Chapter 13: Soil Evidence

Clay

The finest soil particles that can absorb and hold water

Geology

The study of soil and rocks

Humus

Material in the uppermost layer of the soil made up of the decaying remains of plants and animals

Mineral

A naturally occurring, crystalline solid formed over time

Sand

Granules of fine rock particles

Sediment

Soil that has settled after having been transported to a new location by water, wind or glaciers

Silt

A type of soil whose particles are chaser than clay and finer than sand

Soil

A mixture of minerals, water gases and the remains fo dead organisms, that covers Earth's surface

Soil Profile

A cross section of horizontal layers, or horizons, in the soil that have distinct composition and properties

Weathering

Formation of soil through the actions of wind and water on rock

No

If soil evidence found on crime scene and suspect is consistent does this provide sufficient evidence for conviction?

the odor of gases emitted during decomposition under anaerobic conditions.​

Cadaver dogs find bodies due to:

its mineral and chemical composition.​

X-ray diffraction of soil is used to determine:

adipocere. ​

High moisture levels in soil stimulate the formation of:

Soil level raised, no plant life on surface

What would indicate the presence of a recent gravesite?​

humus, topsoil, sand and silt, subsoil, broken rock, solid rock

Describe a undisturbed soil profile, starting at the surface

A volcanic island

What location is the most likely source of young sand with little quartz, that is dark in color, and that does not bubble when acid is added to it?

locate burial sites and link suspects to crime scenes.

The uniqueness of soil composition has helped:

the value of physical evidence, including soils found in the crime scene.

An Austrian, Dr. Hans Gross, is believed to be one of the first forensic scientists to apply science to crime investigation. Dr. Gross believed in:

being the first forensic scientist to use soil evidence to solve a crime.

A German investigator, Georg Popp, is credited with:

peaty soil

Soil with more than twenty percent decaying organic material is called:

O - Humus

A - Topsoil

E - Sand and silt

B - Subsoil

C - Broken rock

R - Solid Rock

Identify The soil horizon profile from top to bottom: O, A, E, B, C, R

wind and water on rocks, called weathering

Sand is formed by the action of:

0.05 mm - 2 mm in diameter

The size of sand grains can be anywhere from:

become rounded more slowly than wind-blown sand because water acts as a buffer.

Sand grains carried by water:

Potassium

If the leaves at the bottom of a plant are dying from a lack of chlorophyll, this means that the plant is deficient of which nutrient(s)?

Immature, young, old or mature

Sand grains are classified as:

Quatz

Sand from different locations contains different combinations of minerals. The most common mineral found in sand is:

very old

Continental sand is composed mostly of quartz, mica, feldspar, and dark-colored minerals like hornblende or magnetite. If a high percentage of quartz is present, it means the sand is:

Black basalt or green olivine

Volcanic sand is usually dark in color due to the presence of:

young and contains little or no quartz, except for obsidian particles.

Volcanic sand is very:

when the sun is low and shadows are easier to see

When is the best time of day to sight possible gravesites?

precipitate, skeletal, volcanic, and continental

What are the four primary sources of sand?

mostly of quartz, mica, feldspar, and dark-colored minerals like hornblende or magnetite.

Continental sand is composed of: mostly of quartz, mica, feldspar, and dark-colored minerals like hornblende or magnetite.

​near Great Salt Lake.

Oolitic sand can be found in various places including:​

Oolites

Calcium carbonate will sometimes precipitate out of seawater, forming a coat of hard particles that resemble the layers of an onion. These layers eventually form small, round structures called

a soil's chemical properties

The materials that make up a type of soil determine

acidic or alkaline (basic).

An important chemical property of soil is whether it is: