7 D6. Geomorphology, Quaternary Geology, and Soils (Posters)

Friday, 20 March 2020
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Lake Anne

FORENSIC PALYNOLOGY: A STATISTICAL COMPARISON OF KNOWN SAMPLES ALONG A TRANSECT IN WESTERN VIRGINIA

Paper number: 7-13
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Authors

Abstract

Palynology can augment law enforcement investigations by helping determine, or narrow the possibilities, of unknown locations. For example, pollen assemblages, when they are distinct enough, can be used to determine where a person or object may have travelled or the location of clandestine grave sites. The provenance of an object from an “unknown” location is determined by comparing the pollen assemblage recovered from the object to published pollen databases or inferred by knowledge of relevant plant community distributions. However, these comparisons are not always quantitative in nature. In this study, we analyze a set of objects associated with a “suspect”, such as vehicle floor mat and shoe debris, that travel a known route. Surface soil samples were tested along this route in order to determine a) the relationship between pollen assemblages from soil samples and objects, and b) if pollen assemblages from the objects could be tied to specific locations. Similarities of the pollen assemblages were determined by using the Modern Analog Technique (MAT). Preliminary results indicate that having surface sample pollen databases with high spatial resolution can increase the accuracy in determining the provenance of an item.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 52, No. 2

doi: 10.1130/abs/2020SE-344384

© Copyright 2020 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.