In this paper, researchers assess the added value of new quantitative methodologies for the analysis of surface soils in forensic soil comparisons.
This study assesses the potential added value of new quantitative methodologies for the forensic analysis of surface soils. The implementation of these new methodologies into casework could propel the use and significance of forensic geology; greater discrimination between highly similar surface soils and those with limited mineral content would be possible. In addition, these methods may provide the tools needed for additional crime laboratories to analyze soil in case work. The results may also permit the association of soil evidence to particular sites (geolocation) to aid in the investigative phases of criminal investigations and for intelligence purposes. The methodologies selected for comparison are routinely used in ecology and geology, but seldom used in U.S. forensic soil examinations, and might provide robust data for soil comparisons. The authors are currently preparing a decision tree to complement methods documents that provide guidance as to which scenarios the new quantitative methods may be applicable to, depending on the spatial scale and soil composition (mineral rich vs. organic rich). This information will be included in a planned scientific manuscript that will report on the success and limitations of the combined new quantitative methods.