Forensic pedology (and soil science) is the study of soil – including morphology, mineralogy, chemistry, physics and geophysics of soils aided by soil mapping – to answer legal questions and support crime scene investigations. Soil description and interpretation can be used to answer questions such as “what is the soil like?” “where does it come from?” and to carry out studies relating to the characterization and localization of soils for forensic comparisons. Furthermore, most soils have high adhesion to surfaces; in particular due to the presence of clay minerals and organic substance and this in combination with new analytical techniques makes it possible to analyze soil residues present on the investigation findings.

The study typically involves crime scene sampling, checking suspected sites where soil transported by shoes, vehicles, agricultural tools or other materials could have come from. Indeed, soil properties vary across the landscape, and this diversity can allow forensic pedology to use soils – with a certain degree of certainty – as evidence in criminal and environmental investigations.

CRISP – in the context of the forensic activities already completed – has used the following analytical approaches to the great advantage of the competent authorities: soil detection, soil mapping, geospatial statistics, morphology and soil sampling at the crime scene, X-ray fluorescence (also on microsamples), gamma ray spectroscopy, XRD and FTIR, soil microscopy, micromorphology, microtomography.