Geospatial Intelligence

Decision makers, such as government officials, need to better understand human activity in order to make informed decisions. With the ability to measure and explore geographic space through the use of geospatial intelligence data sources including imagery and mapping data, they are better able to measure factors affecting the human population. As a broad field of study, geospatial research has applications in a variety of fields including military science, environmental science, civil engineering, and space exploration. Geospatial Intelligence: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications explores multidisciplinary applications of geographic information systems to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and to gather data, information, and knowledge regarding human activity. Highlighting a range of topics such as geovisualization, spatial analysis, and landscape mapping, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for data scientists, engineers, government agencies, researchers, and graduate-level students in GIS programs.

This book explores cutting-edge methods combining geospatial technologies and artificial intelligence related to several fields such as smart farming, urban planning, geology, transportation, and 3D city models. It introduces techniques which range from machine and deep learning to remote sensing for geospatial data analysis. The book consists of two main parts that include 13 chapters contributed by promising authors. The first part deals with the use of artificial intelligence techniques to improve spatial data analysis, whereas the second part focuses on the use of artificial intelligence with remote sensing in various fields. Throughout the chapters, the interest for the use of artificial intelligence is demonstrated for different geospatial technologies such as aerial imagery, drones, Lidar, satellite remote sensing, and more. The work in this book is dedicated to the scientific community interested in the coupling of geospatial technologies and artificial intelligence and exploring the synergetic effects of both fields. It offers practitioners and researchers from academia, the industry and government information, experiences and research results about all aspects of specialized and interdisciplinary fields on geospatial intelligence.

Geospatial Intelligence: Origins and Evolution tells the story of how the current age of geospatial knowledge evolved from its ancient origins to become ubiquitous in daily life across the globe, weaving a tapestry of stories about the people, events, ideas, and technologies that affected the trajectory of what has become known as GEOINT.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) provides geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to support national security, both as a national intelligence and a combat support agency. In the post-9/11 world, the need for faster and more accurate geospatial intelligence is increasing. GEOINT uses imagery and geospatial data and information to provide knowledge for planning, decisions, and action. For example, data from satellites, pilotless aircraft and ground sensors are integrated with maps and other intelligence data to provide location information on a potential target. This report defines 12 hard problems in geospatial science that NGA must resolve in order to evolve their capabilities to meet future needs. Many of the hard research problems are related to integration of data collected from an ever-growing variety of sensors and non-spatial data sources, and analysis of spatial data collected during a sequence of time (spatio-temporal data). The report also suggests promising approaches in geospatial science and related disciplines for meeting these challenges. The results of this study are intended to help NGA prioritize geospatial science research directions.

A Short Introduction to Geospatial Intelligence explains the newest form of intelligence used by governments, commercial organizations, and individuals. Geospatial intelligence combines late 20th century historically derived ways of thinking and early 21st century technologies of GIS, GPS, digital imaging satellites and communications satellites to identify, measure, and analyze the current risk in the world. These ways of thinking have developed from military engineering, cartography, photointerpretation, and imagery analysis. While the oldest example dates back to the early 16th century, all the ways of spatial thinking share the common thread of being developed and refined during conflicts to help military leaders make informed decisions prior to action. In the 21st century— thanks in great part to advances in digital precision technology, miniaturization, and the commercialization of satellites— these ways of thinking have expanded from the military into various other industries and sectors including energy, agriculture, environment, law enforcement, global risk assessment, and climate monitoring. Features: • Analyzes human and algorithmic models for dealing with the challenge of analytic attention, in an age of geospatial data overload • Establishes an original model— envisioning, discovery, recording, comprehending, and tracking— for the spatial thinking that underpins the practice and growth of this emerging discipline • Addresses the effects of small satellites on the collection and analysis of geospatial intelligence A Short Introduction to Geospatial Intelligence describes the development of the five steps in geospatial thinking— envisioning, discovery, recording, comprehending, and tracking— in addition to addressing the challenges, and future applications, of this newest intelligence discipline.

We live in a changing world with multiple and evolving threats to national security, including terrorism, asymmetrical warfare (conflicts between agents with different military powers or tactics), and social unrest. Visually depicting and assessing these threats using imagery and other geographically-referenced information is the mission of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). As the nature of the threat evolves, so do the tools, knowledge, and skills needed to respond. The challenge for NGA is to maintain a workforce that can deal with evolving threats to national security, ongoing scientific and technological advances, and changing skills and expectations of workers. Future U.S. Workforce for Geospatial Intelligence assesses the supply of expertise in 10 geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) fields, including 5 traditional areas (geodesy and geophysics, photogrammetry, remote sensing, cartographic science, and geographic information systems and geospatial analysis) and 5 emerging areas that could improve geospatial intelligence (GEOINT fusion, crowdsourcing, human geography, visual analytics, and forecasting). The report also identifies gaps in expertise relative to NGA's needs and suggests ways to ensure an adequate supply of geospatial intelligence expertise over the next 20 years.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Provides doctrine for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) support to joint operations. It discusses GEOINT roles, planning, coordination, production, dissemination, and existing architectures that support GEOINT and the geospatial info. and services and intelligence officer in planning, execution, and assessment of the mission. Sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the U.S. in operations and provides the doctrinal basis for interagency coordination and for U.S. military involvement in multi-national operations. Provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders Prescribes joint doctrine for operations and training.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) within the Department of Defense has the primary mission of providing timely, relevant, and accurate imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information-collectively known as geospatial intelligence (GEOINT)-in support of national security. In support of its mission, NGA sponsors research that builds the scientific foundation for geospatial intelligence and that reinforces the academic base, thus training the next generation of NGA analysts while developing new approaches to analytical problems. Historically, NGA has supported research in five core areas: (1) photogrammetry and geomatics, (2) remote sensing and imagery science, (3) geodesy and geophysics, (4) cartographic science, and (5) geographic information systems (GIS) and geospatial analysis. Positioning NGA for the future is the responsibility of the InnoVision Directorate, which analyzes intelligence trends, technological advances, and emerging customer and partner concepts to provide cutting-edge technology and process solutions. At the request of InnoVision, the National Research Council (NRC) held a 3-day workshop to explore the evolution of the five core research areas and to identify emerging disciplines that may improve the quality of geospatial intelligence over the next 15 years. This workshop report offers a potential research agenda that would expand NGA's capabilities and improve its effectiveness in providing geospatial intelligence.