Dedication

Preface

Background and importance

Fitzpatrick, R. W. and Donnelly, L. J. An introduction to forensic soil science and forensic geology: a synthesis

Kobus, H. and Robertson, J. The importance of forensic soil science and geology being connected to mainstream forensic science

Search for burials

Ruffell, A. and Barry, L. The desktop study – an essential element of geoforensic search: homicide and environmental cases (west Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK)

McKinley, J. and Ruffell, A. Geographical Information Science (GIS), spatial sampling and sediment variability examined using a case of manslaughter

Donnelly, L. J., Cassella, J., Pirrie, D., Dawson, L., Blom, G., Davidson, A., Arnold, P., Harrison, M. and Hope, C. Analysis of soil following a police-led open area search and the recovery of a cold-case homicide grave

Barone, P. M. and Di Maggio, R. M. Dealing with different forensic targets: geoscientists at crime scenes

Canata, R. E., Salvador, F. A. S., Borges, W. R., Ferreira, F. J. F., Seimetz, E. X., Pinto, I. and Barros, E. O. The forensic application of ground-penetrating radar, Tekoha Jevy indigenous village, Paraná, Brazil

Molina, C. M. and Pringle, J. K. Comparison of geophysical and botanical results in simulated clandestine graves in rural and tropical environments in Colombia, South America

Donnelly, L. A standard operating procedure (SOP), for soil sampling, for the detection of volatile organic compounds and leachate associated with human decomposition from a shallow, unmarked, homicide grave

Trace evidence

Dixon, R. D. and Merkle, R. K. W. Identifying the source of illicit gold from South America

Salvador, F. A. da S., Nogueira e Silva, M. P., de Oliveira Mascarenhas, R. and Rumbelsperger, A. M. B. The application of forensic geology to investigate the substitution of zinc ingots between China and Brazil

Guo, H., Wang, P., Hu, C., Zhu, J., Yang, X., Quan, Y., Mei, H. and Li, J. A case study in forensic soil examination from China

Raven, M. D., Fitzpatrick, R. W. and Self, P. G. Trace evidence examination using laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction techniques

Testoni, S. A., Melo, V. F., Dawson, L. A., Salvador, F. A. S. and Prandel, L. V. Evaluation of forensic soil traces from a crime scene: robbery of a safety deposit box in Brazil

Fitzpatrick, R. W. and Raven, M. D. The forensic comparison of trace amounts of soil on a pyjama top with hypersulphidic subaqueous soil from a river as evidence in a homicide cold case

Research developments

Di Maggio, R. M. and Barone, P. M. Geoforensics in Italy: education and research standards

Bergslien, E. Portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry of earth materials: considerations for forensic analysis

Young, J. M., Higgins, D. and Austin, J. J. Soil DNA: advances in DNA technology offer a powerful new tool for forensic science

Dawson, L. A., Macdonald, L. M. and Ritz, K. Plant wax compounds and soil microbial DNA profiles to ascertain urban land use type

Pirrie, D., Crean, D. E., Pidduck, A. J., Nicholls, T. M., Awbery, R. P. and Shail, R. K. Automated mineralogical profiling of soils as an indicator of local bedrock lithology: a tool for predictive forensic geolocation

Index