Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance
Hexagonal Discrete Global Grid Systems (HDGGS) are spatial reference frameworks based on the spatial discretization of the Earth’s surface, dividing it into a network of uniform hexagonal cells. They have been widely applied in geospatial analysis and environmental science fields. However, the hexag...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225003073 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850116173660684288 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhang Xin Cao Yibing Li Tingting |
| author_facet | Zhang Xin Cao Yibing Li Tingting |
| author_sort | Zhang Xin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hexagonal Discrete Global Grid Systems (HDGGS) are spatial reference frameworks based on the spatial discretization of the Earth’s surface, dividing it into a network of uniform hexagonal cells. They have been widely applied in geospatial analysis and environmental science fields. However, the hexagonal cells are not perfectly uniform, exhibiting inevitable shape distortion and area deformation. This study proposes a neighbor distance standard deviation method to characterize the shape deformation of individual hexagonal cells, and introduces a global deformation index to assess overall distortion magnitude, thereby addressing the limitations of deformation analysis based solely on cell area and perimeter differences. Finally, we experimentally analyzed deformation characteristics across three hexagonal discrete global grid systems projection types: Fuller3H, Fuller4H, ISEA3H, ISEA4H, and Uber H3. The experimental results show that, compared with ISEA-projection-based HDGGS grids, the Fuller-projection-based HDGGS grids’ cell neighbor distance standard deviation, grid neighboring distance standard deviation, and global deformation index are 72.09 % to 76.12 %, 74.25 % to 81.92 %, and 72.25 % to 76.29 % of the former’s values, respectively. In comparison, the Gnomonic-projection-based HDGGS’s global deformation index is 55.28 % and 40.35 % of the previous two’s values, respectively. Therefore, Gnomonic-projection-based HDGGS demonstrates the least cell shape deformation and optimal equidistant characteristics. This study pioneers quantifying local distance consistency as standardized neighbor distance standard deviation, transcending conventional evaluation paradigms that solely rely on cell perimeter mean squared error or compactness. Experimental results confirm the method’s effectiveness in quantitatively evaluating HDGGS shape deformation, providing a decision-support tool for HDGGS projection type selection. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7d05f9d4e4a74041b1740269497af07d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1569-8432 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
| spelling | doaj-art-7d05f9d4e4a74041b1740269497af07d2025-08-20T02:36:23ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation1569-84322025-07-0114110466010.1016/j.jag.2025.104660Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distanceZhang Xin0Cao Yibing1Li Tingting2PLA Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou, ChinaPLA Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou, ChinaCorresponding author.; PLA Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou, ChinaHexagonal Discrete Global Grid Systems (HDGGS) are spatial reference frameworks based on the spatial discretization of the Earth’s surface, dividing it into a network of uniform hexagonal cells. They have been widely applied in geospatial analysis and environmental science fields. However, the hexagonal cells are not perfectly uniform, exhibiting inevitable shape distortion and area deformation. This study proposes a neighbor distance standard deviation method to characterize the shape deformation of individual hexagonal cells, and introduces a global deformation index to assess overall distortion magnitude, thereby addressing the limitations of deformation analysis based solely on cell area and perimeter differences. Finally, we experimentally analyzed deformation characteristics across three hexagonal discrete global grid systems projection types: Fuller3H, Fuller4H, ISEA3H, ISEA4H, and Uber H3. The experimental results show that, compared with ISEA-projection-based HDGGS grids, the Fuller-projection-based HDGGS grids’ cell neighbor distance standard deviation, grid neighboring distance standard deviation, and global deformation index are 72.09 % to 76.12 %, 74.25 % to 81.92 %, and 72.25 % to 76.29 % of the former’s values, respectively. In comparison, the Gnomonic-projection-based HDGGS’s global deformation index is 55.28 % and 40.35 % of the previous two’s values, respectively. Therefore, Gnomonic-projection-based HDGGS demonstrates the least cell shape deformation and optimal equidistant characteristics. This study pioneers quantifying local distance consistency as standardized neighbor distance standard deviation, transcending conventional evaluation paradigms that solely rely on cell perimeter mean squared error or compactness. Experimental results confirm the method’s effectiveness in quantitatively evaluating HDGGS shape deformation, providing a decision-support tool for HDGGS projection type selection.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225003073Hexagonal discrete global grid systemsCell neighbor distance standard deviationGrid neighbor distance standard deviationGlobal shape distortion indexShape distortionArea deformation |
| spellingShingle | Zhang Xin Cao Yibing Li Tingting Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation Hexagonal discrete global grid systems Cell neighbor distance standard deviation Grid neighbor distance standard deviation Global shape distortion index Shape distortion Area deformation |
| title | Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance |
| title_full | Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance |
| title_fullStr | Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance |
| title_short | Shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance |
| title_sort | shape distortion analysis of hexagonal discrete global grid systems based on standard deviation of neighbor distance |
| topic | Hexagonal discrete global grid systems Cell neighbor distance standard deviation Grid neighbor distance standard deviation Global shape distortion index Shape distortion Area deformation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225003073 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhangxin shapedistortionanalysisofhexagonaldiscreteglobalgridsystemsbasedonstandarddeviationofneighbordistance AT caoyibing shapedistortionanalysisofhexagonaldiscreteglobalgridsystemsbasedonstandarddeviationofneighbordistance AT litingting shapedistortionanalysisofhexagonaldiscreteglobalgridsystemsbasedonstandarddeviationofneighbordistance |