Form UnNumbered Geophysical Service Providers in Support of Law Enforcem

Geophysical Service Providers in Support of Law Enforcement

This questionnaire seeks to gather information from geophysics professionals on law enforcement use of near surface geophysical methods (such as ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity, magnetometry) to detect concealed targets as part of a criminal investigation (for example: homicide graves, drugs, or weapons). This questionnaire will ask about: your engagement with law enforcement, geophysical methods employed, suspected targets, environments of the geophysical surveys along with the summaries of 1 to 3 geophysical surveys you have conducted for law enforcement. The results of this questionnaire may be used to understand how geophysical methods are applied to law enforcement investigations. If you have not applied geophysical methods to aid law enforcement missions, there is no need to complete this questionnaire. The survey should take about 10-15 min to complete.

If results from this questionnaire are published in scientific research and/or law enforcement publications, identities, organization(s), and contact information will be anonymized. In addition, U.S. domestic participants may voluntarily provide contact information for potential inclusion on a preliminary list of regional geophysical providers for law enforcement. Providing contact information is optional.

Within this questionnaire, geophysical methods are grouped into the specific categories, in bold below, that would be more familiar for law enforcement personnel. For example, ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a recognizable geophysical method for law enforcement applications and has theories and principles in electromagnetics but will not be classified under electromagnetics method. Any electrical resistivity, spontaneous (self) potential and induced polarization methods will be classified under electrical methods category.

Below are a few examples of geophysical methods but are not limited to the following:

• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

  • Low-to-High frequency (10 MHz to (+) 2000 MHz) GPR antenna systems, Multichannel GPR

• Electrical Methods

  • Electrical Resistivity (ER), Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Capacitively-Coupled Resistivity (CCR)

  • Including Induced Polarization (IP) & Spontaneous (Self) Potential (SP) Methods

• Electromagnetics

  • Electromagnetic (EM) Induction (e.g., EM38, metal detectors), Ground Conductivity Meter

• Magnetometry

  • Proton procession magnetometers, fluxgate magnetic gradiometers

• Gravimetry (Gravity)

  • Including Microgravity

  • Gravitometer and/or gravity gradiometer

• Near Surface Seismic

  • Seismic refraction and reflection surveys, surface waves (M.A.S.W.)

  • Surface and subsurface (borehole) seismometers

Consent

1. By completing this questionnaire, you agree to allow FBI Laboratory Division to collect and use your responses. *Required * ☐ I consent & continue

2. May we contact you for follow-up questions about this questionnaire and/or your geophysical survey(s)? (Optional) ☐ Yes ☐ No

(If yes)

Name: __________________________

Preferred title: ______________________

Organization/Company/Affiliation: _______________________

Phone number: _______________________

Email address: __________________________

☐ Do you wish to receive a notification of the results of this questionnaire after publication, check this box and provide the information above.

Demographics

1. What is your professional and/or academic title? (For example, Professional Geophysicist, State Soil Scientist, Associate Professor of Geophysics, …. etc.): ___________________________________

2. What is the highest academic degree you have obtained?

☐ High school diploma/ General Educational Development Certification (GED)

☐ Trade school

☐ Associates degree

☐ Bachelor’s degree

☐ Master’s degree

☐ Doctorate (Ph.D.)

☐ Other:_______

2. List the subjects/concentrations of all of your degrees (i.e., geology, geophysics, archaeology)? :_____________

2. What best describes your professional organization/affiliation? (Check all that apply)

☐ University/College research position/professor/faculty

☐ State Government

☐ Federal Government

☐ Private Company

☐ FFRDC/National Laboratory

☐ Independent contractor

☐ Geophysical Instrument Manufacturer

☐ Other: ____________

2. What best describes your academic or professional field? *Required (Check all that apply)

☐ Geology

☐ Geophysics

☐ Archaeology

☐ Anthropology

☐ Environmental Science

☐ Soil Science

☐ Forensic Science

☐ Civil Engineering

☐ Electrical Engineering

☐ Utility detection/Construction

☐ Other: _________

2. How many times have you conducted geophysical surveys with the following geophysical methods regardless of if it was for law enforcement investigations? Provide an estimated number. Leave blank if not applicable:

Ground Penetrating Radar: ____

Electrical Methods: ____

Electromagnetics: ____

Magnetometry: ____

Gravimetry: ____

Near Surface (NS) Seismic: ____

Other: ____ Number of times applied:__________

Law Enforcement Engagement Questions

2. Briefly describe how were you contacted to apply your geophysical services for law enforcement investigations? For example, established collaboration with law enforcement over the past decades, law enforcement reached out by cold calling our group or university, we created an advertisement offering services directly for law enforcement… etc.

2. Which law enforcement organizations did you conduct a geophysical survey for? Select all that apply.

☐ Federal Law enforcement

☐ State Law enforcement

☐ Tribal Law Enforcement

☐ County Law enforcement

☐ Municipal

☐ Foreign (outside of the USA)

☐ Other

2. Provide the name(s) of the law enforcement agency and points of contact below: *Optional*

Point of contact-name	Law enforcement agency	Phone number(s)	email address(es)

2. What percent of geophysical surveys in support of law enforcement were paid for in part (or full) by law enforcement (including implementation, acquisition, analysis, and/or interpretation)? _______

2. What percent of geophysical surveys conducted in support of law enforcement required you to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)? _____

Geophysical Survey(s) conducted in support of Law Enforcement

12. Briefly provide information on the geophysical methods conducted for law enforcement, include how many times you have applied each method, the suspected targets for law enforcement and other supplemental information if known. Leave blank, write 0 if not applicable. *Required

Example: As a geophysical service provider, I deployed a ground penetrating radar (method) three times (times deployed) at different locations within a forest, a building, a lake (environment) in attempts to locate clandestine grave, hidden weapons (targets) concealed by forest soil, concrete, water (concealment material).

Additional information can include: deployment method (ground based, marine based, airborne), details on specific geophysical equipment, …. Etc.

Ground Penetrating Radar: Total number of times applied*: _______

Instrument Manufacturers/models: ______

Processing/Modeling Software: _____

Suspected targets: ________

Survey Environments: _______

Concealment Material: ______

Additional information: _________

Electrical Methods: Total number of times applied* ____

Instrument Manufacturers/models: ______

Processing/Modeling Software: _____

Suspected targets: ________

Survey Environments: _______

Concealment Material: ______

Additional information: _________

Electromagnetics: Total number of times applied* ____

Instrument Manufacturers/models: ______

Processing/Modeling Software: _____

Suspected targets: ________

Survey Environments: _______

Concealment Material: ______

Additional information: _________

Magnetometry: Total number of times applied* ____

Instrument Manufacturers/models: ______

Processing/Modeling Software: _____

Suspected targets: ________

Survey Environments: _______

Concealment Material: ______

Additional information: _________

Gravimetry: Total number of times applied* ____

Instrument Manufacturers/models: ______

Processing/Modeling Software: _____

Suspected targets: ________

Survey Environments: _______

Concealment Materials: ______

Additional information: _________

Near Surface (NS) Seismic: Total number of times applied* ____

Instrument Manufacturers/models: ______

Processing/Modeling Software: _____

Suspected targets: ________

Survey Environments: _______

Concealment Materials: ______

Additional information: _________

Other: _______________ Total number of times applied* ____

Instrument Manufacturers/models: ______

Processing/Modeling Software: _____

Suspected targets: ________

Survey Environments: _______

Concealment Materials: ______

Additional information: _________

13. If you have employed more than one geophysical method at the same law enforcement search, please list the one geophysical method that were used in conjunction? [For example: a 250 MHz & 500MHz frequency antenna GPR and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Magnetometer and ERT]: ______________________

Post Geophysical Survey

13. After a geophysical method was conducted to find a suspected target for law enforcement, how many times did the following outcomes occur at a geophysical survey area? Leave blank if not applicable.

After excavation, targets were successfully found within areas of interest detected by the geophysical methods: ________

After excavation, targets were not found even if geophysical methods were effectively conducted, and areas of interest identified: _______

After excavation, targets were not found even if geophysical methods were effectively conducted, and did not identify areas of interest: _______

After excavation, targets were found even if geophysical methods were effectively conducted and did not identify areas of interest: ___

No excavation conducted due to geophysical methods results: _____

No law enforcement follow-up or unknown results: _____

Other: _______

13. When law enforcement geophysical surveys failed to detect a target, select the presumed reasons why the suspected target was not detected? Select all that apply.

• Target was not there

• Insufficient resolution for target detection

• Insufficient penetration for target detection

• Target composition similar to concealment material composition (ex. Soil type)

• Inadequate acquisition geometry (line and/or array spacing, line orientation)

• Incorrect instrument settings (frequency, step size, etc.)

• Inappropriate geophysical equipment deployed for concealment composition (ex. Soil type, salt water)

• Surface interference (debris or surface vegetation)

• Subsurface interference (roots, rebar, pipes, debris)

• Weather conditions (prior to survey)

• Weather conditions (during survey)

• User failure or error

• Equipment failure

• Other

13. Provide detail summary on 1 to 3 geophysical surveys conducted for law enforcement organizations. At least one (1) summary of a geophysical survey is required for submission. Several examples on how to answer specific questions seen below:

1. Suspected Targets: Clandestine graves/human remains, firearms, vehicles, building structures (ex. foundations) ….

2. Survey Site Environment: Forests, rocky mountainous terrains, desert, lake, residential backyard, commercial building basement…

3. Material in which the suspected target was presumed to be concealed: Concrete, dry wall, topsoil-organic rich soil, tall grass, snow, fresh/salt water, volcanic soil…

4. Rationale for ineffectiveness of geophysical method(s): Target was not there, insufficient resolution for target detection, insufficient penetration for target detection, surface/subsurface interference…

If you wish to provide information on more than 3 geophysical surveys, contact [email protected].

1. Geophysical Survey 1: *Required*

Prior to Geophysical Survey:

1. Did warrants limit the time allowed for a geophysical survey? ○ Yes ○ No If yes, what was the allotted time: _____

2. Did warrants limit the area or perimeter of search for the geophysical survey? ○ Yes ○ No

3. Were you attempting to locate a suspected target or searching to exclude a suspected target from a survey area? ○ Locate ○ Exclude

   1. Suspected Target(s): __________

4. At the time of the geophysical survey, how long was the suspected target estimated to be concealed? (Ex. homicide weapon buried in residential backyard approximately 5 years prior to survey): _______

During the Geophysical Survey:

5. What year was this geophysical survey completed? _________

6. Environment of Survey Site:

   1. Best describe the search environments where the geophysical method was deployed: ________

   2. Material(s) in which the target was presumed to be concealed: ___________

7. How long was the geophysical survey conducted? Include units __________

   1. Method (1): ___________ deployed ☐ on the ground, ☐ from the air, ☐ in/on water

   2. Did you deploy more than one geophysical method? If so, list the method (2): _________ deployed ☐ on the ground, ☐ from the air, ☐ in/on water

   3. Additional information on geophysical equipment(s): ______________

Interpretation of Geophysical Survey

8. Were there areas identified by the geophysical survey of interest to law enforcement? ○ Yes ○ No (if no, precede the excavation.)

   1. If yes, and if multiple geophysical methods were used, which geophysical method identified areas of interest within the survey area? ☐ method 1 ☐ method 2 ….

Excavation

9. If the geophysical survey area was excavated, was the excavation conducted with the guidance from the geophysical survey results? ○ Yes ○ No ○ Area was not excavated ○ Unknown

10. Was the target found with assistance of the geophysical method(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

    1. Briefly describe the conditions of the discovered target(s). Include the depth (or thickness of material concealing target), concealment material composition, target’s condition (well preserved, highly deteriorated) … etc. :_____

Results

11. Did you provide a formal, written report of the survey results? ○ Yes ○ No

    1. And was the report later submitted into to the courts? ○ Yes ○ No

12. Overall effectiveness

    1. Was geophysical method 1 effective in attempting to detect the suspected target(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

    2. Was geophysical method 2 effective in attempting to detect the suspected target(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

13. Rationale for why each method was not effective in detecting target(s): _________

For additional information:

2. Geophysical Survey 2:

Prior to Geophysical Survey:

1. Did warrants limit the time allowed for a geophysical survey? ○ Yes ○ No If yes, what was the allotted time: _____

2. Did warrants limit the area or perimeter of search for the geophysical survey? ○ Yes ○ No

3. Were you attempting to locate a suspected target or searching to exclude a suspected target from a survey area? ○ Locate ○ Exclude

   1. Suspected Target(s): __________

4. At the time of the geophysical survey, how long was the suspected target estimated to be concealed? (Ex. homicide weapon buried in residential backyard approximately 5 years prior to survey): _______

During the Geophysical Survey:

5. What year was this geophysical survey completed? _________

6. Environment of Survey Site:

   1. Best describe the search environments where the geophysical method was deployed: ________

   2. Material(s) in which the target was presumed to be concealed: ___________

7. How long was the geophysical survey conducted? Include units __________

   1. Method (1): ___________ deployed ☐ on the ground, ☐ from the air, ☐ in/on water

   2. Did you deploy more than one geophysical method? If so, list the method (2): _________ deployed ☐ on the ground, ☐ from the air, ☐ in/on water

   3. Additional information on geophysical equipment(s): ______________

Interpretation of Geophysical Survey

8. Were there areas identified by the geophysical survey of interest to law enforcement? ○ Yes ○ No (if no, precede the excavation.)

   1. If yes, and if multiple geophysical methods were used, which geophysical method identified areas of interest within the survey area? ☐ method 1 ☐ method 2 ….

Excavation

9. If the geophysical survey area was excavated, was the excavation conducted with the guidance from the geophysical survey results? ○ Yes ○ No ○ Area was not excavated ○ Unknown

10. Was the target found with assistance of the geophysical method(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

    1. Briefly describe the conditions of the discovered target(s). Include the depth (or thickness of material concealing target), concealment material composition, target’s condition (well preserved, highly deteriorated) … etc. :_____

Results

11. Did you provide a formal, written report of the survey results? ○ Yes ○ No

    1. And was the report later submitted into to the courts? ○ Yes ○ No

12. Overall effectiveness

    1. Was geophysical method 1 effective in attempting to detect the suspected target(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

    2. Was geophysical method 2 effective in attempting to detect the suspected target(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

13. Rationale for why each method was not effective in detecting target(s): _________

For additional information:

3. Geophysical Survey 3:

Prior to Geophysical Survey:

1. Did warrants limit the time allowed for a geophysical survey? ○ Yes ○ No If yes, what was the allotted time: _____

2. Did warrants limit the area or perimeter of search for the geophysical survey? ○ Yes ○ No

3. Were you attempting to locate a suspected target or searching to exclude a suspected target from a survey area? ○ Locate ○ Exclude

   1. Suspected Target(s): __________

4. At the time of the geophysical survey, how long was the suspected target estimated to be concealed? (Ex. homicide weapon buried in residential backyard approximately 5 years prior to survey): _______

During the Geophysical Survey:

5. What year was this geophysical survey completed? _________

6. Environment of Survey Site:

   1. Best describe the search environments where the geophysical method was deployed: ________

   2. Material(s) in which the target was presumed to be concealed: ___________

7. How long was the geophysical survey conducted? Include units __________

   1. Method (1): ___________ deployed ☐ on the ground, ☐ from the air, ☐ in/on water

   2. Did you deploy more than one geophysical method? If so, list the method (2): _________ deployed ☐ on the ground, ☐ from the air, ☐ in/on water

   3. Additional information on geophysical equipment(s): ______________

Interpretation of Geophysical Survey

8. Were there areas identified by the geophysical survey of interest to law enforcement? ○ Yes ○ No (if no, precede the excavation.)

   1. If yes, and if multiple geophysical methods were used, which geophysical method identified areas of interest within the survey area? ☐ method 1 ☐ method 2 ….

Excavation

9. If the geophysical survey area was excavated, was the excavation conducted with the guidance from the geophysical survey results? ○ Yes ○ No ○ Area was not excavated ○ Unknown

10. Was the target found with assistance of the geophysical method(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

    1. Briefly describe the conditions of the discovered target(s). Include the depth (or thickness of material concealing target), concealment material composition, target’s condition (well preserved, highly deteriorated) … etc. :_____

Results

11. Did you provide a formal, written report of the survey results? ○ Yes ○ No

    1. And was the report later submitted into to the courts? ○ Yes ○ No

12. Overall effectiveness

    1. Was geophysical method 1 effective in attempting to detect the suspected target(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

    2. Was geophysical method 2 effective in attempting to detect the suspected target(s)? ○ Yes ○ No

13. Rationale for why each method was not effective in detecting target(s): _________

For additional information:

Overview-Exit review:

13. [Optional] (For U.S. based persons only) If there is sufficient response to this questionnaire, the questionnaire authors will compile a contact list of self-identified geophysical service providers capable of aiding law enforcement efforts within the United States. By providing this personal information, you will be giving consent to the FBI Laboratory to collect participants’ contact information and affiliations.

For your awareness, your contact information and affiliation will not be released to the public. This information will be held by FBI Laboratory Division personnel and potentially released to law enforcement agencies upon request for geophysical services. Being included in this list of geophysical service providers will NOT be an indication of FBI endorsement of you or your methodologies.

Otherwise, please provide the following information below:

A. Name: __________________________

2. Preferred title: ______________________

3. Organization/Company/Affiliation: _______________________

   1. Academic qualifications___________________

   2. Professional qualifications___________________

   3. Professional affiliations_________________________

   4. Years or experience in forensic geophysics______________

4. Phone number: _______________________

5. Email address: __________________________

6. State: ___________________

7. County: __________________

8. City: ___________________

9. Travel range: _____________________

10. Specific geophysical methods/specialties able to provide: ____________________

11. Geophysical equipment readily available to deploy: ______________________

12. Additional comments: ____________________________

13. *Optional*Any additional comments or questions which you wish to expand upon in the questionnaire prior to submission?

If you have any questions regarding the questionnaire, please contact [[email protected]].