Centre for Australian Forensic Soil
Science (CAFSS)
Workshops and Training Courses
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First Int. Workshop on Criminal
and Environmental Forensics |
Second Int. Workshop on Criminal and Environmental
Soil Forensics | Forensic Soil Examination Course (Summer school /
honours course)
We
announce the intention to hold the the 2nd
International Conference on Criminal and Environmental
Forensics in Edinburgh, UK, 30 October – 1 November 2007.
Contact Lorna Dawson.
The 2nd International
Conference on Criminal and Environmental Soil Forensics
Themes: Environmental Soil Forensics, Criminal Soil Forensics, Geoforensics, Geostatistics, Analytical Diagnostics, Communications, International Soil Forensics-the way forward
Aim: This conference will discuss novel approaches in soil forensics. Maintaining a critical mass of research expertise is essential in providing tools to protect our way of life. This will provide an international focus for research and development in forensic soil science for both environmental and criminalistic objectives, particularly important in the current context of the threat of international terrorism, which stops at no boundary.
Audience: The conference will bring together
key International researchers, consultants and police practitioners. |
First International Workshop on Criminal and
Environmental Soil Forensics
Download the final program
and book of abstracts (PDF, 390 kB)
While the advances described on the home page have set new
benchmarks in forensic soil science, the future will require still
better understanding and linking of soil science, geophysics, mineralogy,
chemistry and molecular biology information because these techniques
will have a major future role to play in forensic searching- either
to locate buried anomalies, blast residue or eliminate areas from
searches.
To this end CAFSS organised the First International Workshop on
Criminal and Environmental Soil Forensics, which followed the 18th
International Symposium on the Forensic Sciences: Classroom to Courtroom from
Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 April 2006 Perth, Western Australia
Target Audience
Australian and International researchers, practitioners and students
with field and laboratory expertise in the location, recovery and
analysis of soil and mineral samples from crime, disaster or environmentally
contaminated scenes/sites.
Purpose
- To provide a review of established techniques of soil characterisation
and comparison.
- To promote in-depth discussion and cross-fertilisation of new
ideas in leading-edge areas of research at the emerging interface
between soil science and forensic science.
Convenors
Dr Rob Fitzpatrick
Centre for Australian Forensic Soil Science (CAFSS)/ CSIRO Land and Water
Telephone: (08) 8303 8511
Richard Clarke, Chemistry Centre Western Australia (CCWA)
Prof Mike McLaughlin Centre for Australian Forensic Soil Science
(CAFSS) / CSIRO Land and Water
Workshop Program
One of the key features of this workshop is that International and
local speakers, selected on the basis of their expertise in technologies
and approaches for characterising soils in the field and laboratory
for criminal and environmental purposes, presented overviews with
case studies.
Program
and Abstracts ( PDF, 390 kB )
Sponsorship
The workshop was partly supported
by:
Outcomes of workshop
Scientists from the United States , Scotland , England , New Zealand
, Canada , China and across Australia presented a variety of engaging
overviews of established techniques of soil characterisation and
comparison and case studies related to areas such as soil profiling,
molecular diagnostics, environmental chemistry, grave excavation
and taphonomy (the study of the fate of remains of organisms after
they die). The workshop style also promoted in-depth discussion and
cross-fertilisation of ideas with Australian and International researchers,
consultants and students with field and laboratory expertise in employing
appropriate techniques to assist in the search, location and recovery
of soil and mineral samples from crime, disaster or environmental
pollution. The following issues and key areas were identified for
the future of forensic soil science:
- Need for increased collaboration and communication
between research groups in different countries. There needs to
be a willingness to share ideas and methods to ensure that any
new techniques that we may adopt are the best and most robust.
As well as ensuring that we don't re-invent the wheel, collaboration
is important when methods reach the 'forensic validation' stage
(e.g. recent DNA profiling/fingerprinting T-RFLP method developed
by the research group at ESR Ltd, New Zealand ). An openness to
share methodology and results means that a very thorough forensics
validation (and trials between different labs) will be possible
and this is vital before any forensic molecular DNA analysis is
used in court.
- The growing focus on security related issues and
counter terrorism is one of the most significant challenges facing
soil forensics in the future. There is a paradigm shift from not
only providing soil forensic information for 'evidence' but also
for 'intelligence'
- There is a need to establish a broader commonality
between "Forensic geology" and "Forensic soil science". Although
in principle geology and soil science are closely related, there
remains significant gaps in basic knowledge and lack of communication
between these two disciplines. Major gaps are in the exceedingly
limited amount of shared language. Particularly in the use of standard
procedures and terms for describing and sampling soils (e.g. methodology
for describing soil colour, consistence and texture developed by
soil scientists over a period of more than a 100 years). The nature
of soil databases and digital maps (GIS) requires consistent and
correct use of terms. Finally, the word "source" in geology infers "geographic
location of the original ore deposit for say Pb" whereas in soil
or environmental sciences "source implies "type of material", for
example soil or paint containing say Pb.
- Continue to undertake 'high end case investigations'
that require soil as evidence in criminal and environmental forensics.
- Publish results / case studies where soil properties
have been used successfully to both discriminate between and
match soils for critical evidence.
- Continue development of new and improved sampling
and description methods.
- Continue to refine current methodologies and techniques
for reliable identification of soil properties.
- Development of isotope and DNA profiling/fingerprinting
techniques, which are scientifically and legally robust,
- Focus on education and training. Proposal to hold a
second "Hands-on Forensic Soil Workshop" over five days in Adelaide
(approach NIFS for joint ideas). A recent proposal is for CAFSS
to run this as a summer school / honours course (approval has been
granted by Flinders University and The University of Adelaide to
run this as a joint venture)
- Development of field and laboratory protocols for
criminal and environmental soil forensic investigations: work has
commenced with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and South Australian
Police (SAPOL).
- Proposal to construct, test and validate a soil
sampling kit for crime scene investigators. A prototype kit has
been developed by CAFSS.
- Proposal to hold the "Second International Workshop
on Criminal and Environmental Soil Forensics" in Scotland . An organising
committee chaired by Dr Lorna Dawson of "The international "Geo-Forensic
Network project (GIMI)" at The Macaulay Institute, Scotland has
been established with assistance from the British Society of Soil
Science and CAFSS.
Forensic Soil Examination Course (Summer
school / honours course)
The course goals are to provide students (honours and/or third year)
and practitioners (e.g. police officers and related search / forensic
personnel) with fundamental understandings of the principles of forensic
soil science. The course is also designed for those working in forensic
microanalysis and trace evidence having a solid background in polarized
light microscopy, but have little to no practical experience in forensic
soil examination. Soil scientists, geologists, botanists, and archaeologists
having an interest in soil microscopy may also find this course useful.
Half or Full Semester Full-time, over three weeks:
Two weeks of lectured material, five practical sessions and two
field excursions will be undertaken during the first two weeks of
the course. The third week will be used for student revision with
a final examination (40%) and one major field assignment report (35%)
and three laboratory reports (25%) will comprise the remainder of
the assessments.
For more information, contact: Dr
Rob Fitzpatrick at CSIRO Land
and Water Ph: 08 8303 8511
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