“Overall, the book is well produced on acid-free, high-quality paper. In addition to the colour plates (also available online), there are many helpful line drawings and a host of Tables with useful information. I suggest that even professional geoscientists involved in forensic work might welcome this book as an aide-memoire. In addition, it is very good value at the price.” (Soil Use and Management, 1 December 2012)
“The well-written book contains a wealth of information in the form of determinative tables and illustrations. Anyone interested in geology and forensics will find this a useful resource. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners.” (Choice, 1 November 2012)
“Apart introducing the interested layman to the fascinating applications of geoforensics, An Introduction to Forensic Geoscience can also be used by teachers and undergraduate students of earth sciences as resourceful ‘physical geology’ textbook, even if the book addresses the U.S. market, as many cited laws or classification schemes are valid only in the States.
Students or professionals in forensic sciences will profit from an easily accessible text to geological concepts, which emphasize the strengths – but also the limitations – of geology applied to the prosecution of crimes.” (David Bressan, Scientific American, 11 October 2012)
An Introduction to Forensic Geoscience provides fundamental training in geoscience as developed through the lens of its forensic applications. It incorporates a range of topics including geophysical methods of grave detection, the mineralogy of art, identification of microfossils, and comparison of soil trace evidence samples. Each topic is introduced using core concepts that are developed with increasing complexity in order to give readers an understanding of the underlying scientific principles involved and a taste of the wide range of possible forensic uses. A variety of detailed reference tables have been compiled for the text and each chapter contains lists of references to applicable textbooks and journal articles. Examples of real criminal cases are also presented in each chapter to make the connections between theory and real world application. The goal of this book is to give readers a familiarity with the wide range of ways in which geoscience principles and geological materials can be utilized forensically.
“… I was struck by its detail, both in the description of relevant interesting case studies and the very extensive description of geoscientific analysis of materials and techniques, together with an associated impressive amount of data, information and interpretive techniques. Being a chartered geologist with five years of forensic geoscience investigations behind me, I can say I was hugely impressed with such an extensive textbook, and feel I could recommend it to forensic geoscientist practitioners and undergraduate students alike.”
—Dr Jamie K Pringle, Keele University
From the Back Cover
An Introduction to Forensic Geoscience provides fundamental training in geoscience as developed through the lens of its forensic applications. It incorporates a range of topics including geophysical methods of grave detection, the mineralogy of art, identification of microfossils, and comparison of soil trace evidence samples. Each topic is introduced using core concepts that are developed with increasing complexity in order to give readers an understanding of the underlying scientific principles involved and a taste of the wide range of possible forensic uses. A variety of detailed reference tables have been compiled for the text and each chapter contains lists of references to applicable textbooks and journal articles. Examples of real criminal cases are also presented in each chapter to make the connections between theory and real world application. The goal of this book is to give readers a familiarity with the wide range of ways in which geoscience principles and geological materials can be utilized forensically.
“… I was struck by its detail, both in the description of relevant interesting case studies and the very extensive description of geoscientific analysis of materials and techniques, together with an associated impressive amount of data, information and interpretive techniques. Being a chartered geologist with five years of forensic geoscience investigations behind me, I can say I was hugely impressed with such an extensive textbook, and feel I could recommend it to forensic geoscientist practitioners and undergraduate students alike.”
―Dr Jamie K Pringle, Keele University
About the Author
Elisa Bergslien is an Associate Professor at Buffalo State College. With a background in contaminant hydrogeology, she has been involved with the environmental law aspects of geology for years. In 2005, she begin teaching a Forensic Geoscience course as an elective for a well established Forensic Chemistry program and has been involved in research developing the science behind many of the assumptions used in forensic trace evidence examination. She is currently serving as the Information Officer for the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) Initiative on Forensic Geology.
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