gis4arki

Deriving Slope from Digital Elevation Models

By Julius M. Bagate, Sept. 17, 2014
Description.
Deriving slope values fro !"#S re$uires t%at t%e Digital &levation Mo'el (D&M) *e in a coor'inate
syste +it% eters as a unit. ,%e provi'e' S-,M Data is in a geograp%ic coor'inate syste, ."S /4.
#n t%is section +e 'escri*e t%e proce'ure of converting ."S/4 to 0,M ."S /4. ,%is is easily 'one
in !"#S *y Saving t%e 'ata to anot%er forat an' specifying t%e target coor'inate syste as s%o+n in
t%e proce'ure *elo+.
Data
1. terrain1 srt231204 (5.tif)
6roce'ure.
A. Reprojecting terrain data (Geographic (WGS84 to Grid (!"M WGS 84 #one $% &
1. 7oa' your terrain 'ata (srt231204) in !"#S +it% t%e raster tool. -ig%t click on t%e layer an'
'rill 'o+n to t%e Save As ' option.
2 . ,%is +ill open t%e Save raster layer as 8 'ialog as s%o+n *elo+. 9lick on t%e Bro+se *utton to
specify t%e :e+ file nae of your output repro;ecte' raster layer.
<. ,%e Select output file 'ialog appears as s%o+. :avigate to your file 'irectory an' specify t%e
nae of your ne+ file.
4. Save t%e file +it% a suffice like in t%is forat1 original file nae20,Meter or a convenenient
nae 'ifferent fro t%e original file nae. 9lick on Save +%en 'one.
=. >n t%e Save raster layer as 8 'ialog s%o+ *elo+, click on t%e 9%ange *utton to set t%e 9-S
(9oor'inate -eference Syste).
3. ,%is +ill open t%e 9oor'inate -eference Syste Selector as S%o+n *elo+. .e nee' to searc%
for ."S /4 ? 0,M @one =1 *y keying it in t%e Ailter pane. #n t%e 9oor'inate -eference Syste
section, select ."S /4? 0,M @one =1: &6S"1<23=1. 9lick on >B.
7. ,%e Save raster layers as 8 'ialog is no+ finally set. 9lick on t%e >B *utton at t%e *otto to
start saving t%e ne+ repro;ecte' file.
/. 6rocessing +it% procee' a s%o+n *elo+. ,%e ne+ file +ill *e save' in your previously specifie'
fol'er.
4. >pen a ne+ !"#S session. #t is not necessary to save your current session.
11. #n your ne+ !"#S session, open t%e ne+ly create' repro;ecte' raster file (as s%o+n *elo+)
12. ,%is +ill open t%e ne+ file as s%o+n *elo+. :ote at t%e *otto section t%at t%e 9oor'inates are
no+ s%o+n in eters.
B. Deriving Slope.
1<. Select your file a s%o+n. "o to t%e -aster ,a*, t%en Cnalysis an' D&M (,errain o'els)
14. ,%e D&M (,errain o'els) 'ialog appears. 9lick on t%e Select *utton to set t%e >utput file
nae an' 'irectory.
1=. Specify t%e nae of t%e file in t%e output 'irectory as s%o+n. Dere # a''e' a suffiE 2Slope, you
can c%oose your o+n naing convention.

13. Select t%e Mo'e to Slope. Dere +e copute slope in Degrees +%en t%e Mo'e >ption (Slope
eEpresse' as percent instea' of 'egrees) is unc%ecke'. .%en c%ecke', t%e slope +ill *e in
6ercent.
17. 9lick on t%e >B *utton at t%e *otto of t%e 'ialog to start processing. (:ote1 Aor Mac, users,
t%is ay*e a c%allenge since t%e 'ialog eEten's till *e%in' MacFs Dock). Make sure t%at t%e
7oa' into canvass +%en finis%e' option is c%ecke'.
1/. ,%e slope layer 'erive' fro t%e D&M is a''e' onto !"#S +%en finis%e'. 9lick on >B on t%e
appearing 'ialogs.
14. ,%e output slope layer +ill initially *e 'isplaye' in greyscale. ,o c%ange t%is, -igntG9lick on
t%e slope layer, click on 6roperties. ,%is +ill
20. ,%is +ill open t%e 7ayer 6roperties 'ialog. "o to t%e Style ta*.
21. Set t%e -en'er ,ype to *e Single*an' pseu'ocolor
22. #n t%e "enerate ne+ color to ap section, select Spectral t%e click 9lassify.
2<. ,%is +ill s%o+ t%e follo+ing. 9lick on >B at t%e *otto of t%e 'ialog to apply t%e settings to
t%e slope layer.
24. ,%is +ill s%o+ t%e follo+ing result.
2=. &Epan' t%e Slope layer in t%e ,>9 to vie+ t%e legen'.
23. Hoo in to inspect t%e Slope 'ata.