19.05.2026 Forensic Geology: From Lectures to Field Practicals and Court in Germany’s First MSc Block Course

From 11 to 15 May 2026, the Institute of Earth Sciences at Heidelberg University hosted its first MSc block course “Forensic Geology”. Organized by Prof. Dr. Yamirka Rojas-Agramonte, the course brought together 27 students from Earth Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology, Biology and Geoarchaeology to explore how geosciences can contribute to investigation, justice and society.

Forensic Geology, or geoforensics, applies geological materials and methods, including soils, sediments, remote-sensing data and geophysics techniques, to criminal investigations, environmental cases, humanitarian work and legal proceedings. The course combined lectures, case studies, practical exercises on trace evidence, landscape interpretation, historical cases, drone mapping, operational Earth observation and a final mock trial.

The course program included contributions from international and national experts, such as Dr. Laurance Donelly,founder and Chair of the IUGS Initiative on Forensic Geology; Dr Alastair Ruffer from Queen’s University Belfast; Prof. Duncan Pirrie from the University of South Wales; Prof Dame Lorna Dawson from the James Hutton Institute; Dr Benjamin Rocke from Queen’s University Belfast; MSc Annabelle Chowdhurry  from the Federal Criminal Police Office; Prof. Christian Winter from Kiel University; and Sebastian Ibing, public prosecutor.

As the first course of its kind in Germany, the block course showed how geoscientific expertise can contribute to legal, societal, and humanitarian questions. For the students, this week offered a rare opportunity to connect scientific methods with investigative practice and legal communication, underlining the growing relevance of geosciences beyond their traditional fields.