Book Image

Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python

By : Joel Lawhead
4 (1)
Book Image

Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python

4 (1)
By: Joel Lawhead

Overview of this book

Geospatial analysis is used in almost every field you can think of from medicine, to defense, to farming. It is an approach to use statistical analysis and other informational engineering to data which has a geographical or geospatial aspect. And this typically involves applications capable of geospatial display and processing to get a compiled and useful data. "Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python" uses the expressive and powerful Python programming language to guide you through geographic information systems, remote sensing, topography, and more. It explains how to use a framework in order to approach Geospatial analysis effectively, but on your own terms. "Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python" starts with a background of the field, a survey of the techniques and technology used, and then splits the field into its component speciality areas: GIS, remote sensing, elevation data, advanced modelling, and real-time data. This book will teach you everything there is to know, from using a particular software package or API to using generic algorithms that can be applied to Geospatial analysis. This book focuses on pure Python whenever possible to minimize compiling platform-dependent binaries, so that you don't become bogged down in just getting ready to do analysis. "Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python" will round out your technical library with handy recipes and a good understanding of a field that supplements many a modern day human endeavors.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
Learning Geospatial Analysis with Python
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Working with LIDAR


LIDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. It is similar to radar-based images but uses finite laser beams, which hit the ground hundreds of thousands of times per second to collect a huge amount of very fine (x,y,z) locations as well as time and intensity. The intensity value is what really separates LIDAR from other data types. For example, but the asphalt roof top of a building may be the same elevation as the top of a nearby tree, the intensities will be different. And just like remote sensing radiance values in a multispectral satellite image allow us to build classification libraries, the intensity values of LIDAR data allow us to classify and colorize LIDAR data as well.

The high volume and precision of LIDAR actually make it difficult to use. A LIDAR data set is referred to as a point cloud because the shape of the data set is usually irregular, as the data is three dimensional with outlying points. There are not many software packages which effectively visualize...