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Applied Statistics Using SPSS, STATISTICA, MATLAB and R

Applied Statistics Using SPSS, STATISTICA, MATLAB and R

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10 Directional Data<br />

The analysis <strong>and</strong> interpretation of directional data requires specific data<br />

representations, descriptions <strong>and</strong> distributions. Directional data occurs in many<br />

areas, namely the Earth Sciences, Meteorology <strong>and</strong> Medicine. Note that directional<br />

data is an “interval type” data: the position of the “zero degrees” is arbitrary. Since<br />

usual statistics, such as the arithmetic mean <strong>and</strong> the st<strong>and</strong>ard deviation, do not have<br />

this rotational invariance, one must use other statistics. For example, the mean<br />

direction between 10º <strong>and</strong> 350º is not given by the arithmetic mean 180º.<br />

In this chapter, we describe the fundamentals of statistical analysis <strong>and</strong> the<br />

interpretation of directional data, for both the circle <strong>and</strong> the sphere. <strong>SPSS</strong>,<br />

<strong>STATISTICA</strong>, <strong>MATLAB</strong> <strong>and</strong> R do not provide specific tools for dealing with<br />

directional data; therefore, the needed software tools have to be built up from<br />

scratch. <strong>MATLAB</strong> <strong>and</strong> R offer an adequate environment for this purpose. In the<br />

following sections, we present a set of “directional data”-functions − developed in<br />

<strong>MATLAB</strong> <strong>and</strong> R <strong>and</strong> included in the CD Tools −, <strong>and</strong> explain how to apply them<br />

to practical problems.<br />

10.1 Representing Directional Data<br />

Directional data is analysed by means of unit length vectors, i.e., by representing<br />

the angular observations as points on the unit radius circle or sphere.<br />

For circular data, the angle, φ, is usually specified in [−180º, 180º] or in<br />

[0º, 360º]. Spherical data is represented in polar form by specifying the azimuth (or<br />

declination) <strong>and</strong> the latitude (or inclination). The azimuth, φ, is given in [−180º,<br />

180º]. The latitude (also called elevation angle), θ, is specified in [−90º, 90º].<br />

Instead of an azimuth <strong>and</strong> latitude, a longitude angle in [0º, 360º] <strong>and</strong> a co-latitude<br />

angle in [0º, 180º] are often used.<br />

When dealing with directional data, one often needs, e.g. for representational<br />

purposes, to obtain the Cartesian co-ordinates of vectors with specified length <strong>and</strong><br />

angular directions or, vice-versa, to convert Cartesian co-ordinates to angular,<br />

polar or spherical form. The conversion formulas for azimuths <strong>and</strong> latitudes are<br />

given in Table 10.1 with the angles expressed in radians through multiplication of<br />

the values in degrees by π /180.<br />

The <strong>MATLAB</strong> <strong>and</strong> R functions for performing these conversions, with the<br />

angles expressed in radians, are given in Comm<strong>and</strong>s 10.1.

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