Discrete Global Grid Systems
Definition
Discrete Global Grid Systems (DGGS) are spatial reference frameworks that divide the Earth's surface into a grid of uniformly-sized, non-overlapping cells. Unlike traditional coordinate systems, DGGS use hierarchical grids—often hexagonal or triangular—for global spatial indexing. They support scalable, resolution-independent spatial analysis and are increasingly used in big data, earth observation, and geospatial cloud platforms.
Application
DGGS provide consistent frameworks for environmental monitoring, climate modeling, epidemiology, and disaster mapping. They enable seamless data integration and analysis across scales. GIS platforms use DGGS for geocoding, tiling, and indexing large spatial datasets. Examples include H3 (Uber), S2 (Google), and OpenDGGS (Australia). These grids facilitate fast spatial queries and visualization, especially in web GIS and distributed systems.
FAQ
1. What is a DGGS?
A system that partitions the Earth's surface into a regular grid of cells for efficient spatial representation and analysis.
2. What is a DGGS?
It avoids projection distortions and supports multi-resolution grids for global data indexing.
3. What is a DGGS?
In cloud GIS, big geospatial data, smart cities, and planetary-scale simulations.
4. What is a DGGS?
For scalability, spatial uniformity, and performance in handling massive datasets.