HOW TO

Determine elevation along a line feature at a specified distance in ArcGIS Pro

Last Published: July 27, 2023

Summary

Elevation data can be used to study their effect on a variable. The variable may be samples in a study of soil composition, vegetation state, or a microbial community. Samples can be collected from specified locations or distances along an existing trail, and compared with elevation data to deduce possible relationships.

The image below shows a 1,177-meter trail in Zion National Park. In this article, a soil sample is collected at 100-meter intervals along the trail (line feature) to study the effect of elevation gain on soil composition.

A trail in Zion National Park.

Procedure

To determine the elevation along a line feature at a specified distance in ArcGIS Pro, follow the steps below.

  1. In ArcGIS Pro, overlay a line feature layer on top of a raster layer.
  2. Set the desired distance on the line feature class using the Generate Points Along Lines tool. Select the Analysis tab and click Tools. In the Geoprocessing search bar, search for Generate Points Along Lines. For more information on syntax, refer to Generate Points Along Lines - Syntax. Configure the parameters as follows:
    1. For Input Features, select the line feature class from the drop-down list. In this example, it is Trail.
    2. For Output Feature Class, specify the output name. In this example, it is Trail_GeneratePointAlongLines.
    3. For Point Placement, ensure the default By distance option is selected.
    4. For Distance, specify the fixed interval and the unit. In this example, it is 100 Meters.
    5. Check the Include End Points option if the elevation end point must be included.
    6. Click Run.
Generate points along lines.

The image below shows points of 100-meter intervals along the 1,177-meter trail are generated. Although the end point is less than 100 meters from the previous point, it is drawn and listed in the attribute table, as the Include End Points option is checked.

Points are generated along lines.
  1. Add elevation values (z-values) from the raster layer to the points created in Step 2 using the Add Surface Information tool. In the Geoprocessing search bar, search for Add Surface Information. For more information on the syntax, refer to Add Surface Information - Syntax.
Note:
This tool is available with the 3D Analyst extension. Ensure the raster layer is a single band raster.

Configure the points as follows:

  1. For Input Features, select the point feature layer created in Step 2 from the drop-down list. In this example, it is Trail_GeneratePointAlongLines.
  2. For Input Surface, specify the raster layer in which the z-values must be extracted from the drop-down list. In this example, it is SpringdaleEastNW.png.
  3. For Output Property, check the Z option that represents the elevation.
  4. Click Run.
Add the surface information.

The image below shows elevation values (z-values) for each point specified in the attribute table.

Z-values for each points are stated in the attribute table.

Article ID: 000022900

Software:
  • ArcGIS Pro 2 x

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