Create an elevation profile chart on overlapping elevation surfaces in ArcGIS Pro

Summary

An elevation profile is a two-dimensional (2D) cross-section view of a landscape's altitude or elevation along a specific line on a map. In ArcGIS Pro, the Stack Profile tool is used to generate a stand-alone table indicating the elevation profile of line features on one or more elevation surfaces. This profile can be represented as a graph, which helps in understanding changes along specific lines, such as hiking trail elevations or riverbed depth. This article describes how to create an elevation profile chart of line features on overlapping elevation surfaces in ArcGIS Pro.

The image below shows line features underlain by overlapping triangular irregular network (TIN) and digital elevation model (DEM) layers. This line feature layer is used as the input feature for creating the elevation profile, which is then represented as a graph.

Procedure

Note:
The Stack Profile tool requires a 3D Analyst license.

1. Open the project in ArcGIS Pro.
2. Create an elevation profile of the line features on the overlapping elevation surfaces using the Stack Profile tool.
1. On the Analysis tab, in the Geoprocessing group, click Tools.
2. In the Geoprocessing pane, search for and click Stack Profile (3D Analyst Tools).
3. In the Stack Profile pane, for Input Line Features, select the line feature layer from the drop-down list.
4. For Profile Targets, select at least two individual elevation surface layers from the drop-down list. In this example, the TIN and DEM raster layers are selected.
5. For Output Table, specify a location and name for the output table.
6. Click Run.

Note:
Export the elevation profile table to Microsoft Excel, if necessary. Refer to How To: Export an attribute table from ArcGIS Pro to Microsoft Excel for instructions.

3. Make a chart from the output table in Step 2 to visualize changes in elevation values along the line features.
1. In the Contents pane, right-click the stand-alone table, hover over Create Chart, and click Line Chart.
2. In the Chart Properties pane, for Date or Number, select the LINE_ID from the drop-down list.
3. For Aggregation, select the preferred aggregation method from the drop-down list. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Variables for more information. In this example, Mean is selected.
4. For Numeric field(s), click Select , check the FIRST_Z check box and click Apply.

Note:
Export the elevation profile chart to a graphic file or table using the Export button in the chart window, if necessary. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Export a chart for instructions.

The image below shows the elevation profile chart created from the interpolated height along the hiking trail.