CE 596 Support Sheet 4

Support Sheet Fundamentals of geo-referencing in ArcGIS 10.3

Prepared by
Hemalie Nandalal
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Peradeniya
hemalie.nandalal@ymail.com
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Fundamentals of georeferencing a raster dataset

Introduction

Raster data is commonly obtained by scanning maps or collecting aerial photographs and satellite images.
Scanned map datasets don't normally contain spatial reference information (either embedded in the file or as
a separate file). With aerial photography and satellite imagery, sometimes the location information delivered
with them is inadequate, and the data does not align properly with other data you have. Thus, to use some
raster datasets in conjunction with your other spatial data, you may need to align or georeference them to a
map coordinate system. A map coordinate system is defined using a map projection (a method by which the
curved surface of the earth is portrayed on a flat surface).

When you georeference your raster data, you define its location using map coordinates and assign the
.coordinate system of the data frame. Georeferencing raster data allows it to be viewed, queried, and analyzed
with other geographic data. The georeferencing toolbar allows you to georeference raster datasets, raster
layers (which may have raster functions), image services, and raster products.

Before you start

1. Start ArcMap (All Programs -> ArcGIS -> ArcMap 10.2)
2. Create a new map document or open an already existing map document
3. Make sure that the georeferencing tool bar is open.

Link Table

The steps for georeferencing a raster dataset

1. In ArcMap, add the raster that you want to align with your projected data.

**Note: The Georeferencing toolbar layer list will display raster layers, image service layers, and CAD layers as
valid data types. The layers must either be in the same coordinate system as the data frame or have no spatial
reference defined.

2. Add links that connect known raster dataset positions to known positions in map coordinates. This will
aligning the raster with control points and can be done in several methods

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CE 596 Support Sheet 4

1. The Auto Registration tool can help you automatically

create links between known points on a base layer or layer with
known coordinate system.

2. Can be rotate shift or scale using the geo

referencing tools

3. Save the georeferencing information when you're satisfied with the alignment (also referred to as
registration). This done by

Update Georeferencing - Saves the transformation with the raster

4. Permanently transform the raster dataset (this is optional)

Rectify - Creates a new transformed raster dataset.

Transforming the raster can be done by creating a

new raster or updating it using a polynomial
function you define. With a minimum of three
links, the mathematical equation used with a first-
order transformation can exactly map each raster
point to the target location.

Any more than three links introduces errors, or

residuals, that are distributed throughout all the
links(1). However, you should add more than
three links, because if one link is positionally
wrong, it has a much greater impact on the
transformation.

Thus, even though the mathematical transformation error may increase as you create more links, the overall
accuracy of the transformation will increase as well. Link Table provides information regarding the links that
have been created and the residual error associated with the links. The errors can be checked in the link table
which can be open using the georefernce tool bar.

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