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Title: A novel application of terrestrial LIDAR to characterize elevation change at human grave surfaces in support of narrowing down possible unmarked grave locations

Abstract

Unmarked graves are difficult to locate once the ground surface no longer shows visible evidence of disturbance, posing significant challenges to missing person investigations. This research evaluates the use of terrestrial LIDAR point data for measuring localized elevation change at human grave surfaces. Three differently sized human graves, one control-pit, and surrounding undisturbed ground, were scanned four times between February 2013 and November 2014 using a tripod-mounted terrestrial laser scanner. All the disturbed surfaces exhibited measurable and localized elevation change, allowing for separation of disturbed and undisturbed ground. In conclusion, this study is the first to quantify elevation changes to human graves over time and demonstrates that terrestrial LIDAR may contribute to multi-modal data collection approach to improve unmarked grave detection.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  2. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  4. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Springfield, VA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1458373
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Forensic Science International
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 289; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0379-0738
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; Forensic archaeology; Remote sensing; LIDAR; Grave detection

Citation Formats

Corcoran, Katie A., Mundorff, Amy Z., White, Devin A., and Emch, Whitney L. A novel application of terrestrial LIDAR to characterize elevation change at human grave surfaces in support of narrowing down possible unmarked grave locations. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.05.038.
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Corcoran, Katie A., Mundorff, Amy Z., White, Devin A., & Emch, Whitney L. A novel application of terrestrial LIDAR to characterize elevation change at human grave surfaces in support of narrowing down possible unmarked grave locations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.05.038
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Corcoran, Katie A., Mundorff, Amy Z., White, Devin A., and Emch, Whitney L. Wed . "A novel application of terrestrial LIDAR to characterize elevation change at human grave surfaces in support of narrowing down possible unmarked grave locations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.05.038. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1458373.
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@article{osti_1458373,
title = {A novel application of terrestrial LIDAR to characterize elevation change at human grave surfaces in support of narrowing down possible unmarked grave locations},
author = {Corcoran, Katie A. and Mundorff, Amy Z. and White, Devin A. and Emch, Whitney L.},
abstractNote = {Unmarked graves are difficult to locate once the ground surface no longer shows visible evidence of disturbance, posing significant challenges to missing person investigations. This research evaluates the use of terrestrial LIDAR point data for measuring localized elevation change at human grave surfaces. Three differently sized human graves, one control-pit, and surrounding undisturbed ground, were scanned four times between February 2013 and November 2014 using a tripod-mounted terrestrial laser scanner. All the disturbed surfaces exhibited measurable and localized elevation change, allowing for separation of disturbed and undisturbed ground. In conclusion, this study is the first to quantify elevation changes to human graves over time and demonstrates that terrestrial LIDAR may contribute to multi-modal data collection approach to improve unmarked grave detection.},
doi = {10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.05.038},
journal = {Forensic Science International},
number = C,
volume = 289,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {6}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.05.038
Copyright Statement
Other availability
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: The study area, adjacent to the William M. Bass Forensic Anthropology Building (west) and the Tennessee River (northeast) in Knoxville, TN. Image: Google Earth.
All figures and tables (10 total)
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Works referenced in this record:

Swinging the blue lamp: The forensic archaeology of contemporary child and animal burial in the UK
journal, May 2011

'Bones in the Forest' in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe: Exhumations as a Tool for Transformation
journal, September 2014

  • Eppel, S.
  • International Journal of Transitional Justice, Vol. 8, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1093/ijtj/iju016

The Political, Social and Scientific Contexts of Archaeological Investigations of Mass Graves in Spain
journal, September 2008

Remote Sensing as a Tool for the Detection of Clandestine Mass Graves
journal, January 2006

The Application of Remote Sensing for Detecting Mass Graves: An Experimental Animal Case Study from Costa Rica*
journal, January 2009

Detection of single graves by airborne hyperspectral imaging
journal, December 2014

Techniques for Locating Burials, with Emphasis on the Probe
journal, September 1995

  • Owsley, Douglas W.
  • Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 40, Issue 5
  • DOI: 10.1520/JFS15375J

Why the forensic anthropologist needs the archaeologist
journal, March 2001

The utility of ground-penetrating radar and its time-dependence in the discovery of clandestine burials
journal, August 2015

Effects of hydrated lime and quicklime on the decay of buried human remains using pig cadavers as human body analogues
journal, April 2012

The missing in the aftermath of war: When do the needs of victims' families and international war crimes tribunals clash?
journal, December 2002

  • Stover, Eric; Shigekane, Rachel
  • Revue Internationale de la Croix-Rouge/International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 84, Issue 848
  • DOI: 10.1017/S1560775500104201

Where are the Bodies? In the Ground
journal, January 2010

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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Testing Application of Geographical Information Systems, Forensic Geomorphology and Electrical Resistivity Tomography to Investigate Clandestine Grave Sites in Colombia, South America
    journal, August 2019

    • Molina, Carlos Martin; Wisniewski, Kristopher D.; Drake, Jonathan
    • Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 65, Issue 1
    • DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14168
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      Figures / Tables found in this record:

      Figure 1 (p. 4)figure
      Figure 2 (p. 5)figure
      Table 1 (p. 5)table
      Table 2 (p. 7)table
      Table 3 (p. 7)table
      Figure 3 (p. 11)figure
      Figure 4 (p. 12)figure
      Figure 5 (p. 13)figure
      Figure 6 (p. 13)figure
      Figure 7 (p. 14)figure
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