Anatomy of a file
Raster, vector, point cloud: every geospatial format solves the same core
problems, including linearization, chunking, compression, and metadata. Let’s
build a format from scratch to see these concerns in practice.
raster
- 2026-10-07
- 2026-09-03Anatomy of a fileRaster, vector, point cloud: every geospatial format solves the same core problems, including linearization, chunking, compression, and metadata. Let’s build a format from scratch to see these concerns in practice.
- 2025-11-04Metadata makes the data format: metadata storage and representation across array formatsWhen configured equivalently, COG and Zarr store the exact same data bytes. So what actually distinguishes one raster format from another? Metadata. We get philosophical about what metadata even is, examine how TIFF and Zarr each represent it, tour the various ways geospatial coordinate information is encoded across formats, ask where metadata should live, and make the case that formal, versioned conventions are what truly enable interoperability.
- 2025-09-23Redefining cloud native with the Coalesced Chunk Retrieval ProtocolWhat happens if we question current assumptions around Cloud-Native Geospatial (CNG) and imagine what it could be if we were to redefine it with new technologies? The Coalesced Chunk Retrieval Protocol (CCRP) is one idea born of this thinking, aiming to help make CNG more efficient and easier for both data consumers and producers.
- 2025-08-06Beyond the default: a modern guide to raster compressionCompression is a fundamental and increasingly critical part of modern data storage and processing. But compression is often naively miscategorized as a single processing step. A better understanding of the steps in compression pipelines, the priciples behind them, and how to measure their effectiveness will enable us to move beyond the default compression settings and realize gains from more effective compression techniques.
- 2025-07-09Chunks and chunkability: an origin storyRaster data formats are chunked internally, but the cloud has exposed these internal implementation details. We dig into the finer details of chunking to understand how chunking has become something tyrannical, dictating how we can and can’t access data efficiently. Part 2 of 2.
- 2025-07-09Chunks and chunkability: tyranny of the chunkRaster data formats are chunked internally, but the cloud has exposed these internal implementation details. We dig into the finer details of chunking to understand how chunking has become something tyrannical, dictating how we can and can’t access data efficiently. Part 1 of 2.
- 2025-05-22Is Zarr the new COG?We dig into the Zarr and COG raster formats to see if Zarr can and should now be a replacement for COG, and find a surprising answer.
- 2025-05-01On-ramp to CNGA day-long capacity-building workshop for professionals new to working with cloud-native formats and workflows: an introduction to cloud-native geospatial for Earth observation, followed by a deep dive into cloud-native raster formats.
- 2023-04-18