CHAPTER 4 RASTER DATA MODEL

4.1 Elements of the Raster Data Model

4.1.1 Cell Value
4.1.2 Cell Size
Box 4.1 Rules in Determining a Categorical Cell Value
4.1.3 Raster Bands
4.1.4 Spatial Reference
4.2 Types of Raster Data
4.2.1 Satellite Imagery
4.2.2 USGS Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)
Box 4.2 No-Data Slivers in 7.5-minute DEM
4.2.3 Non–USGS DEMs
4.2.4 Global DEMs
4.2.5 Digital Orthophotos
4.2.6 Bi-Level Scanned Files
4.2.7 Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs)
4.2.8 Graphic Files
4.2.9 GIS Software-Specific Raster Data

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4.3 Raster Data Structure

4.3.1 Cell-by-Cell Encoding
4.3.2 Run Length Encoding
4.3.3 Quad Tree
4.3.4 Header File
Box 4.3 A Header File Example
4.4 Raster Data Compression
Box 4.4 A Simple Wavelet Example: The Haar Wavelet
4.5 Data Conversion and Integration
4.5.1 Rasterization
4.5.2 Vectorization
4.5.3 Integration of Raster and Vector Data
Box 4.5 Linking Vector Data with Images
Box 4.6 Digital Earth
Key Concepts and Terms
Review Questions
Applications: Raster Data Model
Task 1: View USGS DEM Data
Task 2: View a Satellite Image in ArcMap
Task 3: Convert Vector Data to Raster Data
Challenge Question
References

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 Raster Data Model
zA raster represents a continuous surface, but for data
storage and analysis, a raster is divided into rows,
columns, and cells.
zRaster data represent points by single cells, lines by
sequences of neighboring cells, and areas by
collections of contiguous cells.

Figure 4.1
A continuous elevation raster with darker shades for
higher elevations.

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 Figure 4.2
Representation of point, line,
and area features: raster
format on the left and vector
format on the right.

Elements of Raster Data Model

1. Cell value. Each cell in a raster carries a value, which
represents the characteristic of a spatial phenomenon at
the location denoted by its row and column. The cell
value can be integer or floating-point.
2. Cell size. The cell size determines the resolution of the
raster data model.
3. Raster bands. A raster may have a single band or
multiple bands.
4. Spatial reference. Raster data must have the spatial
reference information so that they can align spatially with
other data sets in a GIS.

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 Figure 4.3
UTM coordinates for the extent and the center of a 30-meter cell.

Figure 4.4
DEMs at three resolutions: 30 meters, 10 meters, and 3 meters. The
30-m and 10-m DEMs are USGS DEMs. The 3-m DEM is a derived
product from LIDAR data.

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Types of Raster Data
1. Satellite Imagery
2. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)
3. Digital Orthophotos (DOQ)
4. Bi-Level Scanned Files
5. Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs)
6. Graphic Files
7. GIS Software-Specific Raster Data

Figure 4.5
USGS 1-meter black-and-white DOQ for Sun Valley,
Idaho.

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 Figure 4.6
A bi-level scanned file showing soil lines.

Figure 4.7
USGS DRG for Sun Valley, Idaho. This DRG is outdated
compared to the DOQ in Figure 4.5.

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Raster Data Structure

1. Cell-by-Cell Encoding
2. Run Length Encoding
3. Quad Tree

Figure 4.8
The cell-by-cell data structure
records each cell value by row
and column.

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Figure 4.9
The run length encoding method
records the cell values in runs. Row
1, for example, has two adjacent
cells in columns 5 and 6 that are
gray or have the value of 1. Row 1
is therefore encoded with one run,
beginning in column 5 and ending in
column 6. The same method is used
to record other rows.

Figure 4.10
The regional quad tree
method divides a raster into a
hierarchy of quadrants. The
division stops when a
quadrant is made of cells of
the same value (gray or
white). A quadrant that
cannot be subdivided is
called a leaf node. In the
diagram, the quadrants are
indexed spatially: 0 for NW, 1
for SW, 2 for SE, and 3 for
NE. Using the spatial
indexing method and the
hierarchical quad tree
structure, the gray cells can
be coded as 02, 032, and so
on. See text for more
explanation.

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 Raster Data Compression
zData compression refers to the reduction of
data volume.
zA variety of techniques are available for image
compression. Compression techniques can be
lossless or lossy.
zThe wavelet transform, the latest technology for
image compression, treats an image as a wave
and progressively decomposes the wave into
simpler wavelets.

Figure 4.11
The Haar wavelet and the wavelet transform: (a) Three Haar wavelets at
three scales (resolutions), (b) A simple example of the wavelet transform.

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 Data Conversion
The conversion of vector data to raster
data is called rasterization, and the
conversion of raster data to vector data is
called vectorization.

Figure 4.12
On the left is an example of conversion from vector to raster data, or
rasterization. On the right is an example of conversion from raster to
vector data, or vectorization.

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Landsat 7
http://landsat.usgs.gov/
Terra / ASTER
http://terra.nasa.gov/About/
AVHRR
http://edc.usgs.gov/products/satellite/avhrr.html
SPOT
http://www.spot.com/
India’s space program
http://www.isro.org/
Japan’s space program
http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html
GeoEye
http://www.geoeye.com/
QuickBird
http://www.digitalglobe.com/
USGS National Center for Earth Resources Observation & Science
http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/srtmdted2
Intermix Technologies
http://www.intermap.com/
USGS website for LIDAR
http://lidar.cr.usgs.gov/

SRTM DTED
http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/srtmdted2
ETOPO5
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/global/etopo5.HTML
GTOPO30
http://edc.usgs.gov/products/elevation/gtopo30/gtopo30.html
GLOBE
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/topo/globe.html
Lizard Tech Inc.
http://www.lizardtech.com/
ERDAS
http://gis.leica-geosystems.com/
ER Mapper
http://www.ermapper.com/
Feature Analyst
http://www.featureanalyst.com
USGS: status graphics for DEMs, DRGs, and DOQs
http://statgraph.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm
Geospatial One-stop
http://www.geodata.gov/

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Massachusetts GIS
http://www.state.ma.us/mgis/mrsid.htm
Digital Earth in China
http://www.digitalearth.net.cn

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