About Earth Forensics

The Earth Forensics team is comprised of geoscientists and professional educators hired by public entities and private industry around the globe to investigate, identify, and implement solutions to geologic, hydrologic and environmental concerns. Earth Forensics specializes in outside-the-box thinking and applying advanced technology to resolve matters involving water resource protection and development, soil and groundwater contamination, flood and landslide assessment, coastal erosion and stabilization, and impact resolution of global climate change. Earth Forensics consults for clients throughout the United States and around the world.  

W. Richard Laton, Ph.D.
President | Founder

Dr. Laton is an expert in the field of hydrology and hydrogeology. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, Cal State University Fullerton. This is a continuation of a career that includes years of teaching, consulting, litigation support and management experience. Dr. Laton possesses extensive knowledge in the areas of hydrogeology, soil and water contamination, hydrology and surface water, wetlands, coastal monitoring/geomorphology, field sampling techniques, well hydraulics, as well as environmental remote sensing/GIS. His classes at the university encompass such topics as: water quality, environmental sampling, groundwater modeling, well hydraulics, oceanography, and basic geology. Dr. Laton consults for a variety of private companies and public agencies that need input on the above subjects in addition to natural hazard assessment and mapping. 

Dr. Laton is a Certified Professional Hydrogeologist in California and Washington; and a Certified Professional Geologist in thirteen states: Alaska | Arizona | California | Florida | Illinois | Indiana | Minnesota | New York | North Carolina | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Texas | Washington 

Curriculum Vitae

Rene A. Perez, MS, PG, CHG
Senior Hydrogeologist

Mr. Rene Perez oversees and leads our data management and data visualization section.  Mr. Perez has over 20 years of experience specializing in geologic, groundwater, contaminate transport, hydrometeorologic, aerial photo interpretation, hydrogeologic investigations/modeling including three dimensional visualization of complex data, and environmental remote sensing/GIS analysis.  These efforts are used in our consulting and litigation services to better serve the clients understanding of the nature of a problem and the methods of solving the problems.  Our use of technology for communication and information is critical to providing clear and meaningful evaluations of data.  Mr. Perez is also a licensed geologist with a master’s degree in Geology this enables him to create logical links of databases and to pull from them the essential elements into visualization and model independently and interactively with the client and other key team members.  He has also been involved in natural hazard assessment and mapping for cities and counties.  

Mr. Perez has experience in remote sensing and is a certified Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Pilot which he employs to obtain high resolution low altitude aerial and thermal infrared photography.  The aerial photography is used to produce accurate high resolution topographic maps and 3D photorealistic models.  The models offer a way for Mr. Perez to help clients visualize complex sites and/or changes in topography due to landslides or flooding. 

Curriculum Vitae

John H. Foster, Ph.D, PG, CEG
Senior Engineering Geologist

Dr. Foster has over 45 years of experience in the practice and teaching of engineering and environmental geology.  Engineering geology includes the analysis of rock and soil properties relative to their abilities to withstand designed and natural forces that may impact an engineered structure or facility.  Throughout his career he has studied and reported on various types of projects, but he has been keenly interested in landslide geology and the geology of active faults.  In addition, Dr. Foster has been engaged in environmental geology projects, such as groundwater contamination, flow modeling and hazardous waste geology.

His experience includes research and investigations in foreign countries as well as the western U.S.  His projects have included safety evaluation of existing dams in Utah; evaluation and construction observation of a 7.5 MGD wastewater treatment plant in South Orange County, CA; geological hazards and groundwater resources for a proposed mining town in western Venezuela; a dam site investigation for off stream emergency storage dam in San Diego County, CA; expert testimony in support of plaintiff rights in Rancho Palos Verdes Landslide; rock fall analysis in Silverado Canyon, CA; groundwater geology prior to injection well development in Oro Grande Wash, San Bernardino Canyon and most recently, research and observation of deep monitoring well in San Elijo Lagoon for groundwater resource assessment of bedrock aquifers in San Diego County, CA.

Daisy Yoeung, MS
Project Consultant/Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist

Mrs. Yoeung, has over 10 years of experience assisting with technical reports and litigation support in the fields of environmental sciences, geology, hydrology, and civil engineering. Mrs. Yoeung holds a master’s degree in Health Sciences and a certificate in Geographic Information System (GIS). Currently, her area of concentration has been in data management and visualization as a GIS Specialist. Mrs. Yoeung collects, manages, integrates and analyzes data to provide a better understanding of spatial data. Her experience involves, environmental risk; detection and mapping of contaminated sites; fate and transport of contaminants of concern; mapping of plumes; mitigation; water and sewer line mapping; analysis and calculation of excavation volumes; and mapping historical aerial and topography.