Description

Returns a POINT guaranteed to intersect a surface.

This method implements the OpenGIS Simple Features Implementation Specification for SQL 1.1. s3.2.14.2 // s3.2.18.2

This method implements the SQL/MM specification. SQL-MM 3: 8.1.5, 9.5.6. According to the specs, ST_PointOnSurface works for surface geometries (POLYGONs, MULTIPOLYGONS, CURVED POLYGONS). So PostGIS seems to be extending what the spec allows here. Most databases Oracle,DB II, ESRI SDE seem to only support this function for surfaces. SQL Server 2008 like PostGIS supports for all common geometries.

This function supports 3d and will not drop the z-index.

Examples

SELECT ST_AsText(ST_PointOnSurface('POINT(0 5)'::geometry));
 st_astext
------------
 POINT(0 5)
(1 row)

SELECT ST_AsText(ST_PointOnSurface('LINESTRING(0 5, 0 10)'::geometry));
 st_astext
------------
 POINT(0 5)
(1 row)

SELECT ST_AsText(ST_PointOnSurface('POLYGON((0 0, 0 5, 5 5, 5 0, 0 0))'::geometry));
   st_astext
----------------
 POINT(2.5 2.5)
(1 row)

SELECT ST_AsEWKT(ST_PointOnSurface(ST_GeomFromEWKT('LINESTRING(0 5 1, 0 0 1, 0 10 2)')));
   st_asewkt
----------------
 POINT(0 0 1)
(1 row)

See Also

ST_Centroid, ST_PointInsideCircle