[GIS] How to re-project a shapefile to be compatible with another shapefile or raster

arcgis-desktopcoordinate systemdatum

I have a polygon shapefile and a raster. The shapefile and raster have different coordinate systems.

Coordinate System for the shapefile:

NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_19N
WKID: 26919 Authority: EPSG

Projection: Transverse_Mercator
False_Easting: 500000.0
False_Northing: 0.0
Central_Meridian: -69.0
Scale_Factor: 0.9996
Latitude_Of_Origin: 0.0
Linear Unit: Meter (1.0)

Geographic Coordinate System: GCS_North_American_1983
Angular Unit: Degree (0.0174532925199433)
Prime Meridian: Greenwich (0.0)
Datum: D_North_American_1983
  Spheroid: GRS_1980
    Semimajor Axis: 6378137.0
    Semiminor Axis: 6356752.314140356
    Inverse Flattening: 298.257222101

Coordinate System for the raster:

LCC_E008
Authority: Custom

Projection: Lambert_Conformal_Conic
false_easting: 0.0
false_northing: 0.0
central_meridian: -95.0
standard_parallel_1: 49.0
standard_parallel_2: 77.0
latitude_of_origin: 0.0
Linear Unit: Meter (1.0)

Geographic Coordinate System: GCS_Unknown_datum_based_upon_the_GRS_1980_ellipsoid
Angular Unit: Degree (0.0174532925199433)
Prime Meridian: Greenwich (0.0)
Datum: D_GRS_1980
  Spheroid: GRS_1980
    Semimajor Axis: 6378137.0
    Semiminor Axis: 6356752.314140356
    Inverse Flattening: 298.257222101

I would like to transform the shapefile's coordinate system in order that the shapefile and raster have the same coordinate systems.

I tried to use the function Project in ArcGIS 10.1 by specifying:

  • LCC_E008 (in folder "Layers") as output coordinate system
  • NAD_1983_To_WGS_1984_1 as Geographic transformation (this optional parameter was required in my case)

But I obtained this error message:

000151 : The geotransformation(s) is not valid.

How can I to change the coordinate system for my shapefile ?

Best Answer

It looks to me like the Lambert projection file has an error. GRS_1980 is a spheroid, not a datum. The NAD83 datum is based on the GRS_1980 spheroid. I think it is possible that your Lambert projection is actually using the NAD83 datum.

Your datum transformation throws an error because you are not trying to transform between WGS_1984 and NAD83.

If it were me, I would try correcting the raster's Lambert projection file so it reads Datum: D_North_American_1983 instead of Datum: D_GRS_1980. (Keep a backup, of course.)

Then try to project the shapefile to the raster's Lambert projection again. This should work.

To correct the projection, I think you can just use the define projection tool (System Toolboxes > Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Define Projection). Just pick the correct Lambert State Plane projection.

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