B53F:
Forensic Geology: From Crime Scene to Courtroom Posters
Submit an Abstract to this Session
Session ID#: 46981
Session Description:
Geosciences are applied in the criminal justice system in numerous ways. Soil and other geologic materials found on items of evidence can be compared to samples collected at a crime scene, while geophysical, remote sensing, and spatial analysis can aid in locating clandestine burial sites. Provenance studies focus on identifying potential source locations for geological evidence by comparing them with the known distribution of soils, rock types, and pollen. Because of the limited quantity of materials often obtained, many methods commonly used in geology and geochemistry are unsuitable for forensic characterization of geologic materials.
This session highlights geoscience methods that can be applied in the criminal justice system including case studies, current practices, and forward-looking methods. Novel forensic geology methods may include LIDAR, multi-spectral imaging, predictive spatial analysis. Analysis of forensic soils may be enhanced with DNA-based taxonomic identification, Raman microscopy, micromorphometry, among others.
Primary Convener: Ian Saginor, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Trace Evidence Unit, Quantico, United States
Conveners: David W Szymanski, Bentley University, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Waltham, MA, United States, Christopher E Bernhardt, USGS, Baltimore, MD, United States and Jack Hietpas, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
Primary Liaison: Ian Saginor, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Trace Evidence Unit, Quantico, United States
Chairs: Ian Saginor, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Trace Evidence Unit, Quantico, United States and David W Szymanski, Bentley University, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Waltham, MA, United States
OSPA Liaison: Christopher E Bernhardt, USGS, Baltimore, MD, United States
Cross-Listed:
Proposed Co-Organized Session with:
Abstracts Submitted to this Session:
Eugene M Peters, FBI Laboratory, Springfield, VA, United States, Maureen Bottrell, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quantico, VA, United States and Ian Saginor, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Trace Evidence Unit, Quantico, United States
Laurance John Donnelly, IUGS Initiative on Forensic Geology, Prescot, United Kingdom and Mark Harrison, IUGS-IFG Law Enforcment Adviser, Australian Criminal Intelliegence Commission & University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
Libby A Stern1, Jodi Webb2, Debra A Willard3, Christopher E Bernhardt3, David A Korejwo4, Maureen Bottrell2, Nancy J McMillan5, Jared Schuetter5, Jack Hietpas4,6 and Garrett B McMahon4, (1)Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Research & Support Unit, Quantico, United States, (2)FBI Laboratory, Quantico, VA, United States, (3)USGS, Baltimore, MD, United States, (4)FBI Laboratory, Quantico, United States, (5)Battelle Columbus, Columbus, United States, (6)Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
Jodi Webb1, David A Korejwo2, Debra A Willard3, Christopher E Bernhardt3 and Maureen Bottrell4, (1)FBI Laboratory, Quantico, VA, United States, (2)FBI Laboratory, Quantico, United States, (3)USGS, Baltimore, MD, United States, (4)Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quantico, VA, United States
Jack Hietpas, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus, University Park, PA, United States, JoAnn Buscaglia, Federal Bureau of Investigation, CFSRU, Quantico, VA, United States, Garrett B McMahon, FBI Laboratory, Quantico, United States and Libby A Stern, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Research & Support Unit, Quantico, United States
Jonathan Sanderman1, Shree R.S. Dangal1, Richard R. Ferguson2, Jodi Webb3, Libby Stern4 and Douglas Wysocki2, (1)Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA, United States, (2)National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, United States, (3)Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Trace Evidence Unit, Quantico, United States, (4)Federal Bureau of Investigation, RSU, Quantico, United States
Ian Saginor1, Christine Dong2, Jodi Webb1, Maureen Bottrell3, Brad Lee4 and Libby Stern5, (1)Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laboratory - Trace Evidence Unit, Quantico, United States, (2)Federal Bureau of Investigation, CFSRU, Quantico, VA, United States, (3)Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quantico, VA, United States, (4)University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States, (5)Federal Bureau of Investigation, RSU, Quantico, United States
Heather Dawn Hanna, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States, Xiaoming Liu, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States and Steven Singletary, Robeson Community College, Math and Science Department, Fayetteville, NC, United States
Christine Dong, Federal Bureau of Investigation, CFSRU, Quantico, VA, United States, Libby Stern, Federal Bureau of Investigation, RSU, Quantico, United States, Dylan Beaudette, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Sonora, CA, United States, Jason Nemecek, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Cooperative Soil Survey, Madison, WI, United States and Charles Ferguson, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, NE, United States
Megan J Richardson1, Stephen P Baker2, Meradeth Snow3 and Randall R Skelton3, (1)Rocky Mountain Research Station Missoula, Missoula, MT, United States, (2)USFS Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT, United States, (3)University of Montana, Anthropology, Missoula, MT, United States
Aurora C Elmore, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States, Elizabeth L Pierce, Lamont Doherty Earth Obs, Palisades, NY, United States, Sidney R Hemming, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, United States and Keith Metassa, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Laguna Beach, United States
