diff --git a/PROJECTS/advanced/monitor-the-situation-dashboard/backend/internal/collectors/gdelt/baseline.go b/PROJECTS/advanced/monitor-the-situation-dashboard/backend/internal/collectors/gdelt/baseline.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cbaab34b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PROJECTS/advanced/monitor-the-situation-dashboard/backend/internal/collectors/gdelt/baseline.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// ©AngelaMos | 2026
+// baseline.go
+
+package gdelt
+
+import "math"
+
+const (
+	minStdDev = 1.0
+)
+
+type Bucket struct {
+	Score int64
+	Count int
+}
+
+type ThemeState struct {
+	buckets []Bucket
+	capN    int
+}
+
+func NewThemeState(capN int) *ThemeState {
+	if capN <= 0 {
+		capN = 96
+	}
+	return &ThemeState{capN: capN}
+}
+
+func (s *ThemeState) Push(b Bucket) {
+	s.buckets = append(s.buckets, b)
+	if len(s.buckets) > s.capN {
+		s.buckets = s.buckets[len(s.buckets)-s.capN:]
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *ThemeState) Len() int {
+	return len(s.buckets)
+}
+
+func (s *ThemeState) Stats() (mean, stddev float64) {
+	if len(s.buckets) == 0 {
+		return 0, 0
+	}
+	sum := 0.0
+	for _, b := range s.buckets {
+		sum += float64(b.Count)
+	}
+	mean = sum / float64(len(s.buckets))
+
+	variance := 0.0
+	for _, b := range s.buckets {
+		d := float64(b.Count) - mean
+		variance += d * d
+	}
+	variance /= float64(len(s.buckets))
+	stddev = math.Sqrt(variance)
+	return mean, stddev
+}
+
+func (s *ThemeState) ZScore(count int) float64 {
+	mean, stddev := s.Stats()
+	if stddev < minStdDev {
+		return 0
+	}
+	return (float64(count) - mean) / stddev
+}
diff --git a/PROJECTS/advanced/monitor-the-situation-dashboard/backend/internal/collectors/gdelt/baseline_test.go b/PROJECTS/advanced/monitor-the-situation-dashboard/backend/internal/collectors/gdelt/baseline_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cdd383b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PROJECTS/advanced/monitor-the-situation-dashboard/backend/internal/collectors/gdelt/baseline_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// ©AngelaMos | 2026
+// baseline_test.go
+
+package gdelt_test
+
+import (
+	"math"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/carterperez-dev/monitor-the-situation/backend/internal/collectors/gdelt"
+)
+
+func TestBaseline_EmptyReturnsZeroZ(t *testing.T) {
+	b := gdelt.NewThemeState(96)
+	require.InDelta(t, 0.0, b.ZScore(100), 0.0001)
+}
+
+func TestBaseline_StableThenSpikeReturnsHighZ(t *testing.T) {
+	b := gdelt.NewThemeState(96)
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	for i := 0; i < 96; i++ {
+		b.Push(gdelt.Bucket{Score: now.Add(-time.Duration(i) * 15 * time.Minute).UnixMilli(), Count: 100 + (i % 10)})
+	}
+	z := b.ZScore(500)
+	require.Greater(t, z, 3.0)
+}
+
+func TestBaseline_StableThenNormalReturnsLowZ(t *testing.T) {
+	b := gdelt.NewThemeState(96)
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	for i := 0; i < 96; i++ {
+		b.Push(gdelt.Bucket{Score: now.Add(-time.Duration(i) * 15 * time.Minute).UnixMilli(), Count: 100 + (i % 10)})
+	}
+	z := b.ZScore(108)
+	require.Less(t, z, 3.0)
+}
+
+func TestBaseline_CapacityCapsBuckets(t *testing.T) {
+	b := gdelt.NewThemeState(10)
+	for i := 0; i < 200; i++ {
+		b.Push(gdelt.Bucket{Score: int64(i), Count: i})
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, 10, b.Len())
+}
+
+func TestBaseline_TinyStdDevDoesNotDivByZero(t *testing.T) {
+	b := gdelt.NewThemeState(96)
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	for i := 0; i < 96; i++ {
+		b.Push(gdelt.Bucket{Score: now.Add(-time.Duration(i) * 15 * time.Minute).UnixMilli(), Count: 100})
+	}
+	z := b.ZScore(101)
+	require.False(t, math.IsInf(z, 0))
+	require.False(t, math.IsNaN(z))
+}