GIS Dictionary

Definitions for GIS terms related to operations such as analysis, GIS modeling and web-based GIS, cartography, and Esri software.

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slope

See Also: aspect

  1. [Euclidean geometry] The incline, or steepness, of a surface. Slope can be measured in degrees from horizontal (0–90), or percent slope (which is the rise divided by the run, multiplied by 100). A slope of 45 degrees equals 100 percent slope. As slope angle approaches vertical (90 degrees), the percent slope approaches infinity. The slope of a TIN face is the steepest downhill slope of a plane defined by the face. The slope for a cell in a raster is the steepest slope of a plane defined by the cell and its eight surrounding neighbors. slope Illustration