Identifying the spatial footprint of pollen distributions using the Geoforensic Interdiction (GOFIND) model

Geoforensics leverages various spatial analytical, biological, ecological, and geological techniques to improve criminal investigations, including efforts thwart terrorism, evaluate humanitarian crises or identify the origin of fraudulent goods. In addition investigating what took place, geoforensic often focus on determining where when event occurred. Forensic palynology is a promising subfield geoforensics that uses pollen link persons objects particular places times. This promise driven by pollen's strong utility as biomarker. It ubiquitous, durable demonstrates relatively predictable distribution in time space. As result, provides important clues for provenance hard-to-trace items, such computers, goods, digging tools, clothing, undetonated explosives during investigations. One major limitation has reduced implementation forensic lack computational tools relate species geographic locations. The purpose this paper introduce robust geocomputational framework sample composition relative likelihood potential locations improving efforts. Using USDA CropScape data state Texas, our results suggest allowed multiple sites be identified simultaneously, with solution properties were better than random process offer possible alternative single site joint probability approaches commonly used field palynology.