Mineral Resource Polygons Northern Ireland (Internal Geological Boundaries Dissolved)

This mineral resource data was produced as part of the Mineral Resource Map of Northern Ireland via a commission from the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment. The work resulted in a series of 21 data layers which were used to generate a series of six digitally generated maps. This work was completed in 2012 with one map for each of the six counties (including county boroughs) of Northern Ireland at a scale of 1:100 000. This data and the accompanying maps are intended to assist strategic decision making in respect of mineral extraction and the protection of important mineral resources against sterilisation. They bring together a wide range of information, much of which is scattered and not always available in a convenient form. The data has been produced by the collation and interpretation of mineral resource data principally held by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and was funded via a commission from the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment. These layers display the spatial data of the mineral resources of Northern Ireland. There are a series of layers which consist of: Bedrock: Clay, Coal & Lignite, Coal – lignite proven, Conglomerate, Dolomite, Igneous and meta-igneous rock, Limestone, a 100m buffer layer on the Ulster White Limestone, Meta-sedimentary rocks, Perlite, Salt, sandstone and Silica Sand. Superficial (unconsolidated recent sediments) : Sand & gravel and Peat. The data except for the salt and proven lignite resource layers was derived from the 1:50 00 and 1:250 000 scale DigMap NI dataset. A user guide 'The Mineral Resources of Northern Ireland digital dataset (version 1)' OR/12/039 describing the creation and use of the data is available. A companion set of data with the internal boundaries retained is also available.

Date (Creation): 2011

Citation identifier: http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13605663

Point of contact

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
British Geological Survey	Enquiries	enquiries@bgs.ac.uk	Distributor
British Geological Survey	Enquiries	enquiries@bgs.ac.uk	Point of contact
British Geological Survey	Enquiries	enquiries@bgs.ac.uk	Custodian

Maintenance and update frequency: Irregular

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Geology

BGS Thesaurus of Geosciences

UK Location (INSPIRE)
Planning
Minerals
Mineral economics
Mineral resources

dataCentre

UK Location (INSPIRE)

Keywords

NERC_DDC

Access constraints: Other restrictions

Other constraints: copyright

Other constraints: The dataset is made freely available for access, e.g. via the Internet. Either no third party data / information is contained in the dataset or BGS has secured written permission from the owner(s) of any third party data / information contained in the dataset to make the dataset freely accessible.

Use constraints: Other restrictions

Other constraints: The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, via the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Manager. Use by customers of information provided by the BGS, is at the customer's own risk. In view of the disparate sources of information at BGS's disposal, including such material donated to BGS, that BGS accepts in good faith as being accurate, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the quality or accuracy of the information supplied, or to the information's suitability for any use. NERC/BGS accepts no liability whatever in respect of loss, damage, injury or other occurence however caused.

Other constraints: There are no restrictions on the use that may be made of the dataset, although an appropriate copyright acknowledgement must be made when any part of the dataset is reproduced. Either no third party data / information is contained in the dataset or BGS has secured written permission from the owner of any third party data / information contained in the dataset to make the dataset freely available without any use constraints - inclusion of any third party data / information will affect the copyright acknowledgement that needs to be made.

Spatial representation type: Vector

Denominator: 100000

Language: English

Topic category

Geoscientific information

Geographic identifier: NIR
ISO 3166_1 alpha-3 2009 revision

Geographic identifier: NORTHERN IRELAND [id=181000]
British Geological Survey Gazetteer: Geographical hierarchy from Geosaurus 1979 creation

Begin date: 2011-01

End date: 2012-12

Supplemental Information: This dataset has been produced by the collation and interpretation of mineral resource data principally held by the British Geological Survey. The mineral resource data presented are based on the best available information, but are not comprehensive and their quality is variable. The inferred boundaries shown are, therefore, approximate. Mineral resources defined in the data delineate areas within which potentially workable minerals may occur. These areas are not of uniform potential and also take no account of planning considerations that may limit their working. The economic potential of specific sites can only be proved by a detailed evaluation programme. Such an investigation is an essential precursor to submitting a planning application for mineral working. The individual merits of the site must then be judged against other land-use planning issues. Extensive areas are shown as having no mineral resource potential, but some isolated mineral workings may occur in these areas. The presence of these operations generally reflects very local or specific situations. The pattern of demand for minerals is continually evolving due to changing economic, technical and environmental factors. The dataset should only be used to show a broad distribution of those mineral resources which may be of current or potential economic interest. The data should not be used to determine individual planning applications or in taking decisions on the acquisition or use of a particular piece of land, although they may give useful background information which sets a specific proposal in context. Criteria used to define resources, for example in terms of mineral to waste ratios, also change with location and time. Thus a mineral deposit with a high proportion of waste may be viable if located in close proximity to a major market, but uneconomic if located further away. These criteria vary depending on the quality of the information available. The extents of mineral resources shown in these data are generally the inferred surface expression of the resource. However, users should note that workable minerals may extend beneath overburden which is adjacent to the outcrop area shown. Bedrock resource for the commodity may exist underneath where a superficial deposit for the same commodity is shown. Bedrock deposits are not shown underneath the superficial deposits for the same commodity type to ensure that the commodity layer is topologically correct (i.e. polygons do not overlap) and can be used in a GIS system for analysis. The Mineral Resource dataset has been developed at 1:50 000 scales and must not be used at larger scales. Digital map data should therefore be used at about the same scale as their original compilation; for example 1:50 000 scale data should not normally be blown up and used at 1:10 000 scales. Most geological maps were originally fitted to a particular topographic base and care must be taken in interpretation, for example when the geological data are draped over a more recent topography. All spatial searches against the data should be done with a minimum 50 m buffer. Mineral resources defined in the data delineate areas within which potentially workable minerals may occur.

Unique resource identifier: TM65 / Irish Grid (EPSG::29902)

Distribution format

Name	Version
Geographic Information Systems
Digital Map
Paper Map

Distributor contact

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
British Geological Survey	Enquiries	enquiries@bgs.ac.uk	Distributor

OnLine resource

Protocol	Linkage	Name
	http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/planning/resource.html

Hierarchy level: Dataset

Other: dataset

Conformance result

Title: INSPIRE Implementing rules laying down technical arrangements for the interoperability and harmonisation of Geology

Date (Publication): 2011

Explanation: See the referenced specification

Pass: No

Conformance result

Title: Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services

Date (Publication): 2010-12-08

Explanation: See http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:323:0011:0102:EN:PDF

Pass: No

Statement: Mineral resource were defined within the GIS, using digital geological line work at 1:50 000 scale (the BGS\GSNI DiGMapNI 1: 50k dataset for Northern Ireland from 01.08.2011). For areas with no available 1:50 000 scale geological mapping, 1:250 000 scale data was used (areas of Tyrone, Down and Armagh). Data processing steps: [1] A list and map of the geological lithologies for each of the six counties were supplied to the Economic Geologist for interpretation of which bedrock and superficial geological formations might now, or in the foreseeable future, be of economic value. As many sources of information as possible were consulted when considering which geological units constitute a mineral resource, ranging from historical publications to consultation with geologists with specialist knowledge of the local area. The majority of decisions were based on existing publications such as memoirs, the ‘BritPits’ mines and quarries database and advice from both BGs and GSNI geologists with area-specific knowledge. After all relevant sources of information had been consulted, the lithologies identified in the DiGMap dataset were assigned to the relevant mineral resource classification, for example the Armagh limestone (ARMA-LMST ) = Limestone Carboniferous resource. Once the lithologies from DiGMAp were attributed with resource information and separated out into resource data layers. Geological lines such as faults removed and the final dataset created. All internal lines between different lithologies e.g. Armagh limestone (ARMA-LMST ) and Dartry limestone (DARL-LMST ) are dissolved to identify areas solely as carboniferous limestone. [2] Interpretations are then extracted from the derived from DiGMapNI-50 and DigMapNI-250 versions available at 01.08.2011 and given a mineral resource attribute and colour. Editing was carried out to resolve the mismatching sheet boundaries and gaps in the data. [3] Maps were re-supplied to the Economic Geologist for correction. Small areas of resources were deleted when considered to be uneconomic/unworkable. [4] Drafts of the finished maps taken to stakeholders for comment. Stakeholder consultation was also an important input into the process. The views of representatives of the minerals industry, planners and national government were all considered. [5] Maps approved and digital data, collated for each map, sent to GIS specialist for dataset preparation and cleaning. [6] Data produced for each map was merged together to produce national files based on resource commodity. [7] Mineral commodity and name attributes are correctly assigned using the legend supplied by Economic Geologist. [8] Polygons dissolved based on name attribute, removing all county boundaries. [9] Remove sliver polygons (created as a result of geological sheet boundaries) where possible and re-dissolve. [10] Multipart to single part operation conducted on each dataset. [11] Redundant attributes removed. [12] Repair geometry operation to clean the dataset. [13] Economic Geologist approves final resource dataset.