Esri ArcGIS Pro Foundation Certification Practice Test

Which overlay method creates an output feature class based on the overlapping of features or portion of features in all layers or feature classes?

1. Identity

2. Union

3. Erase

4. Intersect

The correct answer is: Intersect

The correct answer is Intersect because this overlay method specifically focuses on creating an output feature class that includes only the areas where features from the input layers overlap. When utilizing the Intersect tool, the resulting output will only contain those portions of features that are common to both input feature classes. This means that only the geographic areas where the features intersect are preserved in the output. In practical use, this method is particularly beneficial when you want to analyze shared characteristics or conditions between the layers. For example, if you were to overlay a land use layer and a protected areas layer, the output would consist solely of areas that are both developed as land use and are defined as protected, helping to identify conservation priorities. The other methods have different functions. While Identity will produce features from one layer and clip those with another, retaining both unique and overlapping parts, Union combines features from both layers, producing a complete set, including the non-overlapping regions. Erase removes portions of a layer based on another overlaying layer, which means that it excludes features rather than focusing on overlaps. Thus, Intersect distinctly fulfills the requirement of generating an output that captures only the intersecting features across the involved layers.