19. Geography Exercises¶

Here’s a reminder of all the functions we have seen so far. They should be useful for the exercises!

Sum(number) adds up all the numbers in the result set
ST_GeogFromText(text) returns a geography
ST_Distance(geography, geography) returns the distance between geographies
ST_Transform(geometry, srid) returns geometry, in the new projection
ST_Length(geography) returns the length of the line
ST_Intersects(geometry, geometry) returns true if the objects are not disjoint in planar space
ST_Intersects(geography, geography) returns true if the objects are not disjoint in spheroidal space

Also remember the tables we have available:

19.1. Exercises¶

How far is New York from Seattle? What are the units of the answer?

Note

New York = POINT(-74.0064 40.7142) and Seattle = POINT(-122.3331 47.6097)
```
SELECT ST_Distance(
  'POINT(-74.0064 40.7142)'::geography,
  'POINT(-122.3331 47.6097)'::geography
  );
```
```
3875538.57141352
```
What is the total length of all streets in New York, calculated on the spheroid?
```
SELECT Sum(
  ST_Length(Geography(
    ST_Transform(geom,4326)
  )))
FROM nyc_streets;
```
```
10421999.666
```
Note

The length calculated in the planar “UTM Zone 18” projection is 10418904.717, 0.02% different. UTM is good at preserving area and distance, within the zone boundaries.
Does ‘POINT(1 2.0001)’ intersect with ‘POLYGON((0 0, 0 2, 2 2, 2 0, 0 0))’ in geography? In geometry? Why the difference?
```
SELECT ST_Intersects(
  'POINT(1 2.0001)'::geography,
  'POLYGON((0 0,0 2,2 2,2 0,0 0))'::geography
);

SELECT ST_Intersects(
  'POINT(1 2.0001)'::geometry,
  'POLYGON((0 0,0 2,2 2,2 0,0 0))'::geometry
);
```
```
true and false
```
Note

The upper edge of the square is a straight line in geometry, and passes below the point, so the square does not contain the point. The upper edge of the square is a great circle in geography, and passes above the point, so the square does contain the point.