Gralhix OSINT Exercise #012
Analyzing Satellite Imagery of Coastal Wildfires
Exercise Challenge
Gralhix’s latest challenge presents us with a satellite image showing a coastal area with numerous red pixels, each representing a 30-meter center point containing a thermal anomaly. The data is from January, and our task is threefold:
a) Identify the website used to produce the image
b) Determine the country shown in the image
c) Pinpoint the specific date of the data
Gralhix rates the difficulty as follows:
- For beginners: a) Easy, b) Hard, c) Medium
- For experts: a) Easy, b) Medium, c) Easy
I’ll admit, as this exercise loaded, a mix of relief and excitement washed over me. After struggling with the facial recognition and Arabic transliteration challenges in Exercise 011, this image immediately rang a familiar bell. I had seen imagery like this before, and that recognition would prove crucial in tackling this challenge.
Solution Summary
My approach to this exercise leveraged a combination of prior knowledge, careful observation, and strategic use of OSINT tools. Here’s a quick overview of my process and findings:
1. Website Identification: Recognized the interface from a Bellingcat article about using NASA’s fire monitoring tool for conflict zone analysis.
2. Geolocation: Used Google Earth Pro to match the coastline, identifying the area as near Concepción, Chile.
3. Date Determination: Combined Google search results with data from NASA’s website to pinpoint the exact date.
Key findings:
a) The website is NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS)
b) The country is Chile
c) The specific date is January 26, 2017
This investigation took approximately 20 minutes, highlighting the power of combining different OSINT techniques and tools.
Detailed Walkthrough
Website Identification
The moment I saw the exercise image, it triggered a memory. I recalled reading a Bellingcat article about using NASA’s fire monitoring tool to track conflicts. A quick check of my browser history confirmed my hunch: “Scorched Earth: Using NASA Fire Data to Monitor War Zones”. Bellingcat even offers a handy in depth video tutorial of the tool/website.
The interface and overlay style in the exercise image matched perfectly with the NASA FIRMS website:
This quick recognition allowed me to answer Gralhix’s first question right out of the gate.
Geolocation Analysis
With the website identified, I turned my attention to geolocating the image. Here’s how I approached it:
1. Map Orientation: I assumed NASA uses a North-oriented (North-up) method for displaying geospatial imagery. This standard orientation means north is at the top, south at the bottom, west to the left, and east to the right.
2. Key Geographic Features: I identified two critical features:
— A large body of water to the west (left side of the image)
— A hilly or mountainous zone running parallel to the coast in a north-south direction
3. Geographic Candidate: These features suggested the Pacific coast of South America, with the mountain range likely being part of the Andes.
To confirm and hopefully pinpoint the exact location, I turned to Google Earth Pro, utilizing two key features:
- Changing the scale to match the exercise image
- Using image overlay to compare the coastline
The match was clear — we were looking at the coast of Chile near the city of Concepción.
Date Determination
With the location identified, determining the date became much easier. Gralhix had provided the month (January), but not the year. However, large wildfires near cities tend to make news.
A Google search for “Constitución wildfire January” yielded several results around January 26, 2017.
The town mentioned in the video and destroyed by the fire is marked with the yellow map tack:
To confirm the date, I returned to the FIRMS website and used their historical data feature:
This verified the specific date as January 26, 2017.
Lessons Learned
1. Prior Knowledge is Power: My familiarity with the Bellingcat article gave me an immediate advantage. It underscores the value of staying informed about OSINT tools and techniques.
2. Master Your Tools: Investing time in learning Google Earth Pro’s features paid off big time in this exercise. The ability to overlay images and match scales significantly streamlined the geolocation process.
3. Combine Multiple Sources: Using Google search results in conjunction with the FIRMS historical data showcases the power of cross-referencing information from different sources.
Additional Considerations
This exercise has sparked a growing interest in mapping and geographical information systems (GIS) for OSINT work. Here are some areas I plan to explore further:
1. Advanced Google Earth Pro Techniques: There’s likely more functionality I haven’t yet tapped into.
2. GIS Systems: Tools like QGIS (https://www.qgis.org/en/site/) offer powerful capabilities for spatial data analysis and visualization.
3. Satellite Imagery Analysis: Developing a better understanding of how to interpret various types of satellite imagery could be invaluable for future investigations.
GIS in OSINT Investigations:
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are powerful tools that allow for the collection, analysis, and visualization of spatial or geographical data. In OSINT work, GIS can be incredibly valuable for:
- Mapping connections between people, places, and events
- Analyzing patterns and trends over geographical areas
- Visualizing complex datasets in an intuitive, map-based format
- Combining multiple layers of information (e.g., satellite imagery, population data, infrastructure maps)
As OSINT practitioners, developing skills in GIS can significantly enhance our ability to draw insights from geospatial data and present findings in compelling, visual ways.
Conclusion
Exercise 012 was a welcome change of pace after the challenges of the previous exercise. It highlighted the value of diverse OSINT skills — from recognizing specialized tools to leveraging geographical knowledge and using advanced mapping software.
Using the ICD 203 analytic confidence scale, I’d rate my findings on the identification of the website, country location, and determination of the specific date depicted in the exercise imagery as almost certain.
This exercise illustrated the power of combining different OSINT techniques and tools to quickly and accurately answer complex questions about geographical events.
Acknowledgments
A big thank you to Gralhix for crafting another engaging and educational exercise. The quick turnaround on feedback is invaluable for the learning process.
I’d also like to express gratitude to Google and NASA for providing amazing tools like FIRMS and Google Earth Pro to the public. These resources are invaluable for OSINT practitioners and curious minds alike.
What are your thoughts on this investigation? Have you used similar tools in your OSINT work? I’d love to hear about your experiences or any questions you might have in the comments below!
