# Bizarre geographic patterns in Brazil

**URL:** <https://discourse.gbif.org/t/bizarre-geographic-patterns-in-brazil/5408>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous\
**Tags:** data-quality\
**Created:** [October 11, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.gbif.org/t/bizarre-geographic-patterns-in-brazil/5408 "2024-10-11T16:02:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rdmpage](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gbif1/user_avatar/discourse.gbif.org/rdmpage/32/25_2.png) [@rdmpage](https://discourse.gbif.org/u/rdmpage)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.gbif.org/t/bizarre-geographic-patterns-in-brazil/5408/1 "2024-10-11T16:02:50Z")

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OK, a short data quality rant. While looking at GBIF with a student I noticed strange lines at a 45° angle from bottom left to top right over Brazil.

 ![Screenshot of GBIF home page map](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/gbif1/original/2X/2/24c6da80c8f84e0a498f6f5a922c5293c18fff16.jpeg)

By zooming in far enough I found that these seemed to come from [HUEFS - Herbario da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/2e684fd6-09e2-4661-910a-0a188b610c04). Below is a map of this data:

 ![HUEFS map](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/gbif1/original/2X/f/f7255ea4a759440e5da6fbf92c3e1587facc8c41.jpeg)

There’s clearly something up with this dataset. Channelling @datafixer, how is it possible that data like this didn’t raise any flags?

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**Author:** ![sformel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/gbif1/user_avatar/discourse.gbif.org/sformel/32/1179_2.png) [@sformel](https://discourse.gbif.org/u/sformel)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://discourse.gbif.org/t/bizarre-geographic-patterns-in-brazil/5408/2 "2024-10-13T16:33:05Z")

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Yeah, it’s pretty strange. I’m guessing someone made a georeferencing decision but didn’t document it. This data point gives a sense of how ‘off’ the coordinates might be.

- This occurrence: [Occurrence Detail 4928891896](https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4928891896)

- has a locality of "behind the Byzantine cemetery in Mucugê, Bahia, Brasil: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/t2cxezruVLqg99Ny5](https://maps.app.goo.gl/t2cxezruVLqg99Ny5)

- That google maps pin is ~40km away from the DwC coordinates.

I added this info to the [issue you pulled](https://github.com/gbif/portal-feedback/issues/5509) (thanks for doing that!).

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/gbif1/original/1X/d2525d53d815eb0c992cc44730ed8a6a1be1dbb5.png) [@system](https://discourse.gbif.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:34am UTC](https://discourse.gbif.org/t/bizarre-geographic-patterns-in-brazil/5408/3 "2024-11-13T02:34:06Z")

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