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Kharita Challenges

Problems

Real geospatial problems, graded automatically. Choose a track, a level and what you want to hand in.

9 of 59 problems

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Track
Spatial Analysis14 problemsPostGIS / SQL5 problemsPython6 problemsRemote Sensing4 problemsCartography9 problemsWeb GIS3 problemsData Management9 problemsGIS Architecture1 problem
Level
Beginner2 problemsIntermediate9 problemsAdvanced5 problemsExpert0 problems
Hand in
SQL2 problemsPython3 problemsGeoJSON1 problemAnswers3 problemsSchema0 problemsDecisions0 problemsDataset file0 problems
Category
Data preparation0 problemsData quality1 problemSpatial analysis1 problemRaster analysis0 problemsCartography2 problemsDecision support4 problemsGeospatial systems0 problemsWeb delivery1 problem
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CartographyIntermediateClear all
  1. Not started, At which zoom does every capital get its own tile?Web deliveryAnswers

    Count capitals per XYZ tile across zooms to decide where a label layer switches from clustering to one label per city.

    Web GISintermediateDifficulty: intermediate180 XP~25 min4 checks

    You hand in your answers as values.

    Dataset

    • Populated places · Point · 1,251 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Convert points to tile indices at several zooms
    • Find the busiest tile per zoom
    • Choose a switch-over zoom from the data
    XYZ tileslabelsclusteringzoom levelsglobalAlso trains Cartography
    Open problem
  2. Not started, Build the global seismic reconnaissance watchlistDecision supportPython

    Turn a fixed USGS event feed into a mapped, reproducible shallow strong-event watchlist for requesting impact products.

    Spatial AnalysisintermediateDifficulty: intermediate240 XP~40 min5 checks

    You hand in a Python script.

    Dataset

    • Global M5.5+ earthquakes, Jan–Mar 2025 · Point · 86 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Apply two inclusive, unit-aware filters to the frozen event snapshot
    • Carry stable event identifiers and response metadata into a point GeoDataFrame
    • Map event magnitude as a proportional point result without claiming it is impact
    USGSearthquakesGeoPandasemergency screeningglobalAlso trains Python, Data Management, Cartography
    Open problem
  3. Not started, How big does Web Mercator make Greenland?CartographyAnswers

    Put a number on the most famous distortion in cartography: the same countries measured on the ellipsoid and on the projection every web map uses.

    CartographyintermediateDifficulty: intermediate210 XP~30 min4 checks

    You hand in your answers as values.

    Dataset

    • Countries · MultiPolygon · 241 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Measure area geodesically or in an equal-area projection
    • Project the same polygons to Web Mercator and take their planar area
    • Express the distortion as ratios a reader can repeat
    Web Mercatorprojectionarea distortionEqual EarthglobalAlso trains Spatial Analysis
    Open problem
  4. Not started, How much of Inner London is a five-minute walk from a dock?Spatial analysisGeoJSON

    Buffer, dissolve and clip: the covered share of each Inner London borough at a 400 m walk.

    Spatial AnalysisintermediateDifficulty: intermediate240 XP~45 min5 checks

    You hand in a GeoJSON result.

    Datasets

    • London boroughs · Polygon · 33 features · EPSG:4326
    • Santander Cycles docking stations (live snapshot) · Point · 799 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Buffer 799 stations by 400 m in a metric CRS
    • Dissolve the buffers into one coverage geometry
    • Clip the coverage to each Inner London borough
    bufferdissolveclipCRStransportLondonAlso trains Cartography
    Open problem
  5. Not started, The buffer that shrank on the way to the mapCartographyAnswers

    Quantify what a 400 m buffer drawn in EPSG:3857 actually covers on the ground in London, and how much of the coverage report it loses.

    CartographyintermediateDifficulty: intermediate200 XP~30 min4 checks

    You hand in your answers as values.

    Datasets

    • Santander Cycles docking stations (live snapshot) · Point · 799 features · EPSG:4326
    • London boroughs · Polygon · 33 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Derive the Web Mercator scale factor at London's latitude
    • Translate a projected buffer distance into its ground equivalent
    • Re-run the coverage analysis with the shrunken buffer and measure the shortfall
    Web Mercatorscale factorprojectionbufferLondonAlso trains Spatial Analysis
    Open problem
  6. Not started, Where should a waterway survey start?Decision supportSQL

    Screen large global urban footprints for mapped river contact while keeping scale limitations explicit.

    Spatial AnalysisintermediateDifficulty: intermediate320 XP~50 min9 checks

    You hand in a spatial SQL query.

    Datasets

    • Urban areas · Polygon · 2,143 features · EPSG:4326
    • Rivers and lake centrelines · LineString · 461 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Apply a spatial join to real river and urban geometry
    • Keep zero-contact footprints in the inventory
    • Distinguish map-scale contact classes for survey planning
    Natural Earthurban waterPostGISspatial screeningcategorical mapglobalAlso trains PostGIS / SQL, Cartography, Data Management
    Open problem
  7. Not started, Where should the sewer service desk review closure lag?Decision supportPython

    Turn a fixed 311 complaint cohort into a map of requests open longer than an analyst-defined day.

    Spatial AnalysisintermediateDifficulty: intermediate320 XP~50 min5 checks

    You hand in a Python script.

    Dataset

    • NYC 311 sewer requests, 1–7 June 2025 · Point · 408 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Calculate closure lag from timestamp fields without inventing values for open requests
    • Select the service manager's review queue
    • Map the concentration of selected requests while retaining per-request details
    NYC 311urban servicestemporal GISheat mapGeoPandasAlso trains Python, Cartography, Data Management
    Open problem
  8. Not started, Which airfields should the response desk check?Decision supportSQL

    Use a metre-based spatial join to identify civil airfields near strong, shallow earthquake epicentres, with the facilities drawn on the map.

    PostGIS / SQLintermediateDifficulty: intermediate260 XP~45 min6 checks

    You hand in a spatial SQL query.

    Datasets

    • Global M5.5+ earthquakes, Jan–Mar 2025 · Point · 86 features · EPSG:4326
    • World airports · Point · 893 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Filter events by magnitude and depth
    • Join the selected events to civil airfields within 250 km in metres
    • Return traceable, mapped airport points and measured distances
    PostGISearthquake responseairportsgeographyglobalAlso trains Spatial Analysis, Cartography
    Open problem
  9. Not started, Which places can the emissions change map actually compare?Data qualityPython

    Audit two-date indicator coverage and map the places excluded before showing a climate trend.

    Data ManagementintermediateDifficulty: intermediate290 XP~45 min6 checks

    You hand in a Python script.

    Datasets

    • Countries · MultiPolygon · 241 features · EPSG:4326
    • CO2 per capita by country, 2010 and 2022 · Point · 241 features · EPSG:4326

    What you’ll do

    • Audit missingness before a two-date map is interpreted
    • Prevent a many-to-many join on nonstandard ISO codes
    • Show complete and incomplete coverage on real country polygons
    World Bankdata qualitymissing datacategorical mapglobalAlso trains Python, Cartography
    Open problem