Geospatial Data Formats and Representation Quiz

Geospatial Data Formats and Representation Summary

• Polygon vector data represents enclosed areas like dams, lakes, and country boundaries, created from vertices connected with a continuous line.
• Raster data consists of pixels associated with specific geographical locations, and rasterization converts vector data to raster data.
• Essential vector data formats include Shapefile (SHP), Keyhole Markup Language (KML), AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format (DXF), Comma Separated Values (CSV), Geodatabase (GDB), and OpenStreetMap (OSM).
• Raster data formats include Portable Network Graphics (PNG), Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), and Tag Image File Format (TIFF), each with specific compression and usage features.
• GRID and IMG are raster GIS file formats developed by Esri, while USGS Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is widely used for its availability and extensive software support.
• Vector data offers advantages such as topology description, ease of storage, high spatial resolution, accuracy, and aesthetic representation, but it has complexity, time-consuming processing, and compatibility limitations.
• Raster data advantages include a simple data structure, easy simulation, good performance for continuous features, and compatibility with remote sensing images, but it has limitations in representing small objects, generating vast data, and representing topological connections.
• Raster data is made up of pixels, while vector data consists of a series of X,Y coordinates, representing continuous and discrete data respectively.
• Raster data requires greater storage and depends on pixel size for resolution, while vector data offers a smaller file size, a simple data structure, and resolution independence.
• Examples of raster data include elevation and slope maps, while vector data includes points, lines, and polygons.