FARO: Forensic Aerial Remote Observation - Forensic Geophysics
About this Event
FARO (in Spanish) means lighthouse. As we see it...a lighthouse won't find the ship - it will narrow the ocean.
That's what geophysics does for a forensic search: it reads what the subsurface holds so investigators dig where the evidence says to dig.
This two-and-a-half-hour hybrid seminar introduces forensic geophysics as a working discipline, where geoscience instrumentation meets forensic questions. 3XMAG Technologies (Ottawa) presents the methods: UAV magnetometry, LiDAR, satellite multispectral analysis; and a walk-through of three real forensic geophysics cases:
- Mer Bleue (Ottawa) - a public UAV magnetometry pilot locating WWII-era ordnance in the bog, minutes from the venue.
- An anonymized international mass-grave ongoing investigation - how multisensor data narrowed hectares to priority polygons.
- A case brought by our co-presenter - introduced in Part 1, told in full in Part 2. DETAILS TBD
Part 2 belongs to Dr. Kate Murdock (Secretariat, Boston), Professional Geologist (NH, PA, GA) and Professional Forensic Geoscientist. She will present her case on the business of defensible geophysics: what makes data stand up in court, in contracts and through scientific rigour.
We close with an open discussion and questions.
WHY ATTEND - For industry: non-invasive site screening that narrows hectares to priority polygons, and data built to withstand expert review. For science: a forming discipline that needs baselines, reproducible workflows and honest treatment of uncertainty.
FORMAT: In person at the University of Ottawa (seats capped - register early) or online (open). Live stream only; no recording will be published.
A NOTE ON SCOPE: Geophysics guides the search and narrows the ground; it does not, on its own, make forensic determinations.
Agenda
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
PART I - The Discipline of Geophysics & Forensics
Info: Welcome & framing
Start with 3XMAG’s core ground: UAV geophysics for mining, defence, security, and difficult terrain
Show the instrumentation as field-proven before making any forensic claim
The pivot: forensic geophysics
Where geoscience tools begin answering forensic questions
Three cases: Mer Bleue · guest-case teaser · anonymized international case
Proof at three scales: local/public, expert-led, and international
Handover
Verbatim beat: where our work ends, where the hard questions begin — Dr. Kate Murdock from Secretariat
🕑: 11:50 PM - 12:00 PM
Break
Info: - 10 min; short by design
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:30 PM
PART II - The Practice
Info: Re-introduction
Dr. Kate Murdock case study
Seminar anchor: her case, her design
Defensible geophysics as a business case
Expert-witness standards, admissibility, validation value
Open discussion & Q&A
Moderated first, open mic to close
Phrase bank + liability line for sensitive questions
Ask & close
“We’re not here to sell certainty. We’re here to build the evidence base.”
Short structured close
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 0.00
