geo-data-engineering
Installation
SKILL.md
Geospatial Data Engineering
Purpose: get spatial data into a clean, validated, analysis-ready state with a repeatable pipeline — the stage where most real-world GIS time is spent and most silent errors are born.
Format selection
| Format | Use for | Avoid because |
|---|---|---|
| GeoParquet | Analysis interchange, big vector, columnar workflows | Not yet readable by some legacy desktop GIS |
| GeoPackage | Desktop GIS exchange, multi-layer projects | Slower than Parquet at scale; SQLite locking |
| FlatGeobuf | Streaming, HTTP range reads | Single layer |
| COG (Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF) | All raster deliverables | — (make every GeoTIFF a COG) |
| Zarr/NetCDF | Multi-dimensional (time × band × y × x) | Overkill for single rasters |
| Shapefile | Only when a legacy tool demands it | 10-char columns, 2 GB cap, encoding chaos, multi-file fragility |
| CSV + WKT/lon-lat | Simple point exchange | No CRS metadata — document it explicitly |