Bridging Disciplines: The Application of Forensic Science to Meteorological Evidence

摘要

Forensic science relies on the application of biological, chemical and physical science, individually or collectively to adjudicate evidence presented in criminal and civil proceedings. The origins of meteorology and the science of forensic can be traced back to Aristotelian philosophies following similar trajectories to their ultimate use in the courtroom. This paper presents a framework for the implementation of both utilizing actual examples to illustrate how the two disciplines can be bridged successfully in a court of law. The certified meteorologist applies an understanding of fundamental meteorology, a broad knowledge of the discipline, and experience to provide critical insight into a forensic investigation. An attorney will seek to leverage this knowledge to bolster their position relying on the expert meteorologist to provide key insight into the role of the local weather conditions pertinent to a criminal or civil case. The demand for an expert meteorologist to reconstruct the local weather for use in civil litigation began more than two decades ago and continues today. The ready appeal is the field of meteorology can be applied directly in a court of law or indirectly through its application to other scientific disciplines such as entomology and engineering. We present several case studies to illustrate the role of meteorology in previously adjudicated casework. Improved sampling of the atmosphere, higher resolution numerical weather prediction models and the information gathered from these efforts are used to improve our knowledge of future weather and climate, and as effective tools applied judiciously in court by the forensic meteorologist.