What are Weird Polygons?

Caitlin Dempsey

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When a line feature cross back over itself without a node at the intersection of the two lines, the result is a weird polygon.

Weird polygons can happen during GIS data creation when nodes marking the perimeter of a polygon are digitized out of order in a way that creates an intersection of lines.  The straightforward definition of a weird polygon is a data feature that is missing nodes.  One way this happens is when the polygon is digitized in such a way that one arc cross another arc.  While the end feature looks like two polygons, the cross lines are not connected by a node.

A weird polygon is a digitized polygon that is missing a node where two lines cross.
A weird polygon is a digitized feature that is missing a node where two lines cross.

A second way weird polygons can happen is when a digitized line feature is cross over upon itself.  As with the first example, the resulting digitization error makes it appear as if the feature is a polygon but the intersecting lines are missing a node.

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Caitlin Dempsey

Caitlin Dempsey is a geographer, writer, and founder and editor of Geography Realm. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Geography from UCLA and a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from San José State University.

For more than two decades, she has written about geography, maps, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, satellite imagery, and environmental science. Her work focuses on making geography accessible to a broad audience through articles, tutorials, and educational resources.

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