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Soil evidence is collected from bottom of a suspect's shoe in order to compare to soil from area where body was discovered.  GClark

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Second slide explains how to package soiled evidence properly and somewhat type of packaging. (Tyvion M.)

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Ways of collecting multiple types of soil evidence. (Tyvion M.)

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Forensic Soil Analysis is the use of soil sciences and other disciplines to aid in criminal investigation. Soils are like fingerprints because every type of soil that exists has unique properties that act as identification markers. This means that the origin of the soil sample can be identified. For example, clay embedded in the sneaker of a criminal can be traced back to a specific clay type found along a lake where a murder victim was discovered. The majority of soil cases involves footprints or tire marks that have been left in the soil.

The unique properties of soil are as follows:

Sediment - the original solid particles that were weathered and transported. This could be in the form of a grain of rock that breaks off of the larger parent material (larger version of rock). Soils can develop on these sediments due to physical and chemical alteration.

Color - indicates its history as well as the compounds present in the soil. For example, white or gray soil could mean that the soil contains lime or has been leeched((a chemical, a metal, etc.) from a substance by the action of a liquid passing through the substance. Gray soil can also mean that the organic material or moisture is present, black soil suggests the same. Soil that is red,brown or yellow generally suggests that there is iron present.

Structure-indicates whether a soil is composed of a single grain particle or not. This is determined by the presence of peds (clumps). These peds are formed due to cementing agents such as calcium carbonate attracting the soil particles so that they adhere to each other to form either bulky peds which are small conglomerates (masses) or platy peds which are flat and sheet like.

Soil samples can be collected in different ways depending on where the sample is being collected from. If samples are being collected indoors or from a vehicle vacuuming is generally used. If the sample is outdoors it's collected by placing a teaspoon of soil into a plastic vial. When found on a tool, it is wrapped in plastic and then sent to the lab for testing. Collecting soil samples off of a body isn't any harder than collecting a sample from anywhere else but it takes more work and care so that the evidence doesn't get contaminated. When collecting samples from a body, samples should be taken at regular intervals and a different spoon should be used each time.

Once the soil samples are collected they are sent to the laboratory. At the laboratory samples should be separated by samples from the victim and samples pertaining to the suspect. Also, each sample set should get its own examiner. This is to avoid contamination; if possible the samples should be kept in different rooms. To examine the samples the examiner will first want to use microscopic analysis to perform testing on the mineral content. Another test that can be done to help try to identify the origin of the soil is a density test. The density test is called the density gradient tube. This test consists of adding liquid to two glass tubes. The liquid in both tubes is the same, but the rations are different. This represents two different densities. The soil sample is added to both liquid samples. After the soil samples become suspended in the liquid the separation of the bands can then be analyzed to reveal the profile of the soil. Heat tests can also be used to test the soils reaction and electron microscopes can be used to examine the structure of the minerals in the soil. During examination, an examiner might find that some soil samples may contain biological evidence such as saliva, semen or blood. If biological evidence is found in the sample the whole soil sample should be sent to the laboratory for testing.

Back to Crime Library

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Forensic Soil Analysis is the use of soil sciences and other disciplines to aid in criminal investigation. Soils are like fingerprints because every type of soil that exists has unique properties that act as identification markers. This means that the origin of the soil sample can be identified.

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Multiple types of databases on Soil evidence (Tyvion M.)

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Found a case that had soil evidence that helped a murder case. (Tyvion M.)

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New soil sample evidence has emerged to allegedly link prominent republican Colin Duffy to the murders of two soldiers, the High Court has heard.

Prosecutors claimed expert examination of a Mercedes car belonging to his co-accused, Brian Shivers, has established a further connection to the killings.

Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey were shot dead at Massereene Army barracks in Antrim in March 2009.

Mr Duffy, who denies the murders, was again refused bail.

The 43-year-old, of Forest Glade, Lurgan, also pleaded not guilty to six counts of attempted murder and possession of firearms with intent in connection with the Real IRA ambush of soldiers collecting food from pizza delivery men.

Masked gunmen fired at least 60 rounds of ammunition at the victims before escaping in a waiting car.

Mr Shivers, 45, of Sperrin Mews, Magherafelt, denies the same charges.

The two men are due to stand trial later this year.

DNA evidence forms part of the prosecution case, with claims that Mr Duffy's profile matched the tip of a latex glove recovered from the partially burnt-out Vauxhall Cavalier getaway car.

Soil samples from a hold-all in the vehicle containing camouflage jackets, balaclavas and ammunition were also said to be similar to those found on a boot belonging to Mr Duffy.

Opposing the suspect's renewed application for bail, Crown counsel Tessa Kitson told the court on Friday that additional expert evidence was supplied last month.

She claimed that another sample of soil taken from Mr Shivers' Mercedes car has established a connection between it, the Vauxhall and the hold-all.

"The prosecution would say at this stage it is a further link between the applicant and the incident, and indeed between the applicant and his co-accused."

Mrs Kitson argued that a specific alleged role played by Mr Duffy did not have to be identified.

But defence barrister Mark Mulholland insisted the prosecution was unable to attribute a role to his client due to "the paucity of the evidence".

He also pointed out that the Crown no longer alleged that Mr Duffy was one of the gunmen, while two witnesses had failed to pick him out in identification processes.

But refusing bail, Mr Justice Deeny held that the nature of the alleged offences was relevant.

The judge said: "This was a successfully planned and ruthlessly executed terrorist attack, and the applicant is in the position that there is a prima facie case that he was actively involved or involved in some significant way in the joint enterprise."

He noted the allegation was of involvement in "the taking of human life for reasons it would appear connected to support for dissident republican beliefs".

Mr Justice Deeny added: "That dissident republican campaign continues, with a further tragic murder (Constable Ronan Kerr) in relatively recent months.

"Therefore one must infer that his release would carry a real risk of encouragement being given to that campaign, ie. the real risk of further offences."

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Soil evidence 'links Colin Duffy to sappers' murders'

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New soil sample evidence has emerged to allegedly link prominent republican Colin Duffy to the murders of two soldiers, the High Court has heard. Prosecutors claimed expert examination of a Mercedes car belonging to his co-accused, Brian Shivers, has established a further connection to the killings.

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Shoeprints found near or on the crime scene from the suspect walking in soil helps the FBI narrow down the searches a little.
-B.Swint

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Different ways in which soil can be collected depending on how/where it is found.
B.Swint

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Soil evidence is most useful when a suspect can be immediately identified before the soil from the crime scene is lost from his/her shoes. Soil evidence from the victim's or suspect's clothing can indicate an association between the victim and the suspect; for example, if a suspect lives in a neighborhood with a specific soil profile and this profile matches one found at the crime scene or on the victim, then this suggests the suspect left this sample at the scene. The evidence becomes even more convincing if there is soil from the victim's neighborhood on the suspect's clothing or shoes. The methods of collecting soil will vary from scene to scene, and the collection of soil samples will depend on the circumstances of the crime. At indoor scenes there may be footprints in soil or in dust; samples made by footwear should be photographed to scale before being recovered. Particle samples can be collected with a vacuum that has a special metal screen with a filter paper affixed to it. The filter becomes the repository for the particles and is analyzed for particle characteristics. When there is an outdoor scene, soil samples should be taken at uniform distances up to 100 yards from the site of a body. Approximately a tablespoon of soil from less than a half-inch depth should be sufficient for most modern tests. This article also discusses packaging and labeling soil samples, the collection and packaging of clothing and shoes that may contain soil samples, procedures for soil analysis, and the importance of proper communication between crime investigators and laboratory analysts regarding the nature of the evidence and the possible value of the analysis.

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Soil evidence is most useful when a suspect can be immediately identified before the soil from the crime scene is lost from his/her shoes.

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Different ways soil is found and packaged correctly
B.Swint

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A case in which soil evidence found on the suspects clothes and the crime scene helps detectives put a man in jail.
B.Swint

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Geological Society, London, Special Publications

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Abstract

In October 1999, a woman and her two small children were assaulted by a male acquaintance on the banks of the New River in the Imperial Valley desert region of California, USA, approximately 160 km east of San Diego. The area includes a number of agricultural fields, old lake deposits, sand dunes and the Salton Sea, a large saline inland sea. The victims escaped from the suspect and hid for 30 h in the New River, thus diminishing the possibility of obtaining physiological fluids as evidence for DNA testing. Wet and soiled clothing and shoes were collected from a suspect's residence within hours of the assault being reported. The suspect denied any contact with the victims or with the crime scene. Analyses of the soil on the suspect's clothing and shoes, and of crime scene soil using microscopical methods and X-ray diffraction, indicated that the soil from the crime scene and soil on the suspect's clothing and shoes were similar. Predominant wind directions and observations of the soil distribution at the crime scene added significance to the observed similarities between the soil samples at the crime scene and the soil on the suspect's clothing and shoes.

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Soil as significant evidence in a sexual assault/attempted homicide case

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In October 1999, a woman and her two small children were assaulted by a male acquaintance on the banks of the New River in the Imperial Valley desert region of California, USA, approximately 160 km east of San Diego. The area includes a number of agricultural fields, old lake deposits, sand dunes and the Salton Sea, a large saline inland sea.

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This will tell you the whereabouts of soil after it is taken from a crime scene.
B.Swint

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Forensic Soil Analysis is the use of soil sciences and other disciplines to aid in criminal investigation. Soils are like fingerprints because every type of soil that exists has unique properties that act as identification markers. This means that the origin of the soil sample can be identified. For example, clay embedded in the sneaker of a criminal can be traced back to a specific clay type found along a lake where a murder victim was discovered. The majority of soil cases involves footprints or tire marks that have been left in the soil.

The unique properties of soil are as follows:

Sediment - the original solid particles that were weathered and transported. This could be in the form of a grain of rock that breaks off of the larger parent material (larger version of rock). Soils can develop on these sediments due to physical and chemical alteration.

Color - indicates its history as well as the compounds present in the soil. For example, white or gray soil could mean that the soil contains lime or has been leeched((a chemical, a metal, etc.) from a substance by the action of a liquid passing through the substance. Gray soil can also mean that the organic material or moisture is present, black soil suggests the same. Soil that is red,brown or yellow generally suggests that there is iron present.

Structure-indicates whether a soil is composed of a single grain particle or not. This is determined by the presence of peds (clumps). These peds are formed due to cementing agents such as calcium carbonate attracting the soil particles so that they adhere to each other to form either bulky peds which are small conglomerates (masses) or platy peds which are flat and sheet like.

Soil samples can be collected in different ways depending on where the sample is being collected from. If samples are being collected indoors or from a vehicle vacuuming is generally used. If the sample is outdoors it's collected by placing a teaspoon of soil into a plastic vial. When found on a tool, it is wrapped in plastic and then sent to the lab for testing. Collecting soil samples off of a body isn't any harder than collecting a sample from anywhere else but it takes more work and care so that the evidence doesn't get contaminated. When collecting samples from a body, samples should be taken at regular intervals and a different spoon should be used each time.

Once the soil samples are collected they are sent to the laboratory. At the laboratory samples should be separated by samples from the victim and samples pertaining to the suspect. Also, each sample set should get its own examiner. This is to avoid contamination; if possible the samples should be kept in different rooms. To examine the samples the examiner will first want to use microscopic analysis to perform testing on the mineral content. Another test that can be done to help try to identify the origin of the soil is a density test. The density test is called the density gradient tube. This test consists of adding liquid to two glass tubes. The liquid in both tubes is the same, but the rations are different. This represents two different densities. The soil sample is added to both liquid samples. After the soil samples become suspended in the liquid the separation of the bands can then be analyzed to reveal the profile of the soil. Heat tests can also be used to test the soils reaction and electron microscopes can be used to examine the structure of the minerals in the soil. During examination, an examiner might find that some soil samples may contain biological evidence such as saliva, semen or blood. If biological evidence is found in the sample the whole soil sample should be sent to the laboratory for testing.

Back to Crime Library

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Forensic Soil Analysis is the use of soil sciences and other disciplines to aid in criminal investigation. Soils are like fingerprints because every type of soil that exists has unique properties that act as identification markers. This means that the origin of the soil sample can be identified.

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The soil shown above has a shoeprint within it and being measured by a ruler to find the exact size of the shoe. (Tyvion Meadows)

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Fall is a good time to pull soil samples from harvested fields. A regular, consistent program of soil sampling provides a useful record of farm field fertility. Soil test results are an important component in a nutrient management plan as they will be a driver in determining if a nutrient application is needed and if so what quantity of nutrients should be applied. The reliability of the soil test results is very much dependent upon the quality of the sample submitted. Taking a good representative sample takes some time and effort and deciding how and where to sample needs to be part of a soil sampling plan. The two most commonly used soil sampling methods are grid sampling and zone sampling. Each method requires different sampling techniques and influences how the results are used and how nutrients are applied. In a recent OSU Extension CORN newsletter, OSU Extension agronomy field specialists Elizabeth Hawkins, Greg LaBarge and Harold Watters along with Precision ag specialist John Fulton and soil fertility specialist Steve Culman wrote an article that explains the two different sampling methods and how and when to use each one. I am including some excerpts from the article here and the entire article can be read at: http://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2016-37/developing-strategy-precision-soil-sampling .

Grid sampling should be used when there is little information available about the variation in nutrient levels across a field. Grid sampling may be useful in fields where variability is expected but the field history is not well known, topography is uniform but differences in soil type occur, varied management patterns have been used in the past or manure applications have occurred. Proper grid sampling makes it possible to identify variation within a field and is an important data layer when determining future management zones for fertilizer applications.

Grid sampling involves taking samples at regular intervals across the landscape of a field. Grid size is selected to provide the desired data resolution. A 2.5-acre grid size is commonly used (360 by 360 feet); however, choosing a grid size that matches up to spreader equipment widths is recommended. The goal when grid sampling is to determine the best estimate of each soil test value near the center of the gridded area. One recommended method to get this information is to collect subsamples within a 10 foot circle of each grid point. Two cores are pulled from each quadrant of the circle; a total of eight cores for each grid point.

Zone sampling involves dividing the field into zones that are uniform enough to be managed as a whole and then sampling to determine the average soil test values for those zones. The success of the zone sampling relies on the amount and quality of the data used to determine the zones. Layers such as soils maps, aerial photos, yield maps, topographic maps, management history and personal field experience can provide valuable information about the variation in a field. This information can be used to define sample zones or management zones in a field. As the number of management zones in a field increase, the number of samples needed increase. If only a few zones exist, samples can be combined to reduce the cost of analytical expenses.

Management zones are a better choice than grids when the operator has a long history of working with the field, topography varies and can be used to define zones, where yield map data over time has defined high and low yielding areas, the soil type map represents yield zones or other remote sensing data is available to overlay with operator experience to define yield patterns in a field.

The goal when sampling by management zone is to determine the best estimate of the entire zone. If the data used to determine the zones is accurate, the soil test values should be relatively consistent. In this case, taking multiple soil cores is necessary to reduce the chance of pulling one from a "bad spot." Subsamples should be taken randomly (recommended to walk in a zigzag pattern) with 10-15 cores per sample area up to 25 acres. Georeferenced sample points may give a better opportunity to compare sample trends over time by returning to near the same point in future years. This can be beneficial to tracking soil fertility recommendation program effects on soil test levels over time.

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Fall is a good time to pull soil samples from harvested fields. A regular, consistent program of soil sampling provides a useful record of farm field fertility. Soil test results are an important component in a nutrient management plan as they will be a driver in determining if a nutrient application is needed and if so what quantity of nutrients should be applied.

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Providing information on the soils of the world is an enormous task and continuing challenge for ISRIC - World Soil information. ISRIC collects, harmonizes and publishes global soil geographic information, whereas many national, regional, local and NGO organizations provide soil information specific to their area and according to their procedures and standards. This page is a catalogue of digital soil resources available outside our organisation.

This set of pages attempts to catalogue all freely-downloadable primary soils information, other than ISRIC-produced information, usable in a GIS either as 'points', lines, polygons or grids ('rasters'). It (mostly) does not include scans or images, because they can't be used in a GIS without digitizing.

Looking for ISRIC's data products? Click here. These include the SoilGrids 250m predictive maps of soil properties and classes, their generalizations to 1km and 5km resolutions, the WoSIS Soil Profile Database, and the WISE v3.1 harmonized Global Soil Profile Dataset, as well as many products from continental (Africa, Europe), national, regional and project studies.

I've written a useful (?) guide to best practices for the use of these databases. This can help you decide if one of the sources you find here fits your needs.

Information outdated or missing? Or any other comment? See the contact information on the "About" page

Last update: 2026-07-15 15:09:15 CEST (+0200)

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Soil Geographic Databases – Home Page – Soil Geographic Databases

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Providing information on the soils of the world is an enormous task and continuing challenge for ISRIC — World Soil information. ISRIC collects, harmonizes and publishes global soil geographic information, whereas many national, regional, local and NGO organizations provide soil information specific to their area and according to their procedures and standards. This page is a catalogue of digital soil resources available outside our organisation.

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New soil sample evidence has emerged to allegedly link prominent republican Colin Duffy to the murders of two soldiers, the High Court has heard.

Prosecutors claimed expert examination of a Mercedes car belonging to his co-accused, Brian Shivers, has established a further connection to the killings.

Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey were shot dead at Massereene Army barracks in Antrim in March 2009.

Mr Duffy, who denies the murders, was again refused bail.

The 43-year-old, of Forest Glade, Lurgan, also pleaded not guilty to six counts of attempted murder and possession of firearms with intent in connection with the Real IRA ambush of soldiers collecting food from pizza delivery men.

Masked gunmen fired at least 60 rounds of ammunition at the victims before escaping in a waiting car.

Mr Shivers, 45, of Sperrin Mews, Magherafelt, denies the same charges.

The two men are due to stand trial later this year.

DNA evidence forms part of the prosecution case, with claims that Mr Duffy's profile matched the tip of a latex glove recovered from the partially burnt-out Vauxhall Cavalier getaway car.

Soil samples from a hold-all in the vehicle containing camouflage jackets, balaclavas and ammunition were also said to be similar to those found on a boot belonging to Mr Duffy.

Opposing the suspect's renewed application for bail, Crown counsel Tessa Kitson told the court on Friday that additional expert evidence was supplied last month.

She claimed that another sample of soil taken from Mr Shivers' Mercedes car has established a connection between it, the Vauxhall and the hold-all.

"The prosecution would say at this stage it is a further link between the applicant and the incident, and indeed between the applicant and his co-accused."

Mrs Kitson argued that a specific alleged role played by Mr Duffy did not have to be identified.

But defence barrister Mark Mulholland insisted the prosecution was unable to attribute a role to his client due to "the paucity of the evidence".

He also pointed out that the Crown no longer alleged that Mr Duffy was one of the gunmen, while two witnesses had failed to pick him out in identification processes.

But refusing bail, Mr Justice Deeny held that the nature of the alleged offences was relevant.

The judge said: "This was a successfully planned and ruthlessly executed terrorist attack, and the applicant is in the position that there is a prima facie case that he was actively involved or involved in some significant way in the joint enterprise."

He noted the allegation was of involvement in "the taking of human life for reasons it would appear connected to support for dissident republican beliefs".

Mr Justice Deeny added: "That dissident republican campaign continues, with a further tragic murder (Constable Ronan Kerr) in relatively recent months.

"Therefore one must infer that his release would carry a real risk of encouragement being given to that campaign, ie. the real risk of further offences."

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Soil evidence 'links Colin Duffy to sappers' murders'

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New soil sample evidence has emerged to allegedly link prominent republican Colin Duffy to the murders of two soldiers, the High Court has heard. Prosecutors claimed expert examination of a Mercedes car belonging to his co-accused, Brian Shivers, has established a further connection to the killings.

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The painstaking reconstruction of an eventful night in May 1998 helped the Crime Branch solve a 14-year-old murder case which had grown 'cold' over the years.

The victim, S. Suresh Kumar, a 28-year-old Indian Air Force (IAF) non-commissioned officer, was found dead in a temple pond at Nemom on May 17, 1998.

Additional Director-General of Police, Crimes, Vinson. M. Paul's team, which revisited the case again in April this year, perused sheaves and sheaves of police station records to find that at least five persons had seen Suresh Kumar with his neighbour Sarath and four others at the Kallumoodu junction at 10.30 p.m. on October 16 night.

Investigators led by Deputy Superintendent of Police P. Regu found that at least four persons had told the police then that they had witnessed Suresh arrive there in an autorickshaw with Sarath and three others.

According to them, the youth were drunk and a scuffle ensued. The last they saw of Suresh was the rest of the gang hustling him towards the pond.

Forensic doctors, who autopsied Suresh's body, gave the cause of his death as 'smothering followed by homicidal drowning.'

They counted nine injuries on his face and several contusions and beat marks on his body.

Another witness, a neighbour of Sarath, had told the police earlier that she had seen Sarath come drunk to his house on the night of October 16 and hear his mother wail out loudly in angst. She said she had heard Sarath's mother repeatedly asking her son, 'why he had done it.'

The Crime Branch found that the local police, curiously, had failed to pursue any of the leads.

Moreover, the material objects relating to the murder case, chiefly Sarath's blood-stained dress and personal belongings, were seen missing from the station.

The court had asked the local police to keep the objects in safe custody till the case was disposed. The Crime Branch interviewed all the witnesses who had spoken to the police after the murder was reported in 1998.

Most of them reiterated their statements on their own to a Magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The agency confronted the suspects with the evidence, including the statements of those who had served them liquor on the day. They also questioned Sarath's mother.

The agency concluded that Sarath had killed Suresh on the basis of an unfounded suspicion that latter had an illicit relationship with a member of his family. Sarath was incensed that he was the butt of jokes spread by gossip mongers.

The prosecution case was that Sarath and the other accused, Asokan, Santosh, and Anil, had enticed Suresh to join them for a night of ribaldry and they had beat, smothered, and drowned him to death. "Tragically, it was an honour killing prompted by canards," an official said.

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The painstaking reconstruction of an eventful night in May 1998 helped the Crime Branch solve a 14-year-old murder case which had grown 'cold' over the years. The victim, S. Suresh Kumar, a 28-year-old Indian Air Force (IAF) non-commissioned officer, was found dead in a temple pond at Nemom on May 17, 1998.