NCJ Number
214531
Journal
Canadian Society of Forensic Science Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2006 Pages: 1-13
Date Published
March 2006
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article presents two case studies on the use of remote sensing as a detection tool for mass grave sites.
Abstract
Results of the case studies indicated that remote sensing, when accompanied by the acquisition of appropriate data, could be an effective tool for locating unknown mass grave sites. However, the complexities of remote sensing tools present a drawback to their use and, in the wrong hands, can produce overly optimistic results. In order to use remote sensing tools with accuracy, researchers need to have an understanding of the reflective and absorptive properties of the surface and of the target and should also be familiar with the environment where the search is to be conducted. The first case study was conducted in Northwest Guanacaste, Costa Rica and used in-situ spectrometry and airborne hyperspectral imagery. Results indicated spectral and pixel differences between the mass grave site and a control site. The second case study was conducted in Guatemala using an ASTER satellite image, which indicated the approximate location of the grave. The authors recommend the use of hyperspectral data or imagery with several narrow spectral bands so that signal processing techniques can be applied to highlight the subtle variances in the spectra. The results presented here should be considered preliminary. Future research and development of this powerful tool is necessary to the development of effective search techniques. Figures, references