The International Workshop on “Advances and Applications in Geoforensics: Unraveling Crimes with Geology” is born after almost a decade of research, experience, training, and educational activities in the field of Geoforensics at the Messina University (Italy).

It is a scientific event devoted to sharing original research results and innovative applications in the discipline of Geoforensics.

Geoforensics, also known as forensic geology, belongs to criminalistics as other well-known disciplines, such as legal medicine, genetics, fingerprinting, and ballistic. Geoforensics is used by police and forensic experts in forensic geology and soil science to help the judicial system in solving crimes such as homicides, corpse concealments, hit and run incidents, kidnappings, sexual assaults, animal maltreating and wildlife crimes, fraud crimes (fossils, gemstones frauds), financial crimes, robberies, and environmental damages.

In most crime scenes in open space, the possibility that geological and botanical evidence transfers from the scene to the victim or the suspect is high. The probatory weight assumed by the geological and botanical materials collected from the scene and questioned items may be crucial in such circumstances. The innovative approach of analyzing geological and botanical evidence proved successful in several cases. One of the most known cases was the kidnapping and murder of the Honourable Aldo Moro during the years of lead in the 1970s in Rome. The sands and plants remains found on the victim allowed to ascertain the provenance of the evidence from the Lazio coast north of Fiumicino airport.

The 3D reconstruction of items of investigative interest and the reconstruction of the geographical, geological, topographical, geomorphological, and botanical features of the sites linked to crimes may provide significant info-investigative contributions, as demonstrated in recent times for a mediatic case reconstrcting the walkway of the two victims.

These info-investigative contributions may be incriminating when analyzed by multidisciplinary teams of forensic experts in earth and material sciences, such as geologists, botanists, engineers, chemists, and physicians.

Another emerging field of investigation is related to gemmological studies to ascertain possible frauds related to not declared simulants or false provenances.

Another critical aspect that may be linked and overlapped with Earth Sciences investigations is the contribution of the experts in Geographical Offender Profiling (geographers and investigative psychologists). They individuate and analyze the geographical and psychological characteristics of the sites influencing the criminal behavior of perpetrators, mainly responsible for serial crimes.

On the base of this inter-and multidisciplinary approach centered on Earth Sciences investigations applied to forensics, the main topics of the workshop may cover:

geology,

stratigraphic geology,

sedimentology,

mineralogy,

petrography,

gemmology,

geochemistry,

soil science,

geography,

geomorphology,

micropaleontology,

applied geophysics,

applied physics,

applied chemistry,

legal medicine,

physical anthropology,

investigative psychology,

archaeology,

botany,

2D-3D reconstructions,

search for clandestine graves,

environmental crimes,

education activities in the field of Geoforensics.

The workshop will emphasize the importance of interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinary scientific approaches, promoting scientific dissemination and dialogue among experts in the different scientific disciplines involved in Geoforensics.

Through selected keynote, invited lectures, and poster presentations, the meeting will offer the attendees a privileged occasion for facilitating cultural and scientific exchanges, giving a beneficial opportunity to increase international scientific collaborations.

The invited keynote/lectures/speakers will be able to be in presence at the prestigious hall of the Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti (http://www.accademiapeloritana.it/) of the Messina University at Messina (Italy) or through a virtual platform.

The attendees (poster presenters and auditors) will be able to participate exclusively at the Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti.

The meeting auditory will be addressed to academics, researchers, graduates, Ph.D. students, professionals, law enforcement experts, investigators, young magistrates, and lawyers operating or interested in applying earth sciences for solving crimes.

The workshop is organized with the academic patronage of the Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti and Messina University.