What does overlay analysis involve?

Overlay analysis is a fundamental procedure in GIS that involves combining multiple data layers to uncover the relationships and interactions between different spatial datasets. This method allows analysts to visualize how different features intersect, overlap, or relate to one another geographically. For instance, overlay analysis can help determine how land use intersects with zoning boundaries or how various environmental factors overlap in a specific area.

By using techniques like union, intersection, or difference, practitioners can extract significant information from the combined layers, aiding in decision-making and spatial planning. This capability is particularly valuable in fields such as urban planning, resource management, and environmental assessments, where understanding the relationships between multiple datasets is crucial for effective analysis and strategy formulation.

In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects of GIS work. Creating digital maps from aerial photography pertains to data capture and representation rather than analysis. Isolating individual layers refers to examining one dataset at a time, which does not encompass the interactive nature of overlay analysis. Linear interpolation is a mathematical process used for estimating values within the range of a discrete set of known data points and is not directly related to the concept of layering datasets in spatial analysis.