Dictionary: Geoscience Data
Dictionary: Geoscience Data
DICTIONARY
Data Structure and Definitions
for Spatial Data
Module 1 of 4
data
Definitions, Rules and Terminology
G e o s c i e n c e A u s t r a l i a
Module – 1 of 4
Definitions, Rules & Terminology
Geoscience Australia
Data Dictionary for Spatial Data
Version 2004.02
Table of Contents
Introduction & Document Structure .................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Maintenance............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Terminology ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Field formats............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
General rules............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Text field rules......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Numeric field rules .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
UFI Field Numbering Rules .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Annotation rules ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Polygon labelling rules ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
GIS analysis look-up tables ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Oracle authority tables............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Standard theme naming convention......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Generalised themes.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Spatial themes relational diagrams .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
How to read this Data Dictionary .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Selected Authority Tables .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Feature codes ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Terminology
Coverage is an ArcInfo term for a theme or a layer
PAT file is an ArcInfo term for a Polygon Attribute Table or a Point Attribute Table
AAT file is an ArcInfo term for an Arc Attribute Table
RECNO is an internal record number for an ArcInfo attribute table
General rules
Theme is a set of spatial objects - a coverage in ArcInfo or ArcView, a shape file in ArcView and a table in MapInfo. Some of the themes may have associated look-up tables.
Where possible, directory structure should be used to denote themes spatial location, scale or other properties.
All fields for each theme defined in this document must be listed in the order and size as specified.
Where valid values are listed, any unlisted values are invalid. Only valid values may be used.
All themes must be in double precision unless there is a very good reason why single precision is the only option. This matter is to be confirmed with the Divisional Data
Administrator.
GIS data sourced form other agencies e.g. mineral deposit data from State Mines Departments, does not need to comply to the AGSO’s Geoscience GIS Data
Dictionary.
Some of the themes may have an ArcInfo regions topology. Regions should be converted to polygons before attempting to export data into ArcView or MapInfo
formats.
All themes must be documented and have accompanied metadata that conforms to current ANZLIC standard for Core Metadata Elements.
Upper case field SHALE, SILTSTONE AND SANDSTONE. MINOR VOLCANIC CONGLOMERATE.
If feature is a polygon, the universal (world) polygon must be accounted for and the ufi is therefore calculated as:
reselect $recno ne 1
calculate ufi = $recno - 1
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Version 2004.02
Annotation rules
Annotation subclasses should be named same as the items whose value the annotation represents. For example annotation for geological polygons in
GEOLANN coverage would have subclass plot_symb i.e. anno.plot_symb. In all other cases user is allowed to name its own annotation subclasses.
Tla, Qr Tla,(Qr/Qc)
Qc
<theme>.<GA><S|L|P>
• the item ufi is used as a link to respective AAT or PAT file of the theme
• only ufis for tagged features should appear in the table
• the item ufi should always be the first item in the table
• other user-defined items should not appear in the data dictionary
Example
Geologist may want to tag particular arcs in GEOL theme as major greenstone belt boundaries. In this case, the GEOL.GAL GIS analysis look-up table would
have the following structure:
Analysis items, i.e. greenstone in the above example, should be kept in respective feature tables - AATs and/or PATs while data set is in construction stage.
Once data set is complete, the analysis attributes should be moved to their respective look-up tables.
Coverages with the same name must be kept in different workspaces and are for INTERNAL USE only.
GEOLOGY THEMES
Polygon + Line Line + Point Line Point
LUT Polygon + Line Line Region + Line Region
GPHINTn GPHLINn GPHPNTn
GEOL STRLINE ALTZONE GEOLPROV
XGPHnn
XGEOnn XGEOLnn
AEMINTn AEMLINn AEMPTSn
GEOLnnn
AEMADJn AEMADJLn AEMADJPn
GEOL.LUT
SOLGEOL SOLGSTR
SATINTn SATLINn
SOLGnnn
SEISMIC SEISVEL
LITHOLOGY
BASDPTn
GEOREGN
OZMIN.COM
LUT Point COMP
OZMIN.EXT
OZCHEM WCOMP OZMIN
OZMIN.LTH
SHRIMP.LUT SHRIMP CUMU
OZMIN.MIN
SMND.LUT SMND WCUMU
CERT
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SURVEYS AND FIELD OBSERVATIONS THEMES URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE THEMES
Polygon + Line Line Point LUT Polygon + Line Line Line + Point Point
RTZONES.LUT
AIRBSRV RTSITES LANDUSE RAILWAY WATER SPOTFLD
RTSITES.LUT
OUTCROP OILFLDS PIPELINE SEWER
PHOTO SECHOLE.SVY
FOSSIL
PETROG.DAT
PETROG
PETROG.MIN
MARINEPT
DHGEOL DHGEOL.LUT
MSRSECT MSRSECT.LUT
EQUAKES
LANDSLID
AFGNSTN
GRAVSRV
Polygon + Line Line Line + Point Polygon + Line Line Any Feature
SMND.LUT
OZMIN.MIN recno
PETROG.DAT PETROG.MIN
SMND.PAT
regrockno
OZMIN.LTH UPB.PAT
tsno sampleid
deposno siteno
OZMIN.EXT OZMIN.PAT PETROG.PAT RBSR.PAT
siteno
SITES.PAT ROCKS.PAT rockno
SHRIMP.LUT
siteid sectholeno
RTSITES.LUT
siteno
RTSITES.PAT SECHOLE.PAT
sampleid
OZCHEM.PAT
siteno
RTZONES.LUT sectholeno
rockno
STRUC.PAT
rockno
ROCKS.LUT
LEGEND
Spatial feature attribute table e.g. Point Attribute Table (PAT) from an ArcInfo point coverage
Non-spatial attribute look-up table e.g. an ArcInfo INFO table or other database-format table
Object Field Field Case Compulsory Valid Values Description of Field Rules
Name Type
Wheteher The name of The type The Whether it is compulsory The list of valid attribute A description of the meaning of the field Any rules applying to the use of this field, or any
the field is the field of field case to have entries in this values comments about the field
applying and its for field
to a width char
polygon, fields -
arc (line) upper,
or point lower
or
mixed
Feature codes
RULES
1. Classification of linear features is governed by geological certainty and positional accuracy. For example, boundaries are established or inferred. Established
boundaries may be accurate, approximate or concealed. Inferred boundaries are approximate and may be concealed (deduced, not observed). A concealed but not
inferred boundary is one established by sub-surface exploration or is an established boundary beneath cover.
2. Feature code is an integer number comprised of: the 'section' to which the feature belongs (first 2 digits), the number of the feature (next 3 digits), and the
classification (positional accuracy/geological certainty) of the feature (last 2 digits).
3. Some features only have the 'undefined', or '00', accuracy/certainty codes listed. However, new codes can be created by using the CLASS tables to alter the last
two digits of the feature code.
4. The coding system has been designed for use in both digital (GIS) data and to facilitate cartographic symbolisation on maps. For this reason a single feature type
e.g. marker bed, may have multiple feature codes because it has multiple symbols. This is not ideal.
5. In digital data, descriptions such as 'tick on younger rocks' (faults) and 'double arrow indicates steeper limb' (folds) are meaningless because the cartographic
symbolisation is not present. Therefore, as a general rule, the line must be orientated such that particular characteristic described is dextral ie when viewed from
the start point to the end point ('FROM' node to the 'TO' node) the characteristic described (the younger rocks, or the steeper limb) is on the right. This orientation
of the line is often required for cartographic line symbolisation in any case.
6. Dextral is to the right of a line when viewing from the start node. Sinistral is to the left.
LINE CLASSIFICATIONS
Geological classes
00 UNDEFINED
01 ACCURATE
02 APPROXIMATE
03 INFERRED
04 CONCEALED
05 INFERRED-CONCEALED
Geophysical classes
06 PROBABLE
07 SPECULATIVE
Regolith classes
11 BURIED
12 INVERTED
13 EXTRUDED
POINT CLASSIFICATIONS
10.030 UNCONFORMITIES
Line 10 030 00 Unconformity. Younger rocks to right 0 0
Line 10 031 00 Angular unconformity. Younger rocks to right 0 0
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