Google BigQuery Visualization: Mapping Big Spatial Data for GDELT
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization
About The Customer
GDELT is the world's largest, most comprehensive, and highest resolution open database of human society. It monitors the world’s news media from nearly every corner of every country in print, broadcast, and web formats, in over 100 languages, every moment of every day. The database stretches back to January 1, 1979, and continues through to the present day. GDELT's Global Geographic Graph spans more than 1.7 billion location mentions in worldwide English language news coverage dating back to 2017.
The Challenge
GDELT, the world's largest and most comprehensive open database of human society, faced a significant challenge. The Global Geographic Graph, a part of GDELT, spans more than 1.7 billion location mentions in worldwide English language news coverage dating back to 2017. The organization wanted to map the geography of the global news narrative, a task that was proving to be complex due to the sheer volume of data involved. The challenge was to find a way to effectively visualize this massive amount of data in a way that was both meaningful and accessible.
The Solution
The solution to GDELT's challenge came in the form of CARTO's BigQuery connector. This tool allowed GDELT to create interactive maps from their enormous dataset. By simply entering a SQL query from BigQuery, GDELT was able to connect their data and make it available on the CARTO platform. This enabled them to easily visualize the data, perform spatial analyses, and build applications. The solution was particularly effective in the context of COVID-19, as GDELT was able to focus on news coverage at different points during the pandemic, providing valuable insights into the global response to the crisis.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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