Brief description
Spatially Linked-data, built using the Discrete Global Grid System (DGGS) as a tool. These functions provide statistical cross-referencing between features of dissimilar geographic layers, to expresses statistical relationships between them. Can be applied to point, line, polygon and raster datasets (including Digital Earth Australia - DEA data).
This API is located at https://api.dggs.ga.gov.au/docs and contains several functions the user can access. The data drill function is the most commonly used for determining the features at a specific location.
Where appropriate, these tools calculate the apportionment figure which calculates the percentage that one feature is spatially within a comparison features from another geography. ABS, GA and other agencies use this sort of information to apportion data from one geography to another (e.g. to attribute Local Government Areas (LGA) polygons with data collected on ABS SA2 polygons).
There are many other use-cases. For example, tell me how many residential addresses are with in a wildfire burn area. Which LGA is the fire is within, which State Electorate, which suburbs, and which postcodes.
All this information is available from AusPIX web user interfaces, without the need to open a GIS package.
This AusPIX DGGS solution is built into a fast-API web interface (known also as a swagger interface) and resides inside Geoscience Australia (GA) infrastructure (on AWS). The fast-API is a modern method to share information through a user web-interface, providing secure access in both human and machine readable forms. This is F.A.I.R technology.
Humans can web-click through the API to find and copy the information they need. Machines can also query the API to consume the information for any higher level dashboards and other APIs.
This API is available at https://api.dggs.ga.gov.au/docs and has received an average of 100 hits (invocations or uses) per month over the last 6 months, which is quite good considering it is still waiting to be advertised in eCat. The most used function at the moment is the dataDrill function. Users input a Latitude/Longitude location and receive back a useful set of information about that location. Other functions are available and several potential ones identified.
Hyperlinks in the data also provide the landing pages to provide mapped features, geometry, and metadata from the GA/ABS semantically linked datasets and their APIs.
A feature of how the system is built is the ability to cross-reference any combination required, without the need to wait for re-calculation. The AusPIX system has this flexibility because its base-geography is equal area DGGS cells provisioned as a intelligent raster. This raster is provided as a rather simple SQL table for any APIs to query. All this technology is hidden from the end-user.
Because the DGGS cells and their attributed values are pre-calculated, the system works at high speed.
AusPIX provides a unique service beyond map data. Rather AusPIX focuses on the individual features and their relationships to features in other datasets. The benefit is that much of the difficult map interpretation or analysis is provided in completed form for the user. Rather than providing just data, AusPIX automates the provision of the next level up - information and statistics.
Lineage
Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlanned
Statement:
As part of the Government funded Loci project, DGGS was employed to define discrete locations. This was then developed into a spatially linked data system where apportionments and other statistics could be derived from SQL tables of these DGGS locations. Since those early days the system has been improved to cover all Australia, and the employment of modern python workflows to ensure speed. Python code was built to produce sets of cross-referenced geographies into "crosswalk tables". Modern, non-proprietary python software is used to query these crosswalk tables using web interfaces. Along side semantically linked data, AusPIX spatially linked data is faster and more attuned to provision of statistics across geographies. WGS84 is used as a reference system as it is a worldwide and is the reference system built into the rHealPIXdggs DGGS software - works seamlessly in Antarctica and in fact any where in the world.
Notes
PurposeWith a focus on the relationship between features in dissimilar geographies, provide information and statistics for end users like Digital Atlas, API & Dashboard builders, general web users, and perhaps AI algorithms (Web 4+). The aim is to provide a low tech, high speed, non-GIS user interface. As a set of APIs, the AusPIX systems are web accessible, and available for networking with other systems. AusPIX demonstrates the effective use of the Discrete Global Grid System (DGGS).
Created: 08 10 2020
Issued: 10 08 2023
Data time period: 2016-01-01 to 2021-12-31
text: westlimit=45; southlimit=-90.00; eastlimit=168; northlimit=-9.00; projection=WGS 84 / geographic 2D (EPSG: 4326)
Subjects
API |
AusPIX |
Cross reference |
Crosswalk Table |
DGGS |
Discrete Global Grid System |
Knowledge and information management |
Linked Data |
Location |
Map statistics |
Published_External |
geoscientificInformation |
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Other Information
Link to API
Identifiers
- DOI : 10.26186/148643
- URI : pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/148643
- global : 0eaa9207-0f6d-46ff-a60a-2e4788644eb3
