What is the primary purpose of change detection in GEOINT?

The primary purpose of change detection in GEOINT is to identify differences in the state of an object over time. This process is crucial for various applications such as monitoring environmental change, urban development, and natural disaster impact assessment. By analyzing sequential images or datasets, analysts can observe and quantify alterations in land use, infrastructure, vegetation, and other geographic features.

Change detection allows for timely decision-making and resource management because it highlights transformations that may affect safety, security, and strategic planning. Ultimately, understanding how and why things change helps in the assessment of various processes affecting the Earth’s landscapes and the impacts on human activities.