Forensic geology in China: Development, applications, and challenges

This review examines the development, applications, and current challenges of forensic geology in China. The field has evolved primarily within criminalistics and trace evidence examination, with soil and mineral analysis remaining its most established areas of practice. A major milestone was the National Key R&D project on integrated soil analysis and geographic provenance determination, which supported the development of a multimodal workflow combining mineralogical, elemental, palynological, microbial, plant DNA, organic pollutant, and stable-isotope indicators. Collaboration with the International Union of Geological Sciences Initiative on Forensic Geology (IUGS-IFG) has further developed and enhanced forensic geology in China, including the delivery of training and participation in key events, as well as professional exchange and awareness of the emerging applications of forensic geology. Nevertheless, expertise and analytical capacity remain unevenly distributed and are concentrated in a limited number of research-oriented laboratories. The future priorities for the continued development of forensic geology in China include validated protocols, national and regional reference databases, interlaboratory quality assurance programs, probabilistic frameworks for evidence interpretation, multidisciplinary training, and closer integration of laboratory analysis with crime scene investigation. Further research and operational development are also needed, including the forensic search for burials, geophysics, taphonomy, environmental forensics, and cultural heritage investigations.