Raster Lab 4: Calculating Curvature in ArcGIS Pro [Updated Oct. 18, 2024]

Here we’ll see how to generate a several types of Curvature rasters from a DEM using the Surface Parameters tool in ArcGIS Pro. In particular, we are going to generate a Profile curvature, which tells us whether water would speed up or slow down as it flows over a cell, tangential curvature, which tells us whether water would be converging or diverging if it flows over a cell, and Mean curvature, which tells us the general convexity or concavity of the landscape, and could be a good predictor of exposure or protection at a cell.

The October 18, 2024 revision corrects the placement of introductory music in the video.

This lab exercise is one of a series of 13 that explore basic raster analysis and surface analysis in ArcGIS Pro. The full lecture and lab exercise document can be downloaded here:
• PDF Format: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mn55...
• MS Word: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17...

Here are a few ModelBuilder tools that perform some of the functions demonstrated in these labs, including Swiss Method modifications for hillshades, TPI, NDVI and NDWI: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MDML...

For related videos discussing specialized types of raster analysis, take a look at:
• Basic Hydrologic Analysis in ArcGIS Pro:    • Basic Hydrologic Analysis in ArcGIS Pro  
• Common Wildlife Analytical Functions, Lecture 1: Environmental Envelopes and Minimum Convex Polygons:    • Wildlife Analysis in ArcGIS Pro, #1 of 2: ...  
• Common Wildlife Analytical Functions, Lecture 2: Kernel Densities:    • Wildlife Analysis in ArcGIS Pro, #2 of 2: ...  

Class Data:
• ZIP Format: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16DYF...
• 7-Zip Format: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15-o5...

All Lectures and Lab Videos:
• Lecture Video Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro, Episode 1 (reclassification, zonal analysis, neighborhood analysis and math with raster layers) [20 min, 18 sec]:    • Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro,...  
• Lecture Video Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro, Episode 2 (Slope and Aspect) [21 min, 51 sec]:    • Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro,...  
• Lecture Video Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro, Episode 3 (Solar insolation, Hillshades and Curvature) [23 min, 07 sec]:    • Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro,...  
• Lecture Video Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro, Episode 4 (Common issues we have with analyzing raster data) [17 min, 11 sec]:    • Raster and Surface Analysis in ArcGIS Pro,...  

• Lab Exercise 1 – Calculating Aspect from a DEM [8 min, 41 sec]:    • Raster Lab 1:  Calculating Aspect in ArcGI...  
• Lab Exercise 2 – Calculating Slope from a DEM [8 min, 25 sec]:    • Raster Lab 2: Calculating Slope in ArcGIS Pro  
• Lab Exercise 3 – Calculating a Hillshade from a DEM [6 min, 47 sec]:    • Raster Lab 3: Calculating Hillshades from ...  
• Lab Exercise 4 – Calculating Landscape Curvature from a DEM [8 min, 48 sec]:    • Raster Lab 4: Calculating Curvature in Arc...  
• Lab Exercise 5 – Calculating the Topographic Position Index (TPI) from a DEM [12 min, 9 sec]:    • Raster Lab 5: Calculating TPI, or the Topo...  
• Lab Exercise 6 – Using the Reclassify Tool to Reclassify Aspect [15 min, 21 sec]:    • Raster Lab 6: Using the Reclassify tool in...  
• Lab Exercise 7 – Calculating Zonal Statistics [11 min, 19 sec]:    • Raster Lab 7: Using the Zonal Statistics a...  
• Lab Exercise 8 – Using the Extract Values to Points tool to get raster values at points [13 min, 43 sec]:    • Raster Lab 8: Extracting Raster Values at ...  
• Optional Lab Exercise 9 – Calculating NDVI and NDWI from a Landsat Image [12 min, 39 sec]:    • Raster Lab 9: Calculating NDVI and NDWI in...  
• Optional Lab Exercise 10 – Implementing the Swiss Method on a Hillshade, Part 1: Applying Hypsometric Shading [7 min, 26 sec]:    • Raster Lab 10:  Hillshades with Swiss Meth...  
• Optional Lab Exercise 11 – Implementing the Swiss Method on a Hillshade, Part 2a: Multiple Sun Locations [9 min, 55 sec]:    • Raster Lab 11:  Hillshades with Swiss Meth...  
• Optional Lab Exercise 12 – Implementing the Swiss Method on a Hillshade, Part 2b: MDOW (Multidirectional Oblique-Weighted) [22 min, 52 sec]:    • Raster Lab 12:  Hillshades with Swiss Meth...  
• Optional Lab Exercise 13 – Implementing the Swiss Method on a Hillshade, Part 3: Blurring the Hillshade [8 min, 38 sec]:    • Raster Lab 13:  Hillshades with Swiss Meth...  

For those who are interested, please feel free to view all my ArcGIS Pro lessons, including class data, videos, lab exercise documents, PowerPoints, videos and other odds and ends, at this location:
• PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ylY0...
• MS Word: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b...