Forensic Geology and Geoforensics

The intellectual origins of forensic geology, from Georg Popp's early soil casework to the modern discipline. Covers Locard's principle applied to earth materials, the scope and boundaries of geoforensics, and how it differs from related disciplines.

The practical toolkit for comparing soil and sediment samples in the laboratory. Covers colour, texture, particle-size analysis, density-gradient methods, and the integration of multiple complementary tests to reach a defensible opinion.

Advanced analytical techniques that move beyond visual comparison to elemental and mineralogical quantification. Covers the principal instruments, their operating principles, and the types of discrimination they enable in geoforensic casework.

Stable and radiogenic isotope systems that encode geographical origin in earth materials and biological tissues. The module covers the principal isotope proxies used in geoforensics, their measurement, interpretation, and the construction of isotopic baselines.

Geophysical survey techniques used to detect subsurface disturbance, buried objects, and clandestine interments. The module focuses on the physical principles and signal interpretation from a geological perspective, complementing the field-deployment protocols covered in forensic archaeology.

Using landscape character, terrain models, and airborne and satellite imagery to predict where evidence may be deposited or concealed. Covers the geological and geomorphological reasoning behind body-deposition prediction and the remote-sensing tools available to investigators.

Geological analysis applied beyond soil to manufactured and built materials: concrete, brick, mortar, glass, ceramics, dust, and mineral objects. Covers how geological methods reveal origin, manufacture history, and associative links in cases involving buildings, artefacts, and industrial or environmental crime.

The statistical and evidential framework for expressing geological comparisons. Covers the reference-database problem, likelihood ratios in geoforensic opinion, the expert geologist as a witness, and admissibility challenges specific to geological evidence.