Definitions of Rows and Columns for Tables 9-1 and 9-3

Tables 9-1 and 9-3 are four by four matrix with measurement frameworks as the rows and columns.
The four frameworks are defined as follows:

Points with Z values:

Isolated point objects with a measured height of the surface. The location of the point is measured (free to vary), and the control comes from the identity of the point.

Isoline:

Contours of the surface established by controlling height and measuring where that height intersects the surface.

DEM

(Digital Elevation Matrix) a space controlled framework of point height in a regular grid.

TIN

(Triangular Irregular Network) a coverage of triangles connecting points with Z values so that the triangles define areas with a constant slope (gradient and aspect)


Hybrids and intermediaries

You can have a representation that appears to be scattered points but it those points come from contour lines, they still have controlled heights.

 

A TIN created from a DEM still has controlled positions.

 

and so on.


This part beyond what is in the book: Just for reference

The Surface Network does not provide complete representation of a surface, but might be included to show some additional forms of transformation.

This network defines watershed boundaries by tracing the ridges, or 'hills' by tracing the courses (extended up to passes). The nodes in the network are Peaks, Pits, Passes and Pales (the definition of the later is a bit tricky - the points where a ridge descends to a courseline).

Operations to create watersheds from a terrain representation are a level of transformation beyond what is described in the matrix. You cannot go back to the terrain detail from the watershed boundary.


Return to: | Original matrix
| Reclassified matrix
| Reclassified Cell entries | Transformation Lecture | Surfaces Lecture | Measurement Framework Lecture |