What type of data stores values across a surface?

Raster data is made up of a grid of cells or pixels, where each cell contains a value representing information, such as elevation, temperature, or land cover, across a continuous surface. This format is particularly effective for representing phenomena that change gradually, as it allows for the easy modeling of spatial relationships and patterns. Each cell in a raster layer corresponds to a geographic location, making it suitable for a wide range of applications in fields such as environmental science, urban planning, and resource management.

In contrast, vector data defines geographic features using points, lines, and polygons that capture discrete objects or boundaries, which does not lend itself to depicting values across a continuous surface. Table data typically organizes information in rows and columns without defining spatial relationships, focusing on attributes rather than spatial representation. Lastly, 3D data can represent elevation or volume but does not inherently categorize values across a surface as a raster does. Thus, raster data is the correct choice for describing data that stores values across a continuous surface.