Merge shapefiles

Question

I am a new user of ArcMap. I have several shapefiles of various portions of the West coast of India (boundary and contour files). I need to combine all these files into one shapefile so that I can extract information from this file and make one bathymetric information file.

I have tried using the merge option in ArcMap. But the shapefiles do not line up like I want them to. How can I solve this issue?

Answer 1

Without having access to your data, that problem could be related to:

• A. Different reference system are not being reprojected on map > Solution:

(1)- Defining the reference system of all your data: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//001700000077000000

(2)- Reproyecting your data:

(2.1)- On the fly: http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//00660000000v000000

(2.2)- Reproject your files or DB:

For vector: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00170000007m000000

For Raster: http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//00170000007q000000

• B. Different origins of the data (for example, having been digitized at different scales) > Solution: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//001t000000t5000000.htm

Answer 2

Instead of merging the shapefile and deriving the Bathymetric information.Straight away you can use the software called GEBCO(General BathyMeteric Chart Of Oceans) Here you can get all information regarding the batymetery .You can also get bathymeteric profile .Please make a try to this .It is freely downloadble also.