Digital Quest, Inc.

Course at a glance:
This course directs you through five types of applications in Surface Analysis using the ArcGIS Spatial Analyst software extension. This course focuses on the various methods and uses of displaying continuous, or grid, data over a surface. You will be able to map data such as elevation, rainfall and temperature – data that differs from one location to the next on the surface of the earth with the skills you acquire from this course. The five types of analyses that you will be using in this course are: mapping distance, density, interpolation, surface analysis, and statistics. This course will conclude with a short project where you will use the skills you have acquired to perform surface analysis tasks to your local area.

Mapping Distance…: Calculate straight line and cost weighted distance to a feature or features in a source data layer; Assign allocation of cells and direction of cells on a grid to feature or features in a source data layer

Density…: Identify different distance density calculation techniques; Calculate density using both the kernel and simple calculation techniques

Interpolation…: Identify different surface interpolation methods; Create a surface from a set of features using the Inverse Distance Weighted, Spline and Kriging interpolation techniques

Surface Analysis…: Identify different surface analysis methods; Create elevation contour data from an elevation raster; Calculate and display slope derived from an elevation raster; Determine and display aspect from an elevation raster; Create a hillshade surface from an elevation raster; Calculate the viewshed of a surface to determine visible objects; Calculate the cut/fill of a surface to estimate volume changes

Statistics…: Identify different statistical methods in raster analysis; Calculate Cell Statistics using temporal raster grid data; Calculate Neighborhood Statistics and Zonal Statistics using raster grid data

During the course you will also learn….

Activating Data Frames
Adding Grid Layers
Adding Shapefiles
Adjusting Transparency
Analyzing City Land Use
Analyzing Cut/Fill
Analyzing Precipitation Data
Analyzing Viewshed
Building Queries using Raster Calculator
Calculating Zonal Statistics
Computing Neighborhood Statistics
Converting DEMS to Raster Grids
Converting Features to Raster
Copying Layers into Dataframes
Creating Allocation
Creating Contours
Determing Status of Layers
Determining Cost Weighted distances
Determining Straight Line distances
Displaying Hillshade
Editing Coordinate Systems
Exporting a Data Layer
Generating Slope
Identifying Aspect
Inserting Data Frames
Interpolating by IDW
Interpolating by Kriging
Interpolating by Spline
Launching ArcGIS Programs
Making Grids permanent
Making Layers Permanent
Performing distance analysis
Performing Kernel Density Analysis
Performing Simple Density Analysis
Reclassifying slope data
Removing Layers
Renaming Data Frames
Renaming Layers
Saving Data Layers
Saving Map Documents
Saving Output rasters
Selecting Features
Setting Selectable Layers
Setting the Extent of the analysis
Setting the Slope of a Terrain
Toggling between Data Frames
Using the Identify Tool
Using the Select Features Tool

Why is this topic important?
Spatial Analyst is used in many common careers. Spatial Analyst takes into consideration the various contours of the earth when making its calculations. For example, in telecommunications it is important to finding the area covered by a cell phone tower. In real estate it is used in finding the best site for your business, home or garden. In law enforcement it is used to find the prime locations for a stakeout. In meteorology it is used to determine where the most precipitation has fallen within a certain time frame. Virtually every business can benefit from the use of Spatial Analyst.

Table of Contents:

Unit 2: Applications in Spatial Analyst

Lesson 1 Mapping Distance
Lesson Objectives

Identify terminology pertaining to surface analysis
Identify different distance mapping techniques
Calculate straight line distance to a feature or features in a source data layer
Calculate cost weighted distance to a feature or features in a source data layer
Assign allocation of cells on a grid to features in a source data layer
Assign direction of cells on a grid to a feature or features in a source data layer

Lesson & Enrichment Exercises: Mapping Distance

Load the Spatial Analyst extension program
Compare regular distance measurements to distance analysis using Spatial Analyst
Perform a straight line distance calculation
Explore a direction grid created from a Spatial Analyst distance analysis calculation
Create a cost raster to be used for a cost-weighted distance calculation
Perform a cost-weighted distance calculation (multiple source features)
Reclassify values in a grid data layer
Explore an allocation grid created from a Spatial Analyst distance analysis calculation
Perform a cost-weighted distance calculation (single source feature)
Find the shortest path from one location to another costs represented in a surface grid

Lesson 2 Mapping Density
Lesson Objectives

Identify terminology pertaining to surface analysis
Identify different distance density calculation techniques
Calculate density using kernal calculation technique
Calculate density using simple calculation technique

Lesson & Enrichment Exercises: Mapping Density

Explore different density calculation techniques
Perform a simple density calculation on US cities using population values
Perform a kernal density calculation on US cities using population values
Perform a density calculation to show the density of features contained in a geographic area

Lesson 3 Interpolating Surfaces
Lesson Objectives

Identify terminology pertaining to surface analysis
Identify different surface interpolation methods
Create a surface from a set of features using the Inverse Distance Weighted interpolation technique
Create a surface from a set of features using the Spline interpolation technique
Create a surface from a set of features using the Kriging interpolation technique

Lesson & Enrichment Exercises: Interpolating Surfaces

Perform an Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation on elevation point data to create an elevation surface for an entire geographic area.
Perform Spline interpolation on elevation point data to create an elevation surface for an entire geographic area.
Perform Kriging interpolation on elevation point data to create an elevation surface for an entire geographic area.
Compare interpolation methods based on analysis results

Lesson 4 Surface Analysis Methods
Lesson Objectives

Identify terminology pertaining to surface analysis
Identify different surface analysis methods
Create elevation contour data from an elevation raster
Calculate and display slope derived from an elevation raster
Determine and display aspect derived from an elevation raster
Create a hillshade surface from an elevation raster
Calculate the viewshed of a surface to determine visible objects
Calculate the cut/fill of a surface to estimate volume changes

Lesson & Enrichment Exercises: Surface Analysis

Create elevation contours (vector data) from a raster elevation grid
Perform a slope calculation using an elevation grid data layer
Create an aspect surface data layer using an elevation grid data layer
Create a three-dimensional effect to elevation data using the Hillshade technique
Create a viewshed surface data layer to identify areas in a geographic area that can and can t be seen from an observation point
Determine areas of increased and decreased surface volume using time-lapsed elevation grids

Lesson 5 Raster Statistics
Lesson Objectives

Identify terminology pertaining to surface analysis
Identify different statistical methods in raster analysis
Calculate Cell Statistics using temporal raster grid data
Calculate Neighborhood Statistics using raster grid data
Calculate Zonal Statistics using raster grid data

Lesson & Enrichment Exercises: Raster Statistics

Analyze precipitation changes using Cell Statistics methods in Spatial Analyst
Analyze diversity of land use in a geographic area using Neighborhood Statistics methods in Spatial Analyst
Analyze relationships that exist between slope and land use using Zonal Statistics methods in Spatial Analyst

Lesson 6 Using the Map Calculator
Lesson Objectives

Identify terminology pertaining to surface analysis
Use the Raster Calculator to build queries using local data
Use analysis masks and analysis extents to clip data to an irregular boundary
Use queries to analyze geographic data to explore environmental issues

Lesson & Enrichment Exercises: Using the Map Calculator

Clip a county land use data layer to a city boundary to create a city land use data layer
Identify areas of an elevation grid that represent areas of low elevation in the community
Isolate areas of specific land use in the community that could be considered sensitive
Perform a raster calculation to find all areas of low elevation or sensitive land use that exist in a community

Who could use this knowledge?

Who are the direct stakeholders?

Skills we assume you have before you take this class:

You must know ArcGIS 9.1, have basic computer skills, including a working knowledge of an office suite (such as PowerPoint, Word Docs, and Spread Sheets) and experience with the Internet.

Software you will need:

ArcGIS 9.1 with Spatial Analyst extension, an office suite (such as PowerPoint, Word Docs, and Spread Sheets) and an Internet browser.

Hardware you will need:

A networked computer lab with a 1:1 ratio of students to computers, which meets the following minimum specifications: Pentium-III, Celeron, Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon running at 1ghz or equivalent, at least 1GB of RAM memory, Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional, a network server providing at least 500MB of storage per student, and appropriate read/write permissions for both the server and workstations. You will also need Internet access and a suitable means of displaying PowerPoint presentations (LCD projector, large monitor, plasma screen, etc.). You will also need a GPS unit.

Teacher Support…

Detailed, thorough student documentation, Full lesson plans including objectives, materials needed, procedures and assessments, PowerPoint presentations with narratives, Customized assessment and answer keys based on local data

What Data will you use…

Filename Type Description
cfcc dbf Census Feature Class Codes

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