Forensic Geology : New Pioneer in Geological Area
Ok-Sun Lee, Seong-Yong Kim · Economic and Environmental Geology · 2007
We should treat carefully the one related to human rights among a large number of decision-making in our daily lives. As it is necessary to obtain physical evidences in the process of criminal investigation for solving a certain crime based on the principle of evidence, it leads to an increase in demand for forensic science and forensic geology. Forensic geology could be regarded as a fusion discipline of geology and forensic investigation and it is principally concerned to the study on the connection of a suspect and a crime scene with soil evidence which could be experimented using geological data and methods. So these results could be used as valuable information in a court. After its academic foundation has been builded since the last 1970s, its research objects have been expanded from soil evidence like rocks, minerals, soils, sediments to sociocultural, political, military and medical objects like ancient relics, mines, corpses. Its role is expanded from the simple finding of a particular location to the examination of archaeological theories and historical facts, the testimony of the cause of environmental pollution and the chronic demonstration of geological distribution of plants and anthropological origination. And these bring this discipline promptly to accept developed geological methodologies and to satisfy various forensic geological needs. Specialized forensic investigation institutes work actively for the R&D activities of forensic geology. In Korea, national institute of scientific investigation works a small part of forensic geological activities in total activities of forensic investigation. In conclusion, we concern to the importance of systematic discussion of building in proper position of forensic geology through its R&D methods, application cases of its performance and etc. based on geological characteristics in our country by a specialized geoscience institute.