Geoforensics

ALASTAIR RUFFELL and JENNIFER MCKINLEY Department of Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology Queen's University, Belfast, UK

Geoforensics is a comprehensive introduction to the application of geoscience to criminal investigations. Clearly structured throughout, the book follows a path from the large-scale application of remote sensing, landforms and geophysics in the first half to the increasingly small-scale examination of rock and soils totrace amounts of material. The two scales of investigation are linked by geoscience applications to forensics that can be applied at a range of dimensions. These include the use of topographic mapping, x-ray imaging, geophysics and remote sensing in assessing whether sediment, rocks or concrete may have hidden or buried materials inside.

This book describes the wider application of many different geoscience-based methods in assisting law enforcers with investigations such as international and national crimes of genocide and pollution, terrorism and domestic crime as well as accident investigation. The text makes a clear link to the increasingly important aspects of the spatial distribution of geoscience materials (be it soil sampling or the distribution of mud-spatter on clothing), Geographic Information Science and geostatistics.

• A comprehensive introduction to the application of geoscience to criminal investigation.
• Examples taken from an environmental and humanitarian perspective in addition to the terrorist and domestic criminal cases more regularly discussed.
• A chapter on the use of GIS in criminalistics and information on unusual applications and methods- for example, underwater scene mapping and extraterrestrial applications.
• Material on how geoscience methods and applications are used at a crime scene.
• Accompanying website (www.wileyeurope.com/college/ruffell) including key images and references to further material.
• An invaluable text for both undergraduate and postgraduate students taking general forensic science degrees or geoscience courses.