•ASPECT

RASTER SURFACE
ANALYSIS
Presented by:

Fatima Salman Awan

1113-BH-GEOG-17
  Aspect identifies the downslope direction of the
maximum rate of change in the z-value from each cell
to its neighbors in a raster surface. It can be thought of
as the slope direction. The values of each cell in the
output raster indicate the compass direction that the
surface faces at that location.
 Aspect is expressed in positive degrees from 0 to 359.9,
Definition: measured clockwise from north. Cells in the
input raster that are flat—with zero slope—are assigned
an aspect of -1.
 (The z-factor is a conversion factor that adjusts the
units of measure for the vertical (or elevation) units
when they are different from the horizontal coordinate
(x,y) units of the input surface. It is the number of
ground x,y units in one surface z-unit.)
 Aspect would generate a raster map for any GDAL (Geo
Spatial Data Abstraction Library) supported elevation
raster data.
 Aspect is computed in a similar way to slope in that a
plane is fit through a 3x3 grid of pixels. However it's the
direction of the plane that is used for the pixel value
instead of the slope.
 It is computed in degrees from due north
 Aspect is always given as a direction in degrees
 Aspect is not necessarily used to map out terrain; it can
also be used to study pH values of soils or temperature
gradients or any areas of interest. E.g. Soil erosion.
ArcGis Aspect Generation:

Aspect was generated From search toolbox, In the input raster, Aspect function ran Results can be Transparency of the Symbology can be
using ArcMap here. aspect from spatial Dem was entered, and on the dem for a few analyzed with map can also be changed from the
Dem was introduced analysis tools was an output location seconds and the result precision by opening a increased to compare “Properties” to
into the map canvas selected. was specified. was obtained. hillshade map the aspect map with reduce the number of
using catalogue. beneath the aspect hillshade. classes and
map. demonstrate a few
major ones such as
90, 180, 275,360.
Example:  Creates polygon features that represent
aspect measurements derived from a TIN,
terrain, or LAS dataset surface.
 (TIN= Triangular irregular network
 LAS= A LAS file is an industry-standard binary
format for storing airborne lidar data.
We can visually compare the lidar points
against existing GIS data for data validation,
such as building data.)
 Before After
After
 Aspect represents the horizontal orientation of a
surface and is determined in units of degrees. Each
facet of the surface is assigned a code value which
represents the cardinal or ordinal direction of its
slope, and contiguous areas with the same code are
merged into one feature. The default classification
scheme is defined as follows:

Code Slope Direction Slope Angle Range

-1 Flat No Slope
1 North 0° – 22.5°
2 Northeast 22.5° – 67.5°
3 East 67.5° – 112.5°
4 Southeast 112.5° – 157.5°
5 South 157.5° – 202.5°
6 Southwest 202.5° – 247.5°
7 West 247.5° – 292.5°
8 Northwest 292.5° – 337.5°
9 North 337.5° – 360°
Raster Computation:

 If the center cell in the immediate

neighborhood (3 x 3 window) is NoData,
the output is NoData.
 If any neighborhood cells are NoData,
they are assigned the value of the
center cell; then the aspect is
computed.
 Valid input for the geoDataset to
ArcObjects is a Raster, RasterDataset,
RasterBand, or RasterDescriptor.
 The output from the ArcMap is a raster
object.
  The direction a slope faces with respect to the
sun (aspect) has a profound influence on
vegetation, snowpack and construction.
 MICROCLIMATE: When you expose slopes to
sunlight, it creates microclimate conditions. In
other words, these are mini-climate areas
different from the area around it. For
example, there can be a south-facing hill that
supports small woody plant species because it

Applications: is much hotter, dryer and more desert-

adapted. If you compare this to the opposite
site, north-facing slopes receive less direct
sunlight because of its orientation.
 SPECIALIZED AGRICULTURE: Cultivating south-
facing slopes in the Swiss Alps using aspect
data because it shelters from cold and dry
winds which is critical to successful crop
growth. Farmers also herd cattle and sheep on
the Swiss Alps and move them away from the
snow-covered peaks to the valley floor.
  REMNANTS RAINFOREST: Remnants of
rainforest (in Australia) are almost always
found on east-facing slopes because it protects
from westerly wind. Also, lower radiation loads
results in reduced water-loss. This protects
rainforests from fires and helps these species
survive in these microclimates.
 BUILDING CONSTRAINTS: Prohibiting
construction on south-facing slopes because
they undergo more extensive freeze/thaw

Applications: cycles. This freeze/thaw cycle can erode the

ground beneath and reduce the overall
stability. Aspect data can determine these
prohibited building zones.
 VEGETATION EROSION: Finding the dominant
vegetation types dependent on aspect and
enhancing erosion modelling using aspect and
vegetation to see how slopes will erode over
time along with precipitation, temperature and
growing periods. Also, land degradation by
interpreting soil erosion and surface runoff has
been extensively modeled using aspect.
Result: