Define the AOI
Upload the property boundary, set an appropriate buffer, output coordinate system, and project naming convention.
Case studies
From a project AOI to an organized geoscience data package.
The NL Public Geodata Collector uses a project boundary to scan official sources, inventory relevant datasets and documents, and prepare a structured package for technical review in QGIS.
The challenge
A new exploration project may need bedrock geology, surficial geology, geochemistry, mineral occurrences, claims, map indexes, geophysics, assessment reports, and digital archives before meaningful review can begin.
Those sources often live across different services with different spatial extents, identifiers, formats, and download behaviour. Manual collection is possible, but it is slow to repeat and easy to document inconsistently.
The approach
The workflow begins with a GeoPackage or GeoJSON area of interest. It scans selected official Newfoundland and Labrador sources, identifies records intersecting the project area and buffer, and lets the user choose which vectors, documents, archives, and rasters belong in the package.
The output is organized around repeatable names, coordinate reference systems, source metadata, and a QGIS-ready structure. The process keeps the discovery trail visible rather than treating the downloaded files as anonymous inputs.
WorkflowFrom recurring task
From recurring task
to reviewable output.
Scan official sources
Query supported public endpoints and inventory spatial features, documents, digital archives, and geophysics coverage.
Select and collect
Review availability, choose the relevant material, and assemble it into a consistent project package.
Open and review
Load the organized outputs in QGIS, inspect source coverage, and continue with geological interpretation.
What this demonstratesPractical value without
Practical value without
over-automating the judgment.
- How an exploration boundary can drive repeatable public-data discovery
- How source tracking and consistent naming improve the technical handoff
- How a small interface can make a scripted workflow usable by more of the team
- How automation can accelerate project setup without replacing geological review
This is a working prototype for official public sources. Availability, licensing terms, schemas, and service endpoints can change, so each project still requires source and output review.
Project-specific applicationsHave a recurring task
Discuss the workflow Have a recurring task
worth simplifying?
A first conversation can establish whether the right answer is a cleaner workflow, a small script, a lightweight internal tool, or simply a better data structure.