Heatmap

A Heatmap is a data visualization technique that uses color-coding to represent the intensity or density of phenomena across geographic space. Different colors or color intensities indicate varying levels of activity, concentration, or values, making spatial patterns immediately apparent to viewers.

Heatmaps transform complex spatial data into intuitive visual representations, allowing users to quickly identify hotspots, trends, and patterns that might not be obvious in raw data. They are particularly effective for displaying continuous spatial phenomena and point density patterns across large geographic areas.

Practical Applications

• Crime analysis showing high-incident areas for police resource allocation
• Disease outbreak mapping for public health response planning
• Customer density analysis for retail location and marketing strategies
• Website analytics showing user interaction patterns and click density
• Environmental monitoring displaying pollution levels and temperature variations

Related Terms

• Density Mapping
• Spatial Visualization
• Kernel Density
• Hotspot Analysis
• Thematic Mapping