GEO 401: Geographic Information Systems
Final Examination | 2026/2027 Edition
Course Code: GEO 401
Course Title: Geographic Information Systems
Academic Session: 2026/2027 Edition
Instructions: Read each question carefully and select the best response. Correct answers and detailed
rationales are highlighted in green.
1. What spatial analysis method models movement cost across continuous terrain by calculating
cumulative impedance from a source location?
A) Cost Distance / Least-Cost Path Analysis.
B) Inverse Distance Weighting.
C) Kriging Variance Surface.
D) Spatial Autocorrelation Moran's I.
Rationale: Least-Cost Path analysis utilizes cost distance and direction rasters to compute accumulated impedance
factors (e.g., slope, land cover, friction) between source and destination points.
2. What statistical metric measures overall global spatial autocorrelation across a continuous or
polygon feature dataset?
A) Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r).
B) Moran’s I Index.
C) Root Mean Square Error (RMSE).
D) Coefficient of Determination (R²).
Rationale: Global Moran’s I evaluates whether spatial distributions are clustered, dispersed, or random across a
geographic dataset based on feature locations and values.
3. What does a statistically significant, positive Moran's I index value indicate?
A) Spatial clustering of similar high or low feature values across geographic space.
B) A checkerboard pattern of alternating high and low values (dispersion).
C) Complete spatial randomness devoid of spatial structure.
D) Perfect inverse linear regression correlation.
Rationale: A positive Moran's I index indicates spatial clustering, meaning similar values (high near high, or low near
low) are located geographically near one another.
4. What spatial statistic identifies local clusters of high values (hot spots) and low values (cold
spots)?
A) Global Geary’s C Statistic.
, B) Getis-Ord Gi* Statistic.
C) Euclidean Distance Metric.
D) Spatial Moving Average.
Rationale: The Getis-Ord Gi* statistic calculates local z-scores to identify statistically significant spatial clusters of
high values (hot spots) and low values (cold spots).
5. In terrain analysis, how is "Slope" mathematically defined across a digital elevation model
(DEM)?
A) The maximum rate of change in elevation value from a cell to its immediate neighbors (rise over run).
B) The compass direction of the steepest downhill slope face.
C) The total surface area enclosed by contour vectors.
D) The line of sight between an observer and a target cell.
Rationale: Slope represents the maximum rate of elevation change across a 3x3 cell neighborhood, expressed in
degrees or percentage rise over run.
6. How is "Aspect" defined in DEM raster processing?
A) The vertical distance between contour intervals.
B) The downslope direction of the maximum rate of change in elevation from each cell to its neighbors
(compass orientation).
C) The percentage of solar illumination blocked by adjacent terrain.
D) The cumulative upstream catchment contributing area.
Rationale: Aspect identifies the compass direction (0 to 360 degrees) that the downhill slope face points for each cell
location.
7. What GIS terrain processing tool determines visibility from specified observer points across a
elevation surface?
A) Hillshade.
B) Viewshed.
C) Contour.
D) Flow Direction.
Rationale: Viewshed analysis identifies all cell locations on a DEM surface that can be seen from one or more
specified observer point locations.
8. In hydrological modeling, what is the prerequisite step before calculating Flow Accumulation
across a elevation raster?
A) Creating a Flow Direction raster and filling surface sinks (depressions).
B) Reclassifying slope into binary categories.
C) Buffering stream vector networks.
D) Calculating Viewshed observer visibility lines.
Rationale: Hydrological modeling requires filling artificial DEM depressions (sinks) and computing a Flow Direction
raster before determining cumulative upstream flow accumulation.
Final Examination | 2026/2027 Edition
Course Code: GEO 401
Course Title: Geographic Information Systems
Academic Session: 2026/2027 Edition
Instructions: Read each question carefully and select the best response. Correct answers and detailed
rationales are highlighted in green.
1. What spatial analysis method models movement cost across continuous terrain by calculating
cumulative impedance from a source location?
A) Cost Distance / Least-Cost Path Analysis.
B) Inverse Distance Weighting.
C) Kriging Variance Surface.
D) Spatial Autocorrelation Moran's I.
Rationale: Least-Cost Path analysis utilizes cost distance and direction rasters to compute accumulated impedance
factors (e.g., slope, land cover, friction) between source and destination points.
2. What statistical metric measures overall global spatial autocorrelation across a continuous or
polygon feature dataset?
A) Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r).
B) Moran’s I Index.
C) Root Mean Square Error (RMSE).
D) Coefficient of Determination (R²).
Rationale: Global Moran’s I evaluates whether spatial distributions are clustered, dispersed, or random across a
geographic dataset based on feature locations and values.
3. What does a statistically significant, positive Moran's I index value indicate?
A) Spatial clustering of similar high or low feature values across geographic space.
B) A checkerboard pattern of alternating high and low values (dispersion).
C) Complete spatial randomness devoid of spatial structure.
D) Perfect inverse linear regression correlation.
Rationale: A positive Moran's I index indicates spatial clustering, meaning similar values (high near high, or low near
low) are located geographically near one another.
4. What spatial statistic identifies local clusters of high values (hot spots) and low values (cold
spots)?
A) Global Geary’s C Statistic.
, B) Getis-Ord Gi* Statistic.
C) Euclidean Distance Metric.
D) Spatial Moving Average.
Rationale: The Getis-Ord Gi* statistic calculates local z-scores to identify statistically significant spatial clusters of
high values (hot spots) and low values (cold spots).
5. In terrain analysis, how is "Slope" mathematically defined across a digital elevation model
(DEM)?
A) The maximum rate of change in elevation value from a cell to its immediate neighbors (rise over run).
B) The compass direction of the steepest downhill slope face.
C) The total surface area enclosed by contour vectors.
D) The line of sight between an observer and a target cell.
Rationale: Slope represents the maximum rate of elevation change across a 3x3 cell neighborhood, expressed in
degrees or percentage rise over run.
6. How is "Aspect" defined in DEM raster processing?
A) The vertical distance between contour intervals.
B) The downslope direction of the maximum rate of change in elevation from each cell to its neighbors
(compass orientation).
C) The percentage of solar illumination blocked by adjacent terrain.
D) The cumulative upstream catchment contributing area.
Rationale: Aspect identifies the compass direction (0 to 360 degrees) that the downhill slope face points for each cell
location.
7. What GIS terrain processing tool determines visibility from specified observer points across a
elevation surface?
A) Hillshade.
B) Viewshed.
C) Contour.
D) Flow Direction.
Rationale: Viewshed analysis identifies all cell locations on a DEM surface that can be seen from one or more
specified observer point locations.
8. In hydrological modeling, what is the prerequisite step before calculating Flow Accumulation
across a elevation raster?
A) Creating a Flow Direction raster and filling surface sinks (depressions).
B) Reclassifying slope into binary categories.
C) Buffering stream vector networks.
D) Calculating Viewshed observer visibility lines.
Rationale: Hydrological modeling requires filling artificial DEM depressions (sinks) and computing a Flow Direction
raster before determining cumulative upstream flow accumulation.
