Stanford University

Frank Pabian Publications

PUBLICATIONS by Frank Pabian

  • Recent Developments Promoting Open-Source Geospatial Synergy: Emerging Trends and Their Impact for Nuclear Nonproliferation Analysis (Link)

Institute for Nuclear Materials Management, July 14, 2015

This paper reviews some key elements of this open-source geospatial (r)evolution, updates earlier work on the subject by these authors, and explains (by way of a few exemplar cases) how this expanding and evolving open-source tool-kit is making it easier, in terms of time and cost, to derive and assess new nuclear nonproliferation relevant information. (6 authors)

  • Getting Closer to Surface Ground Truth Zero: Enhanced Geo-Positioning and Geological Site Characterization of Underground Nuclear Test Sites Such as in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Using Openly Available Geospatial Tools Like Google Earth (Link)

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), June 24, 2015

Presentation at the CTBTO's Science and Technology Conference 2015.
(@ ~2:30 through ~22:30 minutes on video link)

  • Revised Geologic Site Characterization of the North Korean Test Site at Punggye-ri (Link)

Princeton University/Science and Global Security, Taylor & Francis, June 29, 2015

This contribution illustrates the utility of this approach by developing a revised geologic map of the North Korean test site through reconnaissance-based geomorphometrics (defined as the science of quantitative land surface analysis) and geospatial investigation. (2 authors)

  • Open Source Analysis in Support to Nonproliferation Monitoring and Verification Activities: Using the New Media to Derive Unknown New Information (Link)

IAEA: Symposium on International Safeguards: Linking Strategy, Implementation and People vol. IAEA-CN-20 p. Page 320 - Paper n° IAEA CN-220, #312, October 23, 2014

Article and E-Poster
This paper describes evolving techniques that are synergistically being applied in unique ways to make new information discoveries that might otherwise have likely remained unknown. These techniques leverage multiple freely available open source social media venues, as part of the encompassing “New Media,” to derive cuing information for indications of previously unknown and...more (6 authors)

  • Innovating Verification: Redefining Societal Verification (Link)

Nuclear Threat Initiative, July 16, 2014

Part of the Innovating Verification report series, Redefining Societal Verification explores how advances in information technologies, big data, social media analytics, and commercial satellite imagery can supplement existing verification efforts by governments and increase contributions from outside experts. (11 authors)

  • Comment on “Advanced Seismic Analyses of the Source Characteristics of the 2006 and 2009 North Korean Nuclear Tests” by J. R. Murphy, J. L. Stevens, B. C. Kohl, and T. J. Bennett (Link)

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, July 15, 2014

This review provides additional insights on derived information concerning various aspects of the North Korean nuclear test site at Punggye-ri. (2 authors)

  • Quantitative Geomorphometrics for Terrain Characterization (Link)

International Journal of Geosciences, 2014, 5, 247-266 Published Online March 2014 in SciRes, March 9, 2014

The relationship between geology and landforms has long been established with quantitative analysis dating back more than 100 years. The surface expression of various subsurface litholo-
gies motivates our effort to develop an automated terrain classification algorithm based solely on topographic information. The nexus of several factors has recently provided the opportunity to
advance our...more (3 authors)

  • Making Discoveries in Virtual Worlds via the Cloud (Link)

Stanford University/FSI/CISAC, May 3, 2013

NOTE: REPUBLISHED in Earth Imaging Journal, SEPT/OCT 2013
Please see: http://eijournal.com/print/column/making-discoveries-in-virtual-worlds-via-the-cloud

Analysts at CISAC, together with colleagues at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, are playing a leading role in deriving new, timely, and value-added information of global security and earth science relevance from a...more

  • The New Geospatial Tools: Global Transparency Enhancing IAEA Safeguards (Link)

INMM Annual Meeting Proceedings 2013, July 18, 2013

This paper highlights the significant potential role of the new, freely available, geospatial tools for enhancing IAEA safeguards, and how, together with commercial satellite imagery, they can be used to promote “all-source synergy.” As additional “open sources,” these new geospatial tools have heralded a new era of “global transparency.” They can be used to substantially augment existing...more