Taphonomy

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Andrew J Dugmore - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • how does tephra deposit thickness change over time a calibration exercise based on the 1980 mount st helens tephra deposit
    Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2020
    Co-Authors: Nick A Cutler, Richard Streeter, Samantha Engwell, Matthew S M Bolton, Britta J L Jensen, Andrew J Dugmore
    Abstract:

    Abstract Tephra layers are frequently used to reconstruct past volcanic activity. Inferences made from tephra layers rely on the assumption that the preserved tephra layer is representative of the initial deposit. However, a great deal can happen to tephra after it is deposited; thus, tephra layer Taphonomy is a crucial but poorly understood process. The overall goal of this research was to gain greater insight into the Taphonomy of terrestrial tephra layers, specifically the extent to which deposit thickness is altered over time, with implications for tephra volume estimation. We approached this by a)conducting a new survey of the tephra layer from the recent, well-studied eruption of Mount St Helens on May 18th, 1980 (MSH1980); b)modelling the tephra layer thickness using a mathematical technique and c)comparing our results with an equivalent model based on measurements taken immediately after the eruption. In this way, we aimed to quantify any losses and transformations that have occurred. During our study, we collected measurements of tephra layer thickness from 86 locations ranging from 600 km from the vent. Geochemical analysis was used to identify tephra of uncertain origin. Our results indicated that the extant tephra layer at undisturbed sites was representative of the original deposit: overall, preservation in these locations (in terms of thickness, stratigraphy and geochemistry) had been remarkably good. However, the isopach maps generated from our measurements diverged from isopachs produced in the same way, but derived from the original survey data. Furthermore, our estimates of the quantity of tephra produced during the eruption greatly exceeded previous estimates of the fallout volume. In our study, inaccuracies in the modelled fallout arose from issues of sampling strategy, rather than Taphonomy. Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of volcanological reconstructions to measurement location, and the great importance of reliably measured low/zero values in reconstructing tephra deposits.

Nick A Cutler - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • how does tephra deposit thickness change over time a calibration exercise based on the 1980 mount st helens tephra deposit
    Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2020
    Co-Authors: Nick A Cutler, Richard Streeter, Samantha Engwell, Matthew S M Bolton, Britta J L Jensen, Andrew J Dugmore
    Abstract:

    Abstract Tephra layers are frequently used to reconstruct past volcanic activity. Inferences made from tephra layers rely on the assumption that the preserved tephra layer is representative of the initial deposit. However, a great deal can happen to tephra after it is deposited; thus, tephra layer Taphonomy is a crucial but poorly understood process. The overall goal of this research was to gain greater insight into the Taphonomy of terrestrial tephra layers, specifically the extent to which deposit thickness is altered over time, with implications for tephra volume estimation. We approached this by a)conducting a new survey of the tephra layer from the recent, well-studied eruption of Mount St Helens on May 18th, 1980 (MSH1980); b)modelling the tephra layer thickness using a mathematical technique and c)comparing our results with an equivalent model based on measurements taken immediately after the eruption. In this way, we aimed to quantify any losses and transformations that have occurred. During our study, we collected measurements of tephra layer thickness from 86 locations ranging from 600 km from the vent. Geochemical analysis was used to identify tephra of uncertain origin. Our results indicated that the extant tephra layer at undisturbed sites was representative of the original deposit: overall, preservation in these locations (in terms of thickness, stratigraphy and geochemistry) had been remarkably good. However, the isopach maps generated from our measurements diverged from isopachs produced in the same way, but derived from the original survey data. Furthermore, our estimates of the quantity of tephra produced during the eruption greatly exceeded previous estimates of the fallout volume. In our study, inaccuracies in the modelled fallout arose from issues of sampling strategy, rather than Taphonomy. Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of volcanological reconstructions to measurement location, and the great importance of reliably measured low/zero values in reconstructing tephra deposits.

Anna Williams - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Why does the UK need a Human Taphonomy Facility
    Forensic science international, 2019
    Co-Authors: Anna Williams, Christopher J. Rogers, John Cassella
    Abstract:

    Abstract: Human Taphonomy Facilities (HTFs) are outdoor laboratories where scientific research is carried out on donated human cadavers in order to understand how human decomposition progresses in a variety of conditions. There are currently eight such facilities in the USA, one in Australia and one on mainland Europe. Forensic scientists in the UK have started to ask the question 'Does the UK need a Human Taphonomy Facility?'. A review of the literature produced by the existing HTFs, as well as published opinion and commentaries about these facilities and the feasibility of one in the UK has been undertaken. The existing arguments for and against the establishment of a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK have been examined. Given recent media interest in the possibility of the establishment of a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK, and the surrounding controversy, it is important to evaluate the potential benefit or harm of the creation of such a facility to Society and the scientific community.

  • Forensic Science Education and Training - Taphonomy Facilities as Teaching Aids
    Forensic Science Education and Training, 2017
    Co-Authors: Peter Andrew Cross, Anna Williams
    Abstract:

    The establishment of the human taphonomic facility helped drive the interest in human decomposition and boosted the term Taphonomy into the forensic science arena. Discussions of human Taphonomy began to appear in the forensic literature based upon observations made at the University of Tennessee facility. Forensic taphonomic research within the United Kingdom and Europe has focused on the use of animal models, notably the domestic pig, Sus scrofa. Whether human cadavers or animal models are used to study decomposition and factors that influence the process, the goals of modern forensic Taphonomy research remain the same. Understanding soft tissue and bone decomposition and distribution discriminating post- from peri-mortem modification, and more accurate post-mortem interval estimation are the key foci. From a pedagogical perspective, Taphonomy facilities are extremely valuable learning and teaching tools. In order to create a facility for Taphonomy research and teaching at a university site, a suitable piece of land has to be acquired.

Martin H. Villet - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Pigs vs people: the use of pigs as analogues for humans in forensic entomology and Taphonomy research
    'Springer Science and Business Media LLC', 2020
    Co-Authors: Matuszewski S, Kenneth G. Schoenly, Aaron M. Tarone, Hall Mjr, Moreau G, Martin H. Villet
    Abstract:

    Most studies of decomposition in forensic entomology and Taphonomy have used non-human cadavers. Following the recommendation of using domestic pig cadavers as analogues for humans in forensic entomology in the 1980s, pigs became the most frequently used model cadavers in forensic sciences. They have shaped our understanding of how large vertebrate cadavers decompose in, for example, various environments, seasons and after various ante- or postmortem cadaver modifications. They have also been used to demonstrate the feasibility of several new or well-established forensic techniques. The advent of outdoor human Taphonomy facilities enabled experimental comparisons of decomposition between pig and human cadavers. Recent comparisons challenged the pig-as-analogue claim in entomology and Taphonomy research. In this review, we discuss in a broad methodological context the advantages and disadvantages of pig and human cadavers for forensic research and rebut the critique of pigs as analogues for humans. We conclude that experiments using human cadaver analogues (i.e. pig carcasses) are easier to replicate and more practical for controlling confounding factors than studies based solely on humans and, therefore, are likely to remain our primary epistemic source of forensic knowledge for the immediate future. We supplement these considerations with new guidelines for model cadaver choice in forensic science research.Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made

  • Pigs vs people: the use of pigs as analogues for humans in forensic entomology and Taphonomy research
    International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2019
    Co-Authors: Szymon Matuszewski, Martin J. R. Hall, Gaétan Moreau, Kenneth G. Schoenly, Aaron M. Tarone, Martin H. Villet
    Abstract:

    Most studies of decomposition in forensic entomology and Taphonomy have used non-human cadavers. Following the recommendation of using domestic pig cadavers as analogues for humans in forensic entomology in the 1980s, pigs became the most frequently used model cadavers in forensic sciences. They have shaped our understanding of how large vertebrate cadavers decompose in, for example, various environments, seasons and after various ante- or postmortem cadaver modifications. They have also been used to demonstrate the feasibility of several new or well-established forensic techniques. The advent of outdoor human Taphonomy facilities enabled experimental comparisons of decomposition between pig and human cadavers. Recent comparisons challenged the pig-as-analogue claim in entomology and Taphonomy research. In this review, we discuss in a broad methodological context the advantages and disadvantages of pig and human cadavers for forensic research and rebut the critique of pigs as analogues for humans. We conclude that experiments using human cadaver analogues (i.e. pig carcasses) are easier to replicate and more practical for controlling confounding factors than studies based solely on humans and, therefore, are likely to remain our primary epistemic source of forensic knowledge for the immediate future. We supplement these considerations with new guidelines for model cadaver choice in forensic science research.

Richard Streeter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • how does tephra deposit thickness change over time a calibration exercise based on the 1980 mount st helens tephra deposit
    Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2020
    Co-Authors: Nick A Cutler, Richard Streeter, Samantha Engwell, Matthew S M Bolton, Britta J L Jensen, Andrew J Dugmore
    Abstract:

    Abstract Tephra layers are frequently used to reconstruct past volcanic activity. Inferences made from tephra layers rely on the assumption that the preserved tephra layer is representative of the initial deposit. However, a great deal can happen to tephra after it is deposited; thus, tephra layer Taphonomy is a crucial but poorly understood process. The overall goal of this research was to gain greater insight into the Taphonomy of terrestrial tephra layers, specifically the extent to which deposit thickness is altered over time, with implications for tephra volume estimation. We approached this by a)conducting a new survey of the tephra layer from the recent, well-studied eruption of Mount St Helens on May 18th, 1980 (MSH1980); b)modelling the tephra layer thickness using a mathematical technique and c)comparing our results with an equivalent model based on measurements taken immediately after the eruption. In this way, we aimed to quantify any losses and transformations that have occurred. During our study, we collected measurements of tephra layer thickness from 86 locations ranging from 600 km from the vent. Geochemical analysis was used to identify tephra of uncertain origin. Our results indicated that the extant tephra layer at undisturbed sites was representative of the original deposit: overall, preservation in these locations (in terms of thickness, stratigraphy and geochemistry) had been remarkably good. However, the isopach maps generated from our measurements diverged from isopachs produced in the same way, but derived from the original survey data. Furthermore, our estimates of the quantity of tephra produced during the eruption greatly exceeded previous estimates of the fallout volume. In our study, inaccuracies in the modelled fallout arose from issues of sampling strategy, rather than Taphonomy. Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of volcanological reconstructions to measurement location, and the great importance of reliably measured low/zero values in reconstructing tephra deposits.