Metaphysical Search Methods

The use of geophysical methods in the search for clandestine graves has been increasing in popularity with the improvement of the technology. Though geophysical methods can be useful, more often than not geophysical methods cannot be relied upon to definitively locate a clandestine burial. For the most part, geophysical search methods are really only useful in locating ground anomalies that have the potential to be a burial site and then have to be examined by another search method. The geophysical search methods should always be used as a part of a larger search plan that includes more search strategies, such as cadaver dogs and/or a line search. Individual geophysical methods have so many factors involved, and the slightest problem can affect …show more content…
Ground penetrating radar has become one of the central geophysical methods involved in the search for buried organic remains (Ruffell, 2005). It is no surprise that ground penetrating radar is so widely used in the search for ground disturbances because with the right antenna settings and an understanding of the surrounding area and soil of the search area ground penetrating radar can be very effective. However, there is also several elements that can make ground penetrating radar not a useful tool in the search for clandestine burials. Understanding the factors that affect ground penetrating radar is the best way to improve its effectiveness (Doolittle & Bellantoni, 2010) and the soil type and its content seem to be the most common factor that creates a problem with the use of ground penetrating radar. The efficiency of ground penetrating radar is extremely specific to the site and the success depends on decent soil and site conditions (Doolittle & Bellantoni, 2010). Soil is one of the major problems with ground penetrating radar because if the ground is too rich in clay content (Ruffell, 2005), too high in salt content, or waterlogged it can become very difficult to detect a burial because of the previously listed soil conditions restricting the penetration depth (Doolittle & Bellantoni, 2010). According to Davenport, ground penetrating radar has not been a reliable tool for the detection of …show more content…
Earth resistance is a good method to use for multiple reasons, including that earth resistance has been shown to be successful in locating clandestine burials (Pringle & Jervis, 2010). Resistivity has been successfully used to locate unmarked burials in cemeteries, although local variations in soil moisture content, particularly in heterogeneous ground in relatively dry conditions, can affect survey success by masking target location(s) and/or result in numerous non-target anomalies being imaged (Pringle et al., 2012), as is the problem with most of the geophysical search methods. Earth resistance can also be used to cover a large amount of area in a rapid amount of time (Pringle et al., 2012). Earth resistance is mostly used as an alternative to ground penetrating radar in areas where there is a high moisture and high clay contain in the soil. Ground penetrating radar may not be suitable for investigations of certain sites, like in areas where soils have high clay contents that rapidly reduces the radar signal and results in poor penetration depths, electrical resistivity surveys could be used instead to identify anomalous areas for follow-up investigations (Pringle & Jervis, 2010). Earth resistance is one of the few geophysical methods that actually works better in soil that has