Which of the following is not a type of data that can be included in a surface?

• A. Parcels
• B. Elevations
• C. Contours
• D. Breaklines

Answer: (A)

Surfaces are built from data that defines the terrain’s shape and edges. Elevations provide the height (z) information at points, which the surface uses to form its mesh. Breaklines are used to enforce linear features in the triangulation, preserving sharp changes along ridges, streams, or road edges. Contours are derived from the surface to visualize elevation across the area; they’re outputs that help interpret the surface rather than inputs used to create it. Parcels, on the other hand, are property-boundary entities used for land ownership and lot layout, not part of the surface data that defines terrain. So parcels aren’t data included in a surface.