Environmental Forensics & Its Affects on Investigations
Learn how investigations are affected by the environment (Weather)
Environmental Forensics
The purpose of this course is to equip the student with sufficient background knowledge of the following subjects and to appreciate their application to investigations and introduce the science of forensic meteorology and its effects on all types of investigations.
The information is either directly or indirectly related to the science of meteorology and serves as a tool to understand what investigators are up against when conducting investigations and gives the meteorologist a keener sense of awareness when assisting in the investigation. It is not intended to be a [beginner’s guide], but more of a source of information about the range of expert knowledge that is available to assist in investigations and create a starting point to make the investigator an intelligent client of the expert. The nice part about this course is that it brings all respected professionals together under one umbrella and galvanizes their expertise into a ‘successful team environment’.
Forensic Meteorology (a division of atmospheric forensics) is the science involving the application of meteorological analysis to cases involving events for which Medico-legal, legal and/or insurance claims are being made. The forensic meteorologist (F.M.) "reconstructs" the weather near the time and place of the event, using and interpreting all available data sources, including weather observations, weather radar, and satellite, lightning detection equipment and any other information that deem necessary to the case. The F.M. will need to expand on his/her technique by performing single station recordings where comparisons of weather elements are needed. That means visiting the crime scene!
“What is a Forensic Meteorologist” is something I get asked quite often and the image of the broadcast meteorologist on TV is what most people envision. After an explanation of what a forensic meteorologist is and what they do, they think CSI the hit TV series, and to a degree I can relate our profession to some shows where the weather played a major factor in deciding the outcome in someone’s fate, although certainly not as glamorous. There are clues in every case and weather is one of them. But it’s not just how the weather is reported and reviewed but more as to [how] the weather affects other elements within the case. Convection, conduction and absorption of the suns rays can alter the “traditional” temperature readings.
This, in turn, can help narrow down a timeframe. It can be a cause of an accident and it could even remove someone who was named a prime suspect. Wind blowing over a lake will push surface water in one direction and in the opposite direction near the bottom of the lake. This is key when searching for a drowning victim.
All available data sources can and should include non-traditional methods of weather recording from armchair weather enthusiasts, local farmers, Schools, Department of Transportation records or anything that can lend a factor in the analysis. The elements of weather have a dramatic influence not only in our future but also in our past. Horticultural Research Stations are extremely valuable in data (surface, ground and sub-terrain recordings) that would normally be non-accessible due to limiting sensor data.
There is no “distinct” definition of “Forensic Meteorology” that is
analogous among publications and opinions widely vary. In its simplest form, Forensic Meteorology pertains to the law or legal
system. Some colleagues I conferred with agreed. So what follows is
what was presented at the American Meteorological Society Forensic
Workshop, San Diego, CA. 2005 by Sean Potter, CCM.
Forensic Meteorology as defined by the World English Dictionary, (North American Edition)
Forensic: From the Latin word forensic, meaning “of the forum”, relating to the application of science to decide questions arising from crime or litigation.
Forensic Meteorology: The application of meteorological and climatological data to legal cases and related investigations in which weather may have been a factor.
The role of the Forensic Meteorologist: “To assist the court in the search for the truth by presenting the most accurate description possible of the meteorological events pertinent to the case of litigation.” (Haggard–2003)
“To fulfill this role, the forensic meteorologist must utilize the best possible data set in his or her retrospective reconstruction of the weather. The quality of the analysis is dependent on the availability of representative measurements of meteorological parameters.” (Haggard–2003) (As presented by Sean Potter, CCM, at the AMS Conference Workshop for Forensic Meteorologist, San Diego 2005)
The forensic meteorologist, who may act as either a background consultant or a testifying expert, will collect, interpret and analyze atmospheric data in support of insurance fraud claim investigations, civil and criminal trials, and environmental regulatory actions. The forensic meteorologist may be employed directly by an insurance company, the attorneys for either the plaintiff or defendant in a case or, with increasingly frequency, may be appointed by the court itself. Regardless of the employing party, it is not the role of the meteorologist to be an advocate for either side in a dispute, but to assist the judge and/or jury in understanding the often complex facts in a case so that they may reach an appropriate verdict.
The legal definition of Expert Witness: When knowledge of a technical subject matter might be helpful to a trier of fact, a person having special training or experience in that technical field, one who is called an expert witness, is permitted to state his or her opinion concerning those technical matters even though he or she was not present at the event.
Some typical problems we (expert witnesses) deal with in forensic meteorology are pretty typical and range from the following:
"The automobile accident was caused by poor visibility - was that caused by natural fog or pollutants from a nearby industrial plant?" "Was the building damaged by a tornado or straight line thunderstorm winds?" "A person was found electrocuted near a downed power line - was it a fault in the utilities' line or a lightning strike?" "How can we demonstrate that rain fell at a site that is located many miles distant from any National Weather Service reporting station?"
The forensic meteorologist may collect standard and non-standard weather observations, assemble weather radar and satellite imagery, process weather data taken by a party in the case, or locate nonstandard sources of data such as lightning ground strike reports or atmospheric data taken by air pollution monitoring networks. This accumulated data is then used in a comprehensive analysis of the meteorological facts pertinent to the case. There is increasing use of sophisticated computer graphics and video animation of weather information in trials and mediation/administrative hearings. Most forensic meteorologist has had long and varied careers in the atmospheric sciences, and it is their hard-earned expertise that is in demand. Most successful forensic meteorologists have met the qualifications of a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM).
Now that we have a fairly good idea on the definition and role of the forensic meteorologist, but how [does] it affect other forensic scientists in their field of study? How much of an influence does our research have on the Entomologist (Study of insects), Engineer, Construction Company (residential and commercial), Transportation (aviation, automotive, rail and marine), Pathologist (Medical Examiner) and Law Enforcement? Let’s find out!
Your Instructor
CEDI Approved Instructor for online studies nationwiode:
For 20 years his experience in many professional fields has made him a skilled forensic meteorologist, sharing his insight with other investigators for a more complete investigation. Greg has carried fourth his learning experience and put together a masterful collection of information that draws from his past as a pilot, scuba diver and construction supervisor as well as an underwater archaeologists, just top name a few. An award winning meteorologist in TV and radio as well as a former state legislator for the state of Michigan, Greg works in cooperation with medical examiners in estimating time of death in humans in various environmental locations. He's also a forensic weather consultant for the History Channel's Deep Sea Detectives.