Difference Between Raster and Vector Data in GIS

📚 What is Raster Data?

Raster data represents geographic information as an array of cells or pixels. Each pixel is assigned a value representing a specific attribute, such as elevation, temperature, or land cover. Think of it like a digital photograph or a scanned map. The smaller the pixel size, the higher the resolution and the more detailed the representation.

• 🖼️ Commonly used for representing continuous data like elevation, temperature, and satellite imagery.
• 📈 Data is stored as a grid of cells, each containing a single value.
• 💻 File formats include GeoTIFF, JPEG2000, and ESRI Grid.

🌍 What is Vector Data?

Vector data represents geographic information as discrete geometric objects composed of points, lines, and polygons. These objects are defined by their coordinates in a coordinate system. Vector data is ideal for representing features with distinct boundaries, such as roads, rivers, and buildings.

• 📍 Represents geographic features using points, lines, and polygons.
• 📐 Ideal for representing discrete features with defined boundaries.
📁 File formats include Shapefile, GeoJSON, and KML.

📊 Raster vs. Vector Data: A Comparison Table

🔑 Key Takeaways

• 🌍 Raster data uses a grid of cells to represent continuous data, like elevation, while vector data uses points, lines, and polygons to represent discrete features, such as roads or buildings.
• 📏 The choice between raster and vector data depends on the type of geographic information being represented and the intended analysis.
• 💡 Both raster and vector data have their strengths and weaknesses, and they are often used together in GIS projects.