therefore, the cell can be allocated to either source cell. The direction of
2430 is to the source cell 1.
Other Raster Data Operations

1. Operations for raster data management include Clip

and Mosaic.
2. Operations for raster data extraction include use of a
data set, a graphic object, or a query expression to
create a new raster by extracting data from an existing
raster.
3. Operations for raster data generalization include
Aggregate and RegionGroup.
Figure 12.15
An analysis mask (b) is used to clip an input raster (a). The output
raster is (c), which has the same area extent as the analysis mask.
Figure 12.16
A circle, shown in white, is used to extract cell values from the input
raster (a). The output (b) has the same area extent as the input raster
but has no data outside the circular area.
Figure 12.17
An Aggregate operation creates a lower-resolution raster (b) from
the input (a). The operation uses the mean statistic and a factor of 2
(i.e., a cell in b covers 2 x2 cells in a). For example, the cell value of
4 in (b) is the mean of {2, 2, 5, 7} in (a).
Figure 12.18
Each cell in the output (b) has a unique number that identifies the
connected region to which it belongs in the input (a). For example,
the connected region that has the same cell value of 3 in (a) has a
unique number of 4 in (b).
References:
1. Chang, Kang-Tsung. Introduction to geographic information systems.
McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math, 2015.
2. Choudhury, Suchandra. An introduction to geographic information
technology. IK International Pvt Ltd, 2010.
3. An introduction to geographical information systems, Ian Heywood,
Sarah Cornelius, Steve Carver.
4. Remote sensing Digital image Analysis An Introduction,John A.
Richards, XiupingJia.