Geoscientists At Crime Scenes

This book presents the forensic geoscience in general and, in particular, in Italy and their application to peculiar crimes. Italy is internationally relevant due to the presence of different kinds of “geo-crimes” (in the first place, environmental mafia), and is emblematic to understanding the best way to fight these crimes. This book will not only offer a new view point to comprehending these “geo-crimes”, but also fresh and updated results of the different methods applied to fight against these crimes. This book is unique in that it is not a collection of articles but an individual work with the same theme beginning with a state-of-the-art of these disciplines to their international value passing through several case studies.

Forensic geology is the application of geology to aid the investigation of crime. A Guide to Forensic Geology was written by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), Initiative on Forensic Geology (IFG), which was established to promote and develop forensic geology around the world. This book presents the first practical guide for forensic geologists in search and geological trace evidence analysis. Guidance is provided on using geological methods during search operations. This developed following international case work experiences and research over the last 25 years for homicide graves, burials associated with serious and organised crime and counter terrorism. With expertise gained in over 300 serious crime investigations, the guidance also considers geological trace evidence, including the examination of crime scenes, geological evidence recovery and analysis from exhibits and the reporting of results. The book also considers the judicial system, reporting and requirements for presenting evidence in court. Included are emerging applications of geology to police and law enforcement: illegal and illicit mining, conflict minerals, substitution, adulteration, fraud and fakery.

An Introduction to Forensic Geoscience provides fundamental training in geoscience as developed through the lens of its forensic applications. It incorporates a range of topics including geophysical methods of grave detection, the mineralogy of art, identification of microfossils, and comparison of soil trace evidence samples. Each topic is introduced using core concepts that are developed with increasing complexity in order to give readers an understanding of the underlying scientific principles involved and a taste of the wide range of possible forensic uses. A variety of detailed reference tables have been compiled for the text and each chapter contains lists of references to applicable textbooks and journal articles. Examples of real criminal cases are also presented in each chapter to make the connections between theory and real world application. The goal of this book is to give readers a familiarity with the wide range of ways in which geoscience principles and geological materials can be utilized forensically. Additional resources for this book can be found at: http://www.wiley.com/go/bergslien/forensicgeoscience.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the application of geoscience to criminal investigations. Clearly structured throughout, the text follows a path from the large-scale application of remote sensing, landforms and geophysics in the first half to the increasingly small-scale examination of rock and soils to trace amounts of material. The two scales of investigation are linked by geoscience applications to forensics that can be applied at a range of dimensions. These include the use of topographic mapping, x-ray imaging, geophysics and remote sensing in assessing whether sediment, rocks or concrete may have hidden or buried materials inside for example, drugs, weapons, bodies. This book describes the wider application of many different geoscience-based methods in assisting law enforcers with investigations such as international and national crimes of genocide and pollution, terrorism and domestic crime as well as accident investigation. The text makes a clear link to the increasingly important aspects of the spatial distribution of geoscience materials (be it soil sampling or the distribution of mud-spatter on clothing), Geographic Information Science and geostatistics. A comprehensive introduction to the application of geoscience to criminal investigation Examples taken from an environmental and humanitarian perspective in addition to the terrorist and domestic criminal cases more regularly discussed A chapter on the use of GIS in criminalistics and information on unusual applications and methods - for example underwater scene mapping and extraterrestrial applications Material on how geoscience methods and applications are used at a crime scene Accompanying website including key images and references to further material An invaluable text for both undergraduate and postgraduate students taking general forensic science degrees or geoscience courses "The whole book is peppered with useful and appropriate examples from the authors’ wide experiences and also from the wider literature... an essential purchase for any forensic science department as well as for any law enforcement organisation." Lorna Dawson, Macaulay Institute

Soils have important roles to play in criminal and environmental forensic science. Since the initial concept of using soil in forensic investigations was mooted by Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes stories prior to real-world applications, this branch of forensic science has become increasingly sophisticated and broad. New techniques in chemical, physical, biological, ecological and spatial analysis, coupled with informatics, are being applied to reducing areas of search by investigators, site identification, site comparison and measurement for the eventual use as evidence in court. Soils can provide intelligence, in assisting the determination of the provenance of samples from artifacts, victims or suspects, enabling their linkage to locations or other evidence. They also modulate change in surface or buried cadavers and hence affect the ability to estimate post-mortem or post-burial intervals, and locate clandestine graves. This interdisciplinary volume explores the conceptual and practical interplay of soil and geoforensics across the scientific, investigative and legal fields. Supported by reviews, case-studies from across the world, and reports of original research, it demonstrates the increasing convergence of a wide range of knowledge. It covers conceptual issues, evidence (from recovery to use in court), geoforensics, taphonomy, as well as leading-edge technologies. The application of the resultant soil forensics toolbox is leading to significant advances in improving crime detection, and environmental and national security.

Presents comprehensive details of crime scene investigation through the field of forensic geology and provides information on its history and how geologic evidence can place a suspect at the site, and techniques use to detect mine, gem, and art fraud.

Forensic soil science and geology provides information and operational support to assist the police and law enforcement with criminal and environmental investigations. These include: crime scene examination and the collection of soil and other materials; analysis and interpretation of this geological trace evidence; and searches associated with homicide graves, counter-terrorism and serious and organized crime. This volume provides new and sophisticated field and laboratory methods and operational casework.

Every three years, worldwide forensics experts gather at the Interpol Forensic Science Symposium to exchange ideas and discuss scientific advances in the field of forensic science and criminal justice. Drawn from contributions made at the latest gathering in Lyon, France, Interpol's Forensic Science Review is a one-source reference providing a comp