Comparison of land passability maps created with use of different spatial data bases

Abstract

One of the key elements of military terrain analysis is the classification of terrain in terms of passability. It consists of dividing terrain into three categories: (NO GO, SLOW GO and GO TERRAIN). In this paper, the author presents the comparative analysis of passability maps created with the use of various spatial databases, including: BDOT10k, BDOO, Corine Land Cover, and OSM. They were compared to maps generated based on data included in the Military Geographic Resource (VMap Level 2 and 1). The created maps were then compared with a passability map prepared manually by the operator. In order for the maps to be comparable, an identical algorithm was used to generate them. The research consists of determining the index of passability for a square primary field of various dimensions (side length from 100 m to 5 km). The results demonstrated that “non-military” spatial databases may be successfully used to generate military passability maps.