Feature Description

Aspect analysis calculates the orientation of slope surfaces for each cell in a raster dataset (typically using DEM data). The aspect values range from 0° to 360°, starting with 0° at true north and progressing clockwise, ending at 360° which also represents true north. Flat surfaces are assigned a value of -1. For principles of aspect analysis and resampling methods, refer to the Slope and Aspect section in Surface Analysis Overview.

Example Application

Open the "Terrain" datasource in the "ExerciseData/RasterAnalysis" folder containing 5-meter resolution DEM data, which will be used for this demonstration.

Feature Entry

• Spatial Analysis Tab -> Raster Analysis -> Surface Analysis -> Aspect Analysis
• Toolbox -> Raster Analysis Tools -> Surface Analysis -> Terrain Calculation -> Aspect Analysis

Parameter Description

• Source Data
  • Datasources: Lists all datasources in the current workspace. Select the datasource containing the dataset for aspect analysis.
  • Dataset: Lists all raster datasets (GRID) in the current datasource. Select the dataset (typically DEM data with elevation values) for slope analysis. Automatically locates to the selected dataset in workspace manager.
• Result Data
  • Datasources: Lists all datasources in the current workspace. Select the target datasource for result storage (default matches source datasource).
  • Dataset: Specify the name for the output dataset. The generated aspect dataset shares the same dimensions and resolution as the source dataset.

Figure: Aspect calculation result

Related Topics

Surface Analysis Overview