---
name: r.covar
description: Outputs a covariance/correlation matrix for user-specified raster map layer(s).
keywords: [ raster, statistics ]
---

# r.covar

Outputs a covariance/correlation matrix for user-specified raster map layer(s).

=== "Command line"

    **r.covar**
    [**-r**]
    **map**=*name* [,*name*,...]
    [**--verbose**]
    [**--quiet**]
    [**--qq**]
    [**--ui**]

    Example:

    ```sh
    r.covar map=name
    ```

=== "Python (grass.tools)"

    *grass.tools.Tools.r_covar*(**map**,
        **flags**=*None*,
        **verbose**=*None*,
        **quiet**=*None*,
        **superquiet**=*None*)

    Example:

    ```python
    tools = Tools()
    tools.r_covar(map="name")
    ```

    This grass.tools API is experimental in version 8.5 and expected to be stable in version 8.6.

=== "Python (grass.script)"

    *grass.script.run_command*("***r.covar***",
        **map**,
        **flags**=*None*,
        **verbose**=*None*,
        **quiet**=*None*,
        **superquiet**=*None*)

    Example:

    ```python
    gs.run_command("r.covar", map="name")
    ```

## Parameters

=== "Command line"

    **map**=*name* [,*name*,...] **[required]**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name of raster map(s)  
    **-r**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Print correlation matrix  
    **--help**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Print usage summary  
    **--verbose**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Verbose module output  
    **--quiet**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quiet module output  
    **--qq**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Very quiet module output  
    **--ui**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Force launching GUI dialog

=== "Python (grass.tools)"

    **map** : str | list[str], *required*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name of raster map(s)  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used as: input, raster, *name*  
    **flags** : str, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allowed values: *r*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**r**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Print correlation matrix  
    **verbose** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Verbose module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **quiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **superquiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Very quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  

    Returns:

    **result** : grass.tools.support.ToolResult | None  
    If the tool produces text as standard output, a *ToolResult* object will be returned. Otherwise, `None` will be returned.

    Raises:

    *grass.tools.ToolError*: When the tool ended with an error.

=== "Python (grass.script)"

    **map** : str | list[str], *required*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name of raster map(s)  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used as: input, raster, *name*  
    **flags** : str, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allowed values: *r*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**r**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Print correlation matrix  
    **verbose** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Verbose module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **quiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **superquiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Very quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*

## DESCRIPTION

*r.covar* outputs a covariance/correlation matrix for user-specified
raster map layer(s). The output can be printed, or saved by redirecting
output into a file.

The output is an N x N symmetric covariance (correlation) matrix, where
N is the number of raster map layers specified on the command line.

## NOTES

This module can be used as the first step of a principle components
transformation. The covariance matrix would be input into a system which
determines eigen values and eigen vectors. An NxN covariance matrix
would result in N real eigen values and N eigen vectors (each composed
of N real numbers).

The module
*[m.eigensystem](https://grass.osgeo.org/grass-stable/manuals/addons/m.eigensystem.html)*
in [GRASS Addons](https://grass.osgeo.org/download/addons/) can be
installed and used to generate the eigenvalues and vectors.

## EXAMPLE

For example,

```sh
g.region raster=layer.1 -p
r.covar -r map=layer.1,layer.2,layer.3
```

would produce a 3x3 matrix (values are example only):

```sh
     1.000000  0.914922  0.889581
     0.914922  1.000000  0.939452
     0.889581  0.939452  1.000000
```

In the above example, the eigen values and corresponding eigen vectors
for the covariance matrix are:

```sh
component   eigen value               eigen vector
    1       1159.745202   <0.691002  0.720528  0.480511>
    2          5.970541   <0.711939 -0.635820 -0.070394>
    3        146.503197   <0.226584  0.347470 -0.846873>
```

The component corresponding to each vector can be produced using
*[r.mapcalc](r.mapcalc.md)* as follows:

```sh
r.mapcalc "pc.1 = 0.691002*layer.1 + 0.720528*layer.2 + 0.480511*layer.3"
r.mapcalc "pc.2 = 0.711939*layer.1 - 0.635820*layer.2 - 0.070394*layer.3"
r.mapcalc "pc.3 = 0.226584*layer.1 + 0.347470*layer.2 - 0.846873*layer.3"
```

Note that based on the relative sizes of the eigen values, *pc.1* will
contain about 88% of the variance in the data set, *pc.2* will contain
about 1% of the variance in the data set, and *pc.3* will contain about
11% of the variance in the data set. Also, note that the range of values
produced in *pc.1*, *pc.2*, and *pc.3* will not (in general) be the same
as those for *layer.1*, *layer.2*, and *layer.3*. It may be necessary to
rescale *pc.1*, *pc.2* and *pc.3* to the desired range (e.g. 0-255).
This can be done with *[r.rescale](r.rescale.md)*.

## SEE ALSO

*[i.pca](i.pca.md),
[m.eigensystem](https://grass.osgeo.org/grass-stable/manuals/addons/m.eigensystem.html)
(Addon), [r.mapcalc](r.mapcalc.md), [r.rescale](r.rescale.md)*

## AUTHOR

Michael Shapiro, U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory

## SOURCE CODE

Available at: [r.covar source code](https://github.com/OSGeo/grass/tree/main/raster/r.covar)
([history](https://github.com/OSGeo/grass/commits/main/raster/r.covar))  
Accessed: Saturday May 09 12:57:27 2026
