A riveting introduction to the complex and evolving field of geospatial intelligence.
Although geospatial intelligence is a term of recent origin, its underpinnings have a long and interesting history. Geospatial Intelligence: Origins and Evolution shows how the current age of geospatial knowledge evolved from its ancient origins to become ubiquitous in daily life across the globe. Within that framework, the book weaves a tapestry of stories about the people, events, ideas, and technologies that affected the trajectory of what has become known as GEOINT.
Author Robert M. Clark explores the historical background and subsequent influence of fields such as geography, cartography, remote sensing, photogrammetry, geopolitics, geophysics, and geographic information systems on GEOINT. Although its modern use began in national security communities, Clark shows how GEOINT has rapidly extended its reach to other government agencies, NGOs, and corporations. This global explosion in the use of geospatial intelligence has far-reaching implications not only for the scientific, academic, and commercial communities but for a society increasingly reliant upon emerging technologies. Drones, the Internet of things, and cellular devices transform how we gather information and how others can collect that information, to our benefit or detriment.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Prologue
List of Abbreviations
1. Intelligence and Geospatial Intelligence
The Boundaries of Intelligence
Geospatial Terminology
The Power of a Single Word
Defining Geospatial Intelligence
2. A Brief History of Maps and Charts
Mapping
The Silk Road
Cartography
Photogrammetry
Nautical Charts
Aeronautical Charts
Establishing Claims with Cartography
Chapter Summary
3. Terrain
Measuring and Representing Terrain
Digital Elevation Models
Military Use of Terrain
Civil Use of Terrain
Oceanographic Terrain
Chapter Summary
4. Navigation
Celestial Navigation
Radio Navigation
Satellite Navigation
Chapter Summary
5. Geopolitics
Mahan’s Sea Power Theory
Mackinder’s Heartland Theory
German Geopolitik
Spykman’s Rimland Theory
The Continuing Influence of Geopolitical Theories
Thematic Cartography
Geopolitical Strategy
Chapter Summary
6. Geographic Information Systems
The Cluttered Map
Hard Copy Layers
Roger Tomlinson, the Father of GIS
The Harvard Connection
ESRI and Intergraph
Interactive Maps and Charts
The GIS Choice: Raster or Vector?
The Power of GIS
The Explosion of GIS Applications
Are Paper Maps Obsolete?
GIS and GEOINT
Chapter Summary
7. Geolocation
Geolocation Basics
Using Imagery
Radiofrequency Geolocation
Acoustic Geolocation
Cyber Geolocation
Chapter Summary
8. Gaining the High Ground
Gettysburg
Observation Towers
Lighter-than-Air Craft
Exotic Approaches to the High Ground
Aircraft
Chapter Summary
9. The Ultimate High Ground
Remote-Sensing Satellites
Government Nonmilitary Applications
Military Applications
Commercial Imaging Satellites
Chapter Summary
10. Visible Imaging
Aerial Film Cameras
Satellite Film Cameras
Digital Cameras
Video Cameras
Getting the Image Right
Analyzing the Image
Chapter Summary
11. Spectral Imaging
The Infrared Bands
The Ultraviolet Spectrum
Imaging outside the Visible Band
Spectral Imagers
Chapter Summary
12. Radar Imaging
Conventional Radar
Side-Looking Airborne Radar
Synthetic Aperture Radar
Laser Radar
Chapter Summary
13. The Drivers of Geospatial Intelligence
Denial and Deception
Fleeting Targets
Precision and Accuracy
Outside Expertise
Characterizing Oceans and Ocean Traffic
New Issues
A Complete Picture
Chapter Summary
14. The Tools of Geospatial Intelligence
Geomatics
Geographic Information System
Geovisualization
Big Data
Data Analytics and Visual Analytics
Geospatial Simulation Modeling
Chapter Summary
15. Sociocultural GEOINT
Sociocultural Factors in Conflict Resolution
Activity-Based Intelligence
Pattern-of-Life Analysis
Volunteered Geographic Information
Involuntary Geographic Information
Chapter Summary
16. The Story of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The Defense Mapping Agency
The National Photographic Interpretation Center
The National Imagery and Mapping Agency’s Standup
A Tale of Two Cities
The Fight to Survive
The NGA’s Standup
Reaching Out
Establishing the Boundaries of GEOINT
Chapter Summary
17. The GEOINT Explosion
US Geospatial Intelligence Organizations
Five Eyes GEOIN
Other National GEOINT Organizations
Transnational GEOINT Organizations
Chapter Summary
18. Non-National Geospatial Intelligence
State/Provincial and Local Government
Nongovernmental Organizations
Chapter Summary
19. Commercial GEOINT
Geospatial Business Intelligence
Strategic GEOINT
Operational GEOINT
Geospatial Competitive Intelligence
Chapter Summary
20. The Road Ahead
Predicting the Future
The Future of Cartography
The Tools
Applications of GEOINT
National-Level GEOINT
The Challenge of Ubiquitous GEOINT
Chapter Summary
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Author
Reviews
"Robert Clark has compiled an informative and interesting chronicle of the newest intelligence discipline, GEOINT. I would recommend this well-organized and readable treatise to anyone interested in the evolution of intelligence in this country."—James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence (2010-17), former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (1991-95), former Director of NIMA/NGA (2001-06),former Under Secretary of Defense, Intelligence, (2007-10), and author of Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence
"Paraphrasing a Michelangelo quote, the significance of Clark’s work is that in ‘GEOINT we paint with our brains and not just with our computers.’ He brings to the reader both GEOINT’s fascinating history and also an introduction to the fundamental domain concepts. The book is a needed and essential primer for the profession that transcends the technical and prepares the professional to think critically about the art and science of GEOINT."—Todd S. Bacastow, teaching professor of practice for geospatial intelligence, Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University
"It is a pioneering text suitable for everyone’s reading list as well as the classroom."—AFIO Intelligencer
"To call Robert Clark’s Geospatial Intelligence: Origins and Evolution the best GEOINT primer that I have read is necessary— accurate —and insufficient. It is much more."—The Cipher Brief
About the Author
Robert M. Clark is an expert in national intelligence and has authored or coauthored six books on the subject, including Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach. He is currently an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and an adjunct faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Clark has previously served as a CIA senior analyst and group chief and as cofounder and CEO of the Scientific and Technical Analysis Corporation.
