FOREGS
Definition
Forum of European Geological Surveys. Its geochemical baseline surveyed approximately 900 stations across Europe for more than 50 elements in stream water, stream sediment, floodplain sediment, and soil horizons, providing a harmonised pan-European reference.
- Full name
- Forum of European Geological Surveys
- Survey scope
- Approximately 900 stations across Europe
- Elements measured
- More than 50 elements
- Sample media
- Stream water, stream sediment, floodplain sediment, soil horizons
Common questions
How does a harmonised pan-European baseline like FOREGS help in forensic soil or geology comparisons?+
Because individual national surveys can use different sampling protocols and analytical methods, comparing values across borders is otherwise unreliable. FOREGS applies a consistent methodology continent-wide, so a geochemical signature from evidence can be compared against a single standardised reference regardless of which country it originated in.
Why does FOREGS sample multiple media types, such as stream sediment and soil horizons, rather than just soil?+
Different media capture different aspects of the local geochemical environment: stream sediment integrates weathering signals from an upstream catchment, floodplain sediment reflects longer-term deposition, and soil horizons show near-surface conditions, giving a more complete geochemical picture than any single medium alone.
Can FOREGS data alone pinpoint the exact origin of a trace evidence sample?+
It provides regional baseline context to narrow a plausible source area, but station spacing across such a large survey area means it typically supports exclusion or broad regional attribution rather than precise point-of-origin identification, and is usually combined with finer local sampling for casework.
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