SPATIAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

AND
MULTI CRITERIA ANALYSIS
IN GIS
BIT 2324 GIS
Sources: By R J Bhanderi June 2019
PART ONE

• SPATIAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES IN GIS

• Data capture
• Data Storage
• Data Model
Introduction
• GIS, basically refers to the science and technology
dealing with the character and structure of spatial
information, its methods of capture, organization,
classification, qualification, analysis, management,
display and dissemination as well as the
infrastructure necessary for the optimal use of the
information.
• The integration of spatial information for the
natural resources development has been done
using manual methods in the past.
Introduction Cont.
• But with the increase in the volume and
dimensionality of data sets, it has become essential
to use automated GIS to meet the demands in
natural resources development.
• GIS is defined as "database management system to
Capture, storage, manipulate, analyses, retrieve
and display of spatial and non-spatial data in
integrated manner".
Data Capture in GIS Environment
Data Storage
• Geographic variation on the earth's surface is
primarily represented on a map as points (wells,
telephone poles etc..), lines (roads, canals,
drainage etc.) and polygons (areas under
Agriculture, Forest etc.).
Data model
• This is the procedures used to convert the
geographic variation into discrete objects in GIS
environment.
• There are two data models available to
represent this variation in GIS. They are
• i) Raster data model and
• ii) Vector data model.
Vector and Raster Data Model
Raster data versus Vector data models
Raster Model
It tells what occurs everywhere, at each place in
the area
Raster data suffers to present precise details of
measured quantities due to the discretization.
Generally, raster data has higher storage
requirements.
Overlay and spatial
analysis operations are computationally faster
than vector data
Raster data is not easily amenable to association
of attribute data with spatial features such as
points, lines and polygons.
This is primarily because of the fact that the
basic entity in raster data is the grid
Vector model
It tells where everything occurs,
gives a location to every object
Vector data is precise and
has no approximate errors for
measured quantities like area,
length, perimeter etc.
Vectors are slow
Vector data is easily associated
with attribute data of spatial
features such as points lines and
polygons
Entities such as points, lines or
polygons are recognized as
Defining spatial relationships
• Spatial relationships in GIS are defined by topology.
• Topology is a mathematical procedure for explicitly
defining properties and spatial relationships of
geographic features which include, connectivity of lines,
direction of a line, length of a line, adjacency (contiguity)
of areas and definition of areas.
• There are two data models exist to define these
relationships.
I. Topologic model.
II. Non-topologic model.
 Topologic model
• A topologic data model stores data efficiently and provides
the framework for advanced geographic analysis.
• The model builds areas from the list of individual lines that
define area borders.
• The system stores linear coordinates only once because
two areas that are adjacent may share the common line
between them.
• The topology helps to perform various types of overlaying
analysis and modelling.
• The relationships can not be established without building
the topology.
Non-topologic data model
• Non-topologic data model stores each closed area as a single
entity.
• The line shared by adjacent areas must be entered and
stored twice, either by double digitizing or copying the line.
• This duplicate data makes geographic analysis difficult
because of the system's inability to observe topologic
relationships between areas that share a common border.
• The non topologic model is a common data model supported
by many computer aided drafting (CAD), mapping and
graphic systems.
Characteristics of Connecting features and attributes
1. One-to-one relationship between features on the digital
map and the records in the feature attribute table,
2. The link between the feature and its record is maintained
through a unique
numerical identifier assigned to each feature (label points).
3. The unique identifier is physically stored in two places i.e. in
the file that contain the x, y coordinates and with the
corresponding record in the feature attribute table.
So, once this connection is established one can query the
digital map to display attribute information or create a map
based on the attributes stores in the feature attribute table
BASIC SPATIAL ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES
• GIS data manipulation
• Retrieval of GIS database
• Integrated analysis
 GIS data manipulation

Note: Non-spatial data manipulation: Non-spatial data can be manipulated by

different techniques
like Reselect , Reclassify, New indices, Relate and Join two tables etc
Retrieval of GIS database
1. Spatial query
• Spatial query is the process of selecting a subset of
a study area based on spatial characteristics.
2. Attribute query
Attribute querying is the process of identifying a
subset of features based on the categories of the
attributes.
3. Statistics
Summation of area for each category within
theme, min, max, standard deviation and mean etc.
can be calculated
Integrated analysis
• In vector based GIS, these operations are performed
on two layers (maps) at a time to form a new
composite map through the geometric intersection of
the features.
• The layer on which manipulation is performed is
called the input layer and the layer that controls the
area of operation is called the analysis layer.
Different types of analysis
A. Overlay analysis

• Vector overlay
• Raster overlay
Vector overlay
• UNION
• IDENTITY
• INTERSECT
Raster Overlay Operation
• Add
• Subtract
• Multiplication
• Division
• Difference
B. Subset and masking (Clip, Erase)
• Two input layers are overlaid similar to feature
combination analysis.
• In CLIP operation, the features that fall within the
boundary of the analysis layer are retained in the
resultant layer with the attributes of the input layer
only.
• In this operation, the input layer can be points, lines
or polygons but the analysis layer should contain
polygons.
CLIP
ERASE
•ERASE is a reversal process of CLIP in which
the features of the input layer within the
boundary of the analysis layer are erased
and the features that fall outside the
boundary of analysis layer are retained.
•This is used to create a compliment of CLIP
operation.
ERASE
C. Feature extraction and updation (Split, Update):
• SPLIT
• SPLIT operation is the enhancement of CLIP
operation.
• This operation is normally carried out to produce
an output layer of various CLIP operations based
on certain criteria.
• This operation is meant for advance users to
perform a series of CLIP operations through a
single command.
 UPDATE
• UPDATE operation is used to perform cut and paste
analysis.
• Similar to earlier operations, the analysis layer defines
the area of control of the input layer that needs to be
updated.
• Thus, the output layer will have features from the input
layer in the non-overlapping area and the features from
the analysis layer will be in the overlapping area.
• It is used to generate a time series map showing the
changes in thematic information through time.
• For example, showing the change in land use pattern
through time, Urban sprawl through time etc.
D. Proximity analysis
• Proximity polygons or buffer zones: these are
constructed polygons specified by the user at a certain
distance.
• The distance input used for the operation is called as "
search radius" or "buffer distance“.
• Buffers can be generated on points, lines and polygon
(both inside and outside of polygon) features.
• This operation is basically carried out to find out the
closeness or proximity between the features.
• Ownership details around a mining area, water
bodies, flood hazard zones etc.
Buffer
 Nearness function
• Nearness function is useful to find out the distance of
a road from a settlement
Advance Spatial Analysis Techniques:
1. 3D analysis
• Use of third dimensions of the earth, vertical
represented by Z-axis.
• This being an isometric model, visualization is
obtained by projecting the x,y and z-attribute on to
x,y,z reference system.
• In real 3-D model, the objects are structured in three-
dimension space by x,y,z axes. It requires the
definition of each location with x,y,z values.
Products Generated from Elevation Data
• TIN (Triangular Irregular Network) - a terrain
model that uses a sheet of continuous,
connected triangular facets based on Delaunay.
• TIN represents a surface as a set of non-
overlapping contiguous triangular facets.
• DEM (Digital Elevation Model)
Application of DEM
• The DEM's are primarily used to generate perspective
views, calculations of slope and aspect , generation to
iso-lines, identifying z-values for different points,
obtaining surface length, calculating volume of the
surface, relief shading, getting cross section or profiles
of the surface, viewsheds for defining the visibility etc.
• These derivatives of DEM analysis are useful to carry
out cut and fill estimations in civil engineering
applications, for draping of thematic information,
visibility analysis, military applications etc.
3D analysis
Slope, Aspect
and Volume
generation
E. Network Analysis
• In Network GIS, the line coverage are made to
simulate real-world networks modeling the
movement of resources.
• Hence, GIS Network is a collection of commands that
allows to simulate all the elements, characteristics and
functions of networks as they appear in the real
world.
Elements of a Network
• Links, turns, stops, barriers and centers.
MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS IN
GIS
• Urban Suitability Analysis

• The urban land use suitability analysis

encompasses physical characteristics, constraints
and socio-economic possibilities.