Help & Legend

How to read the COP, Theater, and Timelapse rails.

Layers (Global COP)

GDELT
Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone — machine-coded political and conflict events (CAMEO codes, Goldstein scale, polarity / intensity). Map mark: gray reticle (red when high conflict).
USGS
Earthquakes magnitude ≥ 4.5. Map mark: amber seismic arcs.
GDACS
Multi-hazard disaster alerts. Map mark: orange warning triangle (stronger when severe).
UCDP
Uppsala Conflict Data Program organized-violence events (CC BY 4.0). Structural well — turning UCDP on may expand the time window so conflict depth is visible. Map mark: violet hash in brackets.
Statements
Public releases from governments, militaries, and IGOs. Not "verified truth" — source class is institutional public release. Map mark: document.
Tips
Reporter / OSINT watchlist signals. Always unverified until a human promotes them. Map mark: amber pin with dashed ring.
Ships
AIS vessel positions. Map mark: cyan hull silhouette.
Aircraft
OpenSky ADS-B positions. Map mark: magenta aircraft silhouette, oriented by true track.

CAMEO, QuadClass, intensity

GDELT does not store the newspaper headline as identity. Identity is a CAMEO act between two actors. The article is a separate source page. Those can disagree — that disagreement is useful.

QuadClass — conflict type

Four bins. Coarse. Read this first, then the CAMEO number.

Q1 Verbal cooperation
Talk, appeal, endorse, consult. No material move.
Q2 Material cooperation
Aid, trade, yield, or a physical cooperative act.
Q3 Verbal conflict
Demand, accuse, threaten, or protest in words.
Q4 Material conflict
Coerce, arrest, assault, fight, or another physical hostile act.

CAMEO — the act

The number in brackets on a GDELT title is the CAMEO code. Two digits = family. Three or four = specific act. Example: [173] = arrest, detain, or charge with legal action (family 17 = coerce).

01–04
Statement, appeal, intent, consult
05–08
Diplomatic / material cooperation, aid, yield
09–12
Investigate, demand, disapprove, reject
13–16
Threaten, protest, military posture, reduce relations
17 Coerce
173 arrest · 171 seize property · 174 expel · 175 violent repression
18–20
Assault, fight (190 conventional force, 193 small arms), mass violence

Intensity and polarity — conflict level

  • Polarity — conflict, cooperation, or neutral. Which side of the ledger.
  • Intensity — absolute Goldstein, 0–10. Higher = sharper coded act, not "more important to Hale."
  • HC — high-conflict flag on the conflict side at elevated intensity (≥7).

Read the rail as: type (Q) → act (CAMEO) → level (intensity / HC) → source page. If the page topic and the CAMEO act disagree, do not collapse them.

Time windows

Short presets (6h–30d) fit sensors and blotter-style wells. Longer presets fit structural conflict data such as UCDP.

Marker legend

  • Reticle (gray) — GDELT / coded event
  • Heavy reticle (red) — high conflict (HC)
  • Amber pin + dashed ring — reporter tip (unverified)
  • Violet hash — UCDP conflict event
  • Document — Statements
  • Amber arcs — USGS earthquake
  • Orange triangle — GDACS hazard
  • Cyan hull — AIS ship
  • Magenta aircraft — ADS-B track

Definitions

COP
Common Operating Picture — a shared map and feed for situational awareness.
Place tabs
Geographic focus. Map flies to the place; non-global places filter by bbox.
Trust
Source reliability and corroboration matter. Counts like ×3 mean repeated links, not automatic truth. Tips start as unverified.

Navigation

  1. Open Global COP for the full map and feed.
  2. Pick a Place tab and a time window.
  3. Toggle layers.
  4. Click a list row or map marker to open Detail.
  5. Use Theater for a fixed theater list and bbox focus.

Sensor tradecraft (AIS · ADS-B)

Maritime and air layers are presence sensors, not identity proof.

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