What is the main difference between a TIN and a Raster?

A TIN, or Triangulated Irregular Network, represents a surface using irregularly spaced sampling points that are connected to form triangles. This allows a TIN to effectively model complex terrain with varying topography by adjusting the density of points based on the surface contours. The irregular spacing of points allows for greater flexibility and precision when representing surfaces with changes in slope or elevation, making TINs particularly useful in applications such as hydrology, geological modeling, and topographical analysis.

In contrast, raster data is composed of uniformly sized grid cells, where each cell contains a value representing information such as elevation or land cover type. This uniformity can result in a loss of detail in areas with significant topographical variation, as a single cell may encompass a range of different physical features.

Understanding these distinctions helps in choosing the appropriate format for representing spatial data based on the requirements of a specific analysis or application.