Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA): A Powerful Tool for Forensic Investigation of Geomaterials

The use of thermal methods has become common in modern geomaterial analysis laboratories. The simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) represents a valid support for the definition of the physical behavior of concerned samples, once subjected to a temperature variation. This chapter discusses the thermal behaviors of key mineralogical phases present in soils, in order to provide the readers with a valuable tool for optimizing the compatibility and applicability of the STA method in judicial forensic test purposes. To this end, the chapter presents literature evidences and case studies, including those from the authors’ own studies, where the STA methods have been successfully used in the judicial forensic field.