Forensic Soil Science

Forensic soil science is the application of the discipline of soil science to law enforcement. Natural and human-made (anthropogenically derived) soil materials are commonly used in forensic investigations to support law enforcement agencies in solving criminal, environmental, serious and organized crime and terrorism investigations. Comparisons are made between soil samples recovered from questioned items with an unknown history, such as footwear, with soil samples from specific known locations. Forensic soil science is used in search operations to help narrow down geographical areas (sometimes called provenancing). The application of soil science approaches and methods are critical within criminal justice systems worldwide.