A general framework for error analysis in measurement-based GIS Part 3: Error analysis in intersections and overlays

This paper is Part 3 of our four-part research series on the development of a general framework for error analysis in measurement-based geographic information systems (MBGIS). In this paper, we study the characteristics of error structures in intersections and polygon overlays. When locations of the endpoints of two line segments are in errors, we analyze errors of the intersection point and obtain its error covariance matrix through the propagation of the error covariance matrices of the endpoints. An approximate law of error propagation for the intersection point is formulated within the MBGIS framework. From simulation experiments, it appears that both of the relative positioning of two line segments and the error characteristic of the endpoints can affect the error characteristics of the intersection. Nevertheless, the approximate law of error propagation captures nicely the error characteristics under various situations. Based on the derived results, error analysis in polygon-onpolygon overlay operation is also performed. The relationship between the error covariance matrices of the original polygons and the overlaid polygons is approximately established.