What is an example of a local operation in Map Algebra?

The addition of two raster datasets represents a local operation in Map Algebra because it involves performing a calculation on corresponding cell values from the two raster layers at each location. In this context, local operations are defined as those that process each cell independently from others based solely on its own value and the corresponding cell in another dataset.

For instance, if you have a raster layer representing precipitation and another representing temperature, adding them together at each pixel location allows you to create a new layer reflecting some cumulative effect, such as a composite score or index that combines these factors.

The other options involve different types of operations. Calculating average rainfall over a region typically considers a set of cells (a zonal operation), while identifying land use categories would also involve categorizing values based on predefined classes and may require contextual information from adjacent areas (a context-sensitive operation). Measuring visible light reflection might depend on additional factors beyond just the cell's own value and can also involve interpretative analysis rather than straightforward arithmetic operations.