Question

In the context of raster datasets, which of the following is true of a zonal operation?

A. It is often created by reclassifying an input raster into just a few categories.
B. It is a geoprocessing technique that removes the boundary between adjacent polygons with identical values.
C. It can be applied only to a single raster and not to overlaying rasters.
D. It is employed on groups of adjacent cells which need not have similar values.
E. It is a geoprocessing operation that combines features within a point, line, or polygon layer into a single feature with identical attribute information.

Answer 1

A zonal operation in GIS is conducted on groups of adjacent cells within a zone for analytical purposes and the cells within these zones do not necessarily have similar values, which aligns with option D.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of raster datasets, a zonal operation is employed on groups of adjacent cells which need not have similar values. Therefore, the correct statement is option D. Zonal operations in GIS involve analyzing and performing calculations or reclassifications on a group of cells within a specified 'zone' based on an input zone layer and a value raster. Importantly, these zones dictate where the calculations will take place, but the zones themselves are composed of groups of cells that are spatially connected within each zone rather than being based on the similarity of cell values.

Zones can be defined by various attributes, and the output of a zonal operation is typically a new raster where the values reflect the results of the calculation performed across each zone. Zonal statistics are commonly used for environmental modeling, land use planning, and resource management to aggregate data, summarize information, and guide decision-making processes.