Geolocation is the process of determining the precise geographic coordinates of a location depicted in a photograph or video. It works by systematically identifying and cross-referencing environmental features: buildings, terrain, vegetation, shadow direction, signage, road markings, and any other mappable element visible in the frame. The output is not a best guess at a country or region. It is a verifiable, mappable coordinate supported by multiple independent lines of spatial evidence.
The technique applies wherever a claimed location requires verification: photographs and video submitted as evidence, official accounts of where an event occurred, the vantage point of a recording, or the geographic spread of a pattern of incidents. A single matching architectural style suggests a region. A single street sign narrows the search. Neither confirms a location. The convergence of three or more independent, non-collocated features that all point to the same coordinate does.
GEO-001 sets out the methodology for inventorying visual features, querying satellite and street-level imagery, and triangulating a confirmed coordinate from visual evidence to evidentiary standard.
Eight workflow steps, seven tooling sources, five false-positive checks, five chain-of-custody requirements.
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01
Required Tools
Seven platforms covering satellite imagery, shadow analysis, and street-level comparison.
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02
OPSEC
Query isolation, local tooling, and source protection during satellite analysis.
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03
Workflow
Eight-step sequence from feature inventory to confirmed coordinate and case note.
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04
False Positives
Architectural similarity, stale imagery, manipulated photographs, and regional variation traps.
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05
Chain of Custody
Source URL, SHA-256 hash, screenshot archive, step log, and Admiralty-graded case note.
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06
Key Queries
Six operator references across Google Earth Pro, SunCalc, Sentinel Hub, and Mapillary.
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Download the card.
A PDF version of GEO-001 is available below for Signal subscribers.
