Advanced Raster Analysis and Geodatabases

This unit advances students’ GIS skills with hands-on raster and terrain analysis, cost-distance modeling, and geodatabase construction. Students will prepare and evaluate spatial data (DEM, TIN, contours, soils, census), create least-cost paths and allocation rasters, and produce professional map layouts and graphics for decision-making in natural resources.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze Euclidean and cost-distance rasters to produce direction, allocation, and least-cost path outputs and interpret total cost calculations
• Apply geodatabase design and data-management techniques to convert, normalize, and organize shapefiles, feature classes, and tabular census data
• Demonstrate terrain and hydrology processing using DEMs, TINs, contour files, and spatial analyst tools to generate slope, aspect, flow, and derived elevation products
• Evaluate source data suitability, document processing steps, and produce clear cartographic layouts, charts, and maps that communicate analysis results