Geospatial Forensics
Definition
Geospatial forensics applies spatial evidence to investigations—environmental violations, conflict monitoring, fraud, and disaster attribution. It integrates satellite imagery, sensor logs, phone records, shipping AIS, and social media posts, validating time and location to reconstruct sequences of events. Chain‑of‑custody, reproducibility, and transparency are core to defensible conclusions.
Application
Investigators document illegal mining, verify ceasefire breaches, trace oil spills, or confirm the timing of infrastructure damage. NGOs and journalists use open‑source methods to hold actors accountable.
FAQ
How is authenticity established for images?
Cross‑reference shadows, weather, and landmarks; verify EXIF when available; and compare with independent sensor captures to rule out manipulation.
What legal standards influence workflows?
Documentation of methods, versioned datasets, and peer review. Analysts avoid overclaiming and clearly state limits of resolution and confidence.
How do you mitigate harm when publishing?
Blur sensitive sites, delay releases, and avoid precise coordinates that could endanger people or habitats.
What tools help timelines?
Change detection stacks, multi‑sensor comparisons, and event graphs linking entities to places and times with cited data sources.