What is the main goal of using the Buffer tool in GIS?

The primary purpose of the Buffer tool in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is to create zones of influence around features. This involves generating an area around a specified feature, such as a point, line, or polygon, at a determined distance. The result of this process is often referred to as a buffer zone.

Buffering is essential in various applications, such as environmental impact assessments, urban planning, and resource management. By creating buffer zones, GIS users can analyze spatial relationships and assess how different features interact over a geographical area. For instance, a buffer around a river could be used to identify floodplain areas or to determine the influence of pollution sources on surrounding land.

The other options, while relevant to data manipulation and analysis, do not accurately represent the core function of the Buffer tool. Eliminating duplicate records pertains to data cleaning, visualizing data trends relates to data analysis techniques such as mapping and charting, and categorizing datasets is more aligned with classification tasks in GIS. Therefore, the correct choice emphasizes the Buffer tool's role in establishing spatial boundaries around features, highlighting its importance in geographical and environmental analysis.