Relief inversion effect in terrain representations: Where should we place the light source? (Julien Biland)

This document summarizes research presented by Julien Biland and Dr. Arzu Coltekin at the ISPRS Geospatial Week 2015 on the impact of light direction on the perception of terrain in maps. They analyzed how the positioning of the light source affects shape perception and can lead to misinterpretations of ridges as valleys and vice versa. Through examples from different satellite images, they show how land cover information and geographic knowledge can help overcome initial perceptions that are incorrect due to the lighting. They emphasize that light direction strongly influences shape perception and their poster presents findings on which direction works best.