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Carissimi Soci SGI,
Carissimi Soci Società Associate,
su indicazione della Prof.ssa Roberta Somma (Università di Messina), vi segnaliamo la Call for Abstracts relativa alla sessione "ITS4.2/BG1.12 - Criminal investigation and scientific methods applied to geological evidence: the contribution of Forensic Geology, Botany, and Entomology to the Judicial System", organizzata nell'ambito dell'EGU General Assembly 2023.
Cordiali saluti,
La Segreteria
Dear colleagues,
we would like to invite you to submit an abstract to the following session "Criminal investigation and scientific methods applied to geological evidence: the contribution of Forensic Geology, Botany, and Entomology to the Judicial System" at EGU General Assembly, that will take place on 23-28 April 2023 (Vienna and online).
Deadline for abstract submission: 10 January 2023
Abstract
The use of geological evidence may help the judicial system to solve cases of homicides, corpse concealments, hit-and-run accidents, kidnappings, sexual assaults, geohazard problematics, environmental damages, animal maltreatment, wildlife crimes, and gemstone and fossil frauds. Forensic geologists may be supported by a team of experts during the scientific investigation of most serious crimes. Geology, Botany, and Entomology are significant branches of the Forensic Sciences that may be simultaneously involved in a holistic approach for analyzing inorganic (minerals and rocks), anthropogenic (glass, brick fragments), and organic (plant and insect remains) materials found as trace or micro-trace physical evidence on the outdoor crime scenes and the victim/suspect, in cases of homicides or ground concealments. Different analytical methods are applied to geological trace evidence to identify, characterize, and quantify the geological trace. These analyses may be non-destructive (as in the case of gemstone frauds) or destructive. Most aim to obtain information on the compatibility degree among unknown and known samples and the possible provenance. Based on the above, different experts may collaborate with geologists and investigate geological evidence together in research teams. Geologists approaching forensic geology need to master sedimentology, micropaleontology, physical geology, petrography, gemology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, soil sciences, geomorphology, stratigraphy, regional geology, remote sensing, and applied geology and geophysics. Botanists address their investigation in forensic botany by studying plant ecology, vegetal anatomy, systematics, palynology, algology, and plant DNA in soil/sediment. On the other hand, entomologists approach forensic entomology by studying chemistry, biology, human/animal health, molecular science, and animal DNA in soil/sediment. Accordingly, this session welcomes research contributions on earth sciences, environmental sciences, botany, and entomology with a holistic approach to solving criminal cases. In this context, particular attention will be given to the following topics: comparative analyses of geological trace evidence; reconstruction of walking; study and search for clandestine graves; geographical profiling; environmental forensics; gemstone frauds.
The Conveners
Roberta Somma, Lorna Dawson, Marina Morabito, Jason H. Byrd, Luca Trombino, Sebastiano Ettore Spoto