What is the primary function of a Spatial Join?

The primary function of a Spatial Join is to transfer attributes spatially. This operation combines the attributes of two datasets based on their spatial relationship. When performing a Spatial Join, the attributes from one feature (the join features) are added to another feature (the target features) based on their locations relative to one another. This means that if one feature is contained within or intersects with another feature in the dataset, relevant attributes from the one feature can be appended to the other.

This is particularly useful in geographic analysis when you want to enrich a dataset with related information from another dataset based on spatial criteria. For example, it allows you to associate demographic information from a census block with points representing schools that are located within those blocks, thus enabling deeper insights and analyses.

The other choices do not accurately define the function of a Spatial Join. Removing duplicate features pertains to data cleaning or deduplication processes rather than a spatial operation. Merging datasets involves combining features from different datasets without necessarily concerning their spatial relationships. Visualizing data in 3D is more about representation than attribute transfer and does not encapsulate the concept of Spatial Joins.