Data Pre-Processing with GDAL

Aim

To understand the relation between different PCRaster data formats and other (generic) GIS dataset formats available in GDAL, and to gain hands-on experience in systematically converting various types of GIS data to PCRaster format using GDAL.

Audience

Persons who which to convert GIS dataset from various sources to the PCRaster format, in a systematic way, for usage in dynamic spatial models.

Description

In this course, you will use GDAL to pre-process data from different sources, and of various data types, to use in PCRaster Python. GDAL is a software library for creating and manipulating geospatial data.

PCRaster operations work on raster datasets which have the same grid size and have the same spatial extent. GIS-data from different sources need to be clipped to the same region and resampled to the same grid size for usage in PCRaster models. Furthermore, when combining maps with a different map projection, maps have to be projected to a common map projection. Besides GDAL and PCRaster Python, you will use QGIS to visualize results.

Tutors

• Dr. Derek Karssenberg, Utrecht University. Environmental modelling specialist.

• Drs. Kor de Jong, Utrecht University. Developer of the PCRaster package.

• Dr. Oliver Schmitz, Utrecht University. Developer of the PCRaster package.