Working with Raster Data

gis4arki
by Julius M. Bagate
Introduction
This exercise will introduce basic tasks involved in working with raster datasets. This will include the
following tasks:
1. Mosaicking !TM "ata
#. !e$ro%ecting to &TM '( )4.
*. +li$$ing raster data
4. ,ector to raster conversion
-. !aster .lgebra
"ata:
1. ,ectors: /a0$anga cli$$er 1re$ro%ected to '()42&TM3one-145
#. !aster: srt0261278.tif9 srt0261217.tif
A. Loading data
1. :oad ;(< fro0 your "eskto$.
#. =$en the raster terrain datasets 1srt0261278.tif and srt02612175 with the raster tool.
*. These will load the srt0 data as shown.
B. Mosaicking rasters
>or the downloaded !TM datasets it is best to have the datasets in their original downloaded for0 to
ensure a sea0less 0osaic. "oing otherwise 0ay introduce errors in the data and the 0osaic.
!e$ro%ecting datasets 0ay be done after.
*. 'ith the raster datasets loaded9 click on !aster then Miscellaneous then Merge.
4. This will o$en the Merge dialog as shown. +lick the elect button to s$ecify the <n$ut files.
-. elect the files to be 0erged 1srt0261278.tif and srt0261217.tif5 as shown. +lick on =$en
when done.
6. +lick on the elect button o$$osite the =ut$ut file tab to s$ecify the na0e of your new file
1srt026127817.tif5. +lick on ave.
?. 'hen everything has been set as shown9 click on the =@ button.
). This will start $rocessing the data. +lick on the =@ button to dis0iss the notifications.
8. 'hen the $rocess finishes9 this will dis$lay the data in the T=+ as shown.
C. Reprojecting Raster data
!e$ro%ecting rasters in ;(< is si0$ly done by saving the data as a new file with the new $ro%ection
$ara0eters.
17. !ight click on the raster 1srt026127817.tif5 and click on the ave .s .. as shown.
11. This will o$en the ave raster layer as .. dialog. +lick on the Browse button to s$ecify a new
filena0e.
1#. (o to you working directory and s$ecify a new na0e for the file as shown
1srt0261278172&TM'()43-14.tif5. +lick on the ave button.
1*. $ecify an new +oordinate !eference yste0 1+!5 by clicking on the +hange button o$$osite
the +! field.
14. <n the +oordinate !eference yste0 selector dialog9 in the >ilter field9 key in *#6-19 the A/(
code for WGS8 !"M #one $% &orth. elect this as shown and click on =@.
1-. This will change the Axtents for the current layer fro0 deci0al degrees to 0eters 1a noticeably
large set of nu0bers5. +lick on =@ to start $rocessing.
16. This will $rocess the data. 'hen done9 close the current ;(< session and o$en a new one and
o$en the re$ro%ected raster.
1?. :oading the re$ro%ected raster in a new ;(< $ro%ect would result to the following as shown.
4oticeable would be the change in extents and the values in the +oordinate $ane would show
large values for 4orthing and Aasting 1$reviouslyBeCuivalent to :atitude and :ongitude5. .
noticeable skew 1tra$eDoidal5 in the extent is also $ronounced.
D. C'ipping Raster Data
+reating a subset of your raster data that follows the sha$e of the boundary of your study area
re$resented by a $olygon can be done using the +li$$er tool. <n this $ortion of the exercise we would
need the re$ro%ected and dissolved layer for the /a0$anga 1$a0$anga"issolve2&TM0eter.sh$5 study
area created $reviously.
1). +lick on the .dd ,ector tool as shown. +lick on the Browse button and navigate to your
working directory.
18. elect the vector layer 1$a0$anga"issolve2&TM0eter.sh$5 and click =$en.
#7. :ikewise click on =$en on the .dd vector layer dialog.
#1. This will add the vector layer on the T=+ as shown.
##. To subset the raster9 click on !aster then Miscellaneous and +li$$er as shown.
#*. This will o$en the +li$$er dialog. +lick on the elect button to s$ecify the =ut$ut file.
#4. 4avigate to your working directory as shown and s$ecify a new file na0e
1srt0261278172&TM'()43-142/.M/.4(..tif5. +lick on ave.
#-. =n the +li$$er dialog9 click on the Mask :ayer radio button as shown.
#6. 'ith %ust one vector layer such as the $a0$anga dissolve sha$efile in the T=+9 this will be
auto0atically selected by the dialog. Eowever when the desired file in not yet o$en9 click on the
elect button to s$ecify the Mask layer.