Meeting Reports

MEETING REPORTS The long arm of the (geoforensics) law A recent meeting in London Initiative on Forensic Geology (IUGS- remote sensing techniques meant that considered both the conventional IFG) and the two groups are now closely remains could be distinguished from the and unusual applications of linked. seafloor topography and other debris, and enabled the successful recovery geoscience to forensic investigation. Scope of the remains of many of the victims. Alastair Ruffell, Jamie Pringle and Forensic geology emerged in the 19th The research also highlighted just Ruth Morgan discuss the global and 20th centuries with the application how little we currently know about the expansion of forensic geoscience, of analyses of traces of sand, sediment decomposition of human remains in the and how this field is central to and soil to criminal investigations. The marine environment compared to the keeping geoscience at the forefront main questions answered by forensic terrestrial. The challenges of working in of science and public interest. geologists were in establishing whether these ‘extreme’ environments is further a suspect could have been at a crime compounded when the complexity of The term forensic geoscience often scene, or their alibi locations, and assessing the taphonomic processes draws to mind images of a scientist this type of analysis continues today. and establishing a post-mortem analysing dirt on a crime suspect’s However, geoscientific techniques have submersion interval (PMSI) in marine shoes. Important though such analyses also long been deployed in the search environments is addressed. Research are, the field has moved far beyond for buried or sunken items, as well as in in this study sought to establish the key these humble beginnings and now the sampling of inorganic materials at variables in play in this highly variable includes work on spacecraft surfaces, crime scenes. Thus, in the last five years, environment (such as type of clothing, remote sensing of mass graves relating forensic geology has evolved into the level of trauma pre.- and post- mortem, to humanitarian crimes and much application of geoscience techniques and activity levels of scavengers) and more. The Environmental & Criminal to the ‘search, scene and sample’. This assess how understanding them better Forensics meeting, held at Burlington broadening of definitions and applications can contribute to an evidence base for House, London in December 2018, was aptly reflected in the presentations at establishing a PMSI. explored how the regular ‘dirt-on-shoes’ the December 2018 meeting. Geoscientific techniques have assisted type analyses have advanced, but also investigations into wildlife crimes, such revealed the fascinating widening scope Oceans, wildlife and fraud as badger baiting or the theft of bird’s of forensic geology. Geologists have long been involved in eggs, since the early 2000s. Typically oceanography, but less so for forensic in such cases, geochemical analyses Global popularity applications. A stunning presentation are used to compare trace materials The first two meetings on forensic by Agathe Ribéreau-Gayon (University on equipment used in the crime with geology took place at Burlington House College London) and colleagues traces from the crime scene. However, in the early 2000s and opened many eyes discussed the difficulties in searching for Kris Wisniewski (Keele University & to the uses of geology in serious criminal human remains on the Atlantic Ocean Staffordshire University) and colleagues investigations. The importance and floor, from a sunken commercial airline showed that geophysical techniques popularity of the field led to the formation flight that tragically crashed in June can provide important insights too. of the Forensic Geoscience (specialist) 2009. The use of geospatial technology They used ground-penetrating radar Group (FGG) —with the emphasis now to accurately locate the crash site, to plot the location of badger setts and on ‘geoscience’ to reflect the widening as well as individual human remains determine which of the setts might have interest and participation in the subject. at such great depths depended on been intentionally— Since 2011 The International Union accurate oceanographic surveying. of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has also A combination of recognised forensic geology, with the creation of the IUGS 26 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 27 GEOSCIENTIST MEETING REPORT and illegally—filled in with slurry in an (Alastair Ruffell, Queen’s University, and and analysing soil samples from crime scenes attempt to harm the badgers. Such data colleagues); the use of drones as a cost- in Brazil. The analytical procedures involve has the potential to serve as evidence effective approach to aerial photography and investigation of the soil’s physical, chemical, in an investigation that can build a case remote sensing in the search for clandestine mineralogical and organic profile. that allows crime enforcement officers to graves (Rykker Evers and Peter Masters, The talks wrapped up with Lorna Dawson prosecute suspects. Cranfield University); the use of satellite and (James Hutton Institute) and colleagues Investigations into mineral, metal and aerial image analysis, geophysical surveys discussing ‘geo-ethics’ and the essential need rare earth element fraud have increased and groundwater geochemical analysis to for ethics training and accreditation systems in past decades, due to the financing of aid the interpretation of signals given by for anyone working in the field of forensic guerrilla warfare, the need for electronics cadaver, or victim recovery dogs in the search geoscience. Lorna presented a white paper components, and simple stock market for unmarked homicide graves (Laurance outlining the many potential pitfalls in the use manipulation. Examples that come to mind Donnelly, IUGS, and colleagues); and the of geoforensics from crime scene to court and are blood diamonds mined in war zones how a set of guidelines could help prevent and then sold to finance an invading army potential bias and unethical practices. or insurgence, as well as the Bre-X scandal FORENSIC GEOLOGY Several professional and innovative talks and of the 1990s, where Bre-X Minerals Ltd. posters were presented by research students. claimed to have discovered vast gold HAS EVOLVED INTO THE Their work extends the scientific and global reserves in Borneo, sending stock prices APPLICATION OF GEOSCIENCE reach of the field and represents the future of soaring before the gold samples were TECHNIQUES TO THE forensic geoscience. The visually-impactful found to be falsified. Nelson Eby (UMass, poster of Rachael Carew (University College Lowell, USA) and colleagues highlighted ‘SEARCH, SCENE London) and colleagues on 3D Printing in this issue in a discussion of the trace AND SAMPLE’ Forensic Archaeology, which even included element techniques that allow the source miniature 3D-printed models of human for emeralds to be traced, while Laurance skeletons, was awarded the Best Student Donnelly (IUGS) and colleagues provided a analysis of unusual materials—in one case Poster. synopsis of the role forensic geology has in dog faeces—to establish intelligence in such cases. forensic reconstructions (Alastair Ruffell, Alastair Ruffell ([email protected]) is a Queen’s university). Reader and Jamie Pringle (j.k.pringle@keele. Drones, faeces and ethics Samara Testoni (Federal University of Paraná, ac.uk) is a Senior Lecturer in Geoscience at If the examples above are not enough Brazil and James Hutton Institute, Scotland) Queen’s Belfast and Keele, respectively; Ruth to convey the widening remit of forensic and colleagues described the great advances Morgan ([email protected]) is geology, other presentations at the being made in forensic soil science in Brazil, Professor of Crime and Forensic Science at meeting discussed the use of geodetic and including the creation of a standard operating University College, London. geophysical near-surface surveys to identify procedure, which describes the required not just the location of illegally buried toxic steps for collecting waste, but also the volume and distribution relative to landownership 26 | MARCH 2019 | WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST WWW.GEOLSOC.ORG.UK/GEOSCIENTIST | MARCH 2019 | 27 .

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