DGGSTools: An Open Source Python Package for the Manipulation of Vector and Raster Datasets in the rHEALPix Discrete Global Grid System

Abstract

Abstract. DGGSTools is a Python package and command-line application to process geospatial datasets within the spatial reference provided by the rHEALPix Discrete Global Grid System (DGGS). Its main objective is to provide the tools necessary to transform geospatial datasets to equivalent ones following the rHEALPix DGGS, and to allow its users to work with both raster and vector versions of those datasets as preferred. Once these equivalent datasets have been produced with DGGSTools, the users can obtain the benefits of working with a DGGS, intended to facilitate the efficient integration and retrieval of heterogenous global data, while using their preferred GIS tools and workflows for the analysis of those datasets. This short paper describes the main characteristics of the first public version of DGGSTools. Although a small part of its code had already been used in some geospatial research experiments, this is the first version which is publicly available. It includes a good,number of automatic tests, it is properly packaged as a Python wheel to facilitate its installation, and offers a command-line application so the package can be used without writing a single line of code.