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Level 2 Detail

Definition

The intermediate spatial scale: individual minutia (ridge endings, bifurcations, lakes, dots, islands, deltas, cores). Carries the principal discriminative weight in a fingerprint comparison. The level at which AFIS encoding and likelihood ratio research operate.

Related terms

Bifurcation
A minutia at which a single friction ridge divides into two diverging ridges. One of the two most common minutia types (with...
Blind Verification
The procedure in which a second fingerprint examiner independently performs the Analysis and Comparison stages without knowledge of the first examiner's conclusion....
Champod Minutia Frequency Study
Empirical research by Champod and Evett (2001) characterising the frequency distributions of minutia types and spatial configurations from operational fingerprint databases, providing...
FRStat
The fingerprint statistical scoring model developed by the FBI Laboratory and Iowa State University (Professor Alicia Carriquiry). Takes ACE-V comparison documentation as...
Galton Features
The set of observable ridge events catalogued by Francis Galton in his 1892 monograph, including ridge endings, bifurcations, and enclosed formations. The...
Lake (Enclosure)
A minutia in which a ridge briefly splits into two and immediately re-joins, enclosing an oval space. Less common than endings and...
Level 1 Detail
In ACE-V, the broadest level of information extracted from a fingerprint: the overall ridge flow and pattern type (arch, loop, whorl). Level...
Level 3 Detail
The finest spatial scale: sweat pore positions, ridge edge contours, incipient ridges. Reliably interpretable only in high-quality inked or latent prints. Used...
Ridge Ending
A minutia at which a single friction ridge terminates abruptly. One of the two most common minutia types (with bifurcations). Encoded in...

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