Sample Computer Model

The Sample Array data produces an image like that in the figure Sample Array Image.

An interesting variation of this process is to substitute colors for shades of gray. Open the Options pull-down menu, drag down to Color Tables, over to Rainbow, then release the mouse button. The figure Color Array illustrates the effect.   Color Array  

The computer model Color Array constructed from the 8x8 Sample Array offers little insight into the topography on which it is based.  As a result, the model is of little value.  For a computer model to provide significantly more information than a conventional topography map, it must be based on better data.  In this case, that means a data array containing many more rows and columns than the 8x8 Sample Array.  Data of this sort is available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on-line data archives.