List of Geospatial Search Engines

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Geospatial Search Engines

Google Earth

SunCalc shows the sun's position and shadow direction for any location and time, and pairs with Google Earth imagery to cross-reference and confirm where a photo was taken. Together they underpin geolocation and chronolocation, verifying place and time from visual clues. Both tools are free and widely used in image verification.

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Geospatial Search Engines

Chronolocation & shadow-analysis tools

Chronolocation tools use the position of the sun and shadows to verify the time and date an outdoor photograph was taken. Combined with mapping imagery, they let investigators confirm or challenge a claimed timestamp. Most rely on free astronomical calculators and are a key technique in advanced geolocation.

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Geospatial Search Engines

Google Earth Pro

Google Earth Pro and Google Maps provide satellite imagery, Street View and historical imagery layers used to verify, geolocate and cross-reference photographs and video. The historical layers are particularly valuable for comparing how a location looked over time. Both are free and are foundational tools in geospatial OSINT.

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Geospatial Search Engines

EO Browser

EO Browser, part of Sentinel Hub, gives free access to Sentinel and Landsat satellite imagery, letting investigators compare a location across different dates. It supports change detection for monitoring construction, environmental damage and conflict activity. The browser is free, with paid Sentinel Hub tiers for automated processing.

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Geospatial Search Engines

OpenStreetMap + Overpass Turbo

OpenStreetMap paired with Overpass Turbo lets investigators run structured queries against the world's open map data, finding every feature of a given type within an area. This precision is ideal for locating specific landmarks, roads or amenities during geolocation. Both are free and community-maintained.

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Geospatial Search Engines

Zoom Earth

Zoom Earth displays near-real-time satellite imagery, weather systems, storms and wildfire data on an interactive global map. Investigators use it to check conditions and events at a location and time. The service is free and draws on current satellite and weather feeds.