Search

When an unidentified skeleton is discovered, a video superimposition (VS) of the skull and a facial photograph may be undertaken to assist identification. In the first instance, the method is fundamentally a photographic one, requiring the overlay of two 2D photographic images at transparency for comparison. Presently, mathematical and anatomical techniques used to compare skull/face anatomy dominate superimposition discussions, however, little attention has been paid to the equally fundamental photographic prerequisites that underpin these methods. This predisposes error, as the optical parameters of the two comparison photographs are (presently) rarely matched prior to, or for, comparison. In this paper, we: (1) review the basic but critical photographic prerequisites that apply to VS; (2) propose a replacement for the current anatomy-centric searches for the correct ‘skull pose’ with a photographic-centric camera vantage point search; and (3) demarcate superimposition as a clear two-stage phased procedure that depends first on photographic parameter matching, as a prerequisite to undertaking any anatomical comparison(s).

Abstract The emerging signal of climate change is now clearly evident in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) data, matching predictions made by climate models 15 years ago. The observed RO trends represent well-understood responses to global warming, in particular the widespread cooling of the lower stratosphere and warming of the troposphere. This demonstrates the value of RO measurements for climate monitoring, consistent with their information content and their use in both weather forecasting and atmospheric reanalyses.