Author(s): Diepiriye Chenaboso Okujagu

Abstract: Fingerprinting of soil based on structural deformation features is a revolutionary step towards achieving a better geographical matching of geoscience within criminal cases, and current process is more accurate and reliable. Traditional soil analysis based on compositional data usually suffers the problem of spatial variability and environmental change due to the fact that it is not able to effectively discriminate. In this review, it is discussed that prompted by these limitations, structural geology has evolved through identification of distinctive microstructural and macrostructural features as long-lasting fingerprints of particular geological conditions, including fault gouge, breccia, foliation, lineation, and strain markers. They are made up of tectonic stresses, compactional, or shear stresses which preserve the history of deformation of soils and therefore they are suitable in forensic comparison as they cannot be altered by surface contamination or the weather. This approach combines available literature on structural soil studies, with an ocular focus toward thin-section petrography, microscopic analysis of cataclastic literature, and the macroscopic bias toward shear zones and fabric components. Integration of quantitative assays such as image analysis, X-ray diffraction are also emphasized as providing added reproducibility and objective capacity. The practical examples of these approaches in homicide investigation, trafficking activities and even environmental crimes are presented as the case studies when structural characteristics played the most important roles in connecting suspects with the place of their burial, illegitimate goods with their place of relegation, and illegal dumping of goods. The most important results support the idea of structural analysis being superior to the traditional ones when it comes to the differentiation of soils with similar composition but different geological history. The review has also pointed out several limitations of utmost importance: the potential risk of contamination, heterogeneous soil compositions, lack of universal standards of procedures and merged universes of forensics databases. Future perspectives focus on the automation, AI-assisted pattern recognition and collaboration on a wider plane to enhance precision of analysis and expand on generalization. To sum up, the use of structural deformation-based soil fingerprinting has tremendous advantages in strengthening the forensic soil analysis process, as it can produce better specificity and reliability in geographical sourcing. With the development of new methods of analysis and increased amounts of databases, such approach will become an essential element of contemporary crime science enhancing the results of the investigative work and reinforcing court sessions.

Keywords: Forensic geoscience; Structural geology; Soil fingerprinting; Microstructure; Macrostructure; Fault gouge; Breccia.

DOI:Available on Author(s) Request.

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Soil Fingerprinting Using Structural Deformation Features

Pages:49-63