Which of the following tools allows users to overlay two layers in ArcGIS?

The Intersect tool allows users to overlay two layers in ArcGIS by creating a new output layer that contains only the features that are common to both of the input layers. When you run the Intersect tool, it analyzes the geometric intersection of the features in the input layers and creates a new feature class that includes only those parts of the features that overlap. This is particularly useful for analyses where you want to identify areas of shared characteristics or attributes between two datasets.

For example, if you have one layer showing vegetation and another layer showing land use, using the Intersect tool would enable you to find areas that have both features, such as forested land designated for agricultural use, leading to deeper insights and more targeted decision-making.

The other tools, while useful in their own contexts, do not provide the same functionality for directly overlaying layers with a focus on their intersection. The Buffer tool creates buffer zones around features, the Clip tool cuts features from one layer based on the geometry of another without identifying overlaps, and the Merge tool combines multiple data sets into a single layer without analyzing intersecting features.