In a Geographic Information System (GIS) project aimed at protecting riverbanks from agricultural runoff in the Ogun River basin, environmental planners need to generate a continuous 100-metre protective zone surrounding all stream vectors. Which spatial analysis operation is most appropriate for creating this distance-based boundary zone?
- BufferingAnswer
- BOverlay analysis
- CSpatial interpolation
- DNetwork analysis
Answer
Buffering is the spatial analysis operation designed to generate a polygon zone at a specified distance around geographic features.
Buffering is a core GIS spatial analysis tool used to perform proximity calculations. It generates a polygon zone at a predetermined distance around point, line, or polygon vector features, making it the correct method for creating a 100-metre riparian protection corridor along stream networks.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
GIS Proximity Analysis and Buffering