Skip to content

Ground-truthing

Definition

The physical investigation (probing, test pitting, or full excavation) of a geophysical anomaly to determine whether it represents a genuine forensic target. Results feed back into the confidence model for the remaining unexcavated anomalies.

Related terms

Confidence ranking
A classification scheme that assigns each detected anomaly a confidence level based on how many independent methods detected it and how well...
Decision framework
A structured protocol for selecting geophysical methods based on documented site characteristics (soil type, target depth, cultural noise) before fieldwork begins, with...
False positive
A test result indicating diatoms consistent with ante-mortem aspiration in an organ sample when the diatoms actually arrived by contamination, post-mortem diffusion,...
GIS co-registration
Assigning consistent spatial coordinates to all survey datasets so that anomalies from different instruments can be overlaid and compared at matching ground...
Site datum
A fixed reference point, established by total station or RTK-GPS, to which all survey grid positions are tied. Ensures that anomaly positions...

Explained in

  • Integrating Multiple Geophysical MethodsThe physical investigation (probing, test pitting, or full excavation) of a geophysical anomaly to determine whether it represents a genuine forensic target. R...

Your journey to becoming a forensic professional starts here.

Practice with mock tests, learn from structured notes, and get your questions answered by a global forensic community, all in one place.