Standard Practice for Use of Color in the Visual Examination and Forensic Comparison of Soil Samples

Importancia y uso:

4.1 Color is an easily observable characteristic of soils and is integral to the taxonomic classifications of soils (6-8); factors including parent material, hydrology, vegetation, and extent of soil weathering, can affect soil color, making color a valuable diagnostic tool for forensic examination purposes.

4.2 Soil color is sufficiently variable among soils to be used for differentiation of many soils in forensic examinations (9, 10) (see Section 6 for the test method for color determination and comparison criteria) as determined by visual characterization in the Munsell color system.

4.3 Instrumental techniques are suitable for color determination of soil evidence but are not covered within this practice.

4.4 Color determinations of soil samples are also used within soil provenance assessments to provide investigative leads or aid in searches. Interpretation of soil color for soil provenance is case-specific and beyond the scope of this practice, but the methods of color determination (6.5.1 to 6.5.2) and documentation (6.7) described here should be applied to soil color within soil provenance cases.

Subcomité:

E30.15

Referida por:

E1732-24E01

Volúmen:

14.02

Número ICS:

07.140 (Forensic science), 71.040.50 (Physicochemical methods of analysis), 91.100.15 (Mineral materials and products)

Palabras clave:

forensic soil comparison; forensic soil examination; soil color;