Accumulation of Thematic Map Errors in Digital Overlay Analysis

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Abstract
The storage of digital resource information as geographically referenced data layers in computerized database systems has given managers access to a large variety of data that contribute to cost-effective management decisions. However, users of this information should be aware of potential shortcomings in using database techniques such as overlay analysis. Using fundamental concepts of conditional probability theory, the results of this investigation suggest that the accuracy of the map resulting from overlay analysis is determined by: 1) the number of map layers in the data, 2) the accuracy of these map layers, and 3) the coincidence of errors at the same position from several map layers. A method of calculating the upper and lower accuracy bounds of a composite overlay map is presented.

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