How Researchers Are Using Geospatial Technology to Uncover Mexico's Clandestine Graves

In 2014, after the disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa normalistas successful Mexico, Silván and different CentroGeo professionals joined the technological advisory committee connected the case. During the hunt for the students, antithetic civilian groups and authorities brigades detected dozens of amerciable graves. In little than 10 months, the Mexican Attorney General's Office counted 60 sites and 129 bodies successful the authorities of Guerrero. As a effect of the raids, 300 amerciable graves were revealed. Since then, the fig of clandestine graves has lone grown.

No 1 anticipated the size of this horror. The report "Searching betwixt symptom and hope: Findings of clandestine graves successful Mexico 2020 - 2022", exposes with hemerographic information that successful those 2 years, 1,134 clandestine graves were registered, with 2,314 bodies and 2,242 remains. In proportional terms, Colima reported the highest complaint of amerciable graves, with 10 per 100,000 inhabitants. It was followed by Sonora, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Sinaloa and Zacatecas.

By fig of cases, Guanajuato, Sonora and Guerrero basal out. These 3 entities relationship for 42% of the records. By April 2023, a journalistic probe by Quinto Elemento Lab reported that the fig of amerciable burials reached 5,696 clandestine graves, and that much than fractional of them were detected during the existent national administration.

Employing his tract of study, remote sensing, José Luis Silván uses images captured with satellites, drones oregon airplanes, from which helium extracts geospatial accusation utilizing cognition of the physics of light, mathematics and programming. Multispectral and hyperspectral images seizure subsurface accusation utilizing sensors that grounds wavelengths of airy imperceptible to the quality eye, making them utile for searching.

In 2016, during a archetypal survey by CentroGeo researchers, they simulated burials with pig carcasses to measure the imaginable of utilizing hyperspectral cameras successful searches and larn what accusation from the sensors was utile to them. The Mexican researchers knew from probe successful different countries that palmy detection with these techniques depends, successful part, connected being capable to admit however carcasses (and their spectral images) alteration successful antithetic soils and climates.

The experimentation was carried retired connected rented onshore successful the authorities of Morelos. There they buried 7 animals and evaluated the airy reflected by the ungraded astatine antithetic wavelengths for six months. They concluded that a hyperspectral camera, which provides much than a 100 layers of data, has the imaginable to observe clandestine burials, though the method is lone effectual 3 months aft burial. They tried to put for the acquisition of a camera and drone (valued astatine 5 cardinal pesos) done the National Search Commission, but were unsuccessful.