Data identifying landscape areas (shown as polygons) attributed with geological names. The scale of the data is 1:625 000 providing a simplified interpretation of the geology and may be used as a guide at a regional or national level, but should not be relied on for local geology. Onshore coverage is provided for all of England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. Data are supplied as four themes: bedrock, superficial deposits, dykes and linear features (faults). Bedrock geology describes the main mass of solid rocks forming the earth's crust. Bedrock is present everywhere, whether exposed at surface in outcrops or concealed beneath superficial deposits or water bodies. Geological names are based on the lithostratigraphic or lithodemic hierarchy of the rocks. The lithostratigraphic scheme arranges rock bodies into units based on rock-type and geological time of formation. Where rock-types do not fit into the lithostratigraphic scheme, for example intrusive, deformed rocks subjected to heat and pressure resulting in new or changed rock types; then their classification is based on their rock-type or lithological composition. This assesses visible features such as texture, structure, mineralogy. Superficial deposits are younger geological deposits formed during the most recent geological time; the Quaternary. These deposits rest on older rocks or deposits referred to as bedrock. The superficial deposits theme defines landscape areas (shown as polygons) attributed with a geological name and their deposit-type or lithological composition. The dykes theme defines small, narrow areas (shown as polygons) of a specific type of bedrock geology; that is igneous rocks which have been intruded into the landscape at a later date than the surrounding bedrock. They are presented as an optional, separate theme in order to provide additional clarity of the bedrock theme. The bedrock and dykes themes are designed to be used together. Linear features data (shown as polylines) represents geological faults at the ground or bedrock surface (beneath superficial deposits). Geological faults occur where a body of bedrock has been fractured and displaced by large scale processes affecting the earth's crust (tectonic forces). The faults theme defines geological faults (shown as polylines) at the ground or bedrock surface (beneath superficial deposits). All four data themes are available in vector format (containing the geometry of each feature linked to a database record describing their attributes) as ESRI shapefiles and are delivered free of charge under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

Data identifying landscape areas (shown as polygons) attributed with geological names and rock type descriptions. The scale of the data is 1:625 000 scale providing a simplified interpretation of the geology and may be used as a guide at a regional or national level, but should not be relied on for local geology. Onshore coverage is provided for all of England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. Bedrock geology describes the main mass of solid rocks forming the earth's crust. Bedrock is present everywhere, whether exposed at surface in outcrops or concealed beneath superficial deposits or water bodies. The bedrock geology of the UK is very diverse and includes three broad classes based on their mode of origin: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. The data includes attribution to identify each rock type (in varying levels of detail) as described in the BGS Rock Classification Scheme (volumes 1-3 ). The bedrock has formed over long periods of geological time, from the Archean eon some 7500 million years ago, to the relatively young Pliocene, 58 million years ago. The age of the rocks is identified in the data through their BGS lexicon name (published for each deposit at the time of the original survey or subsequent digital data creation). For stratified rocks i.e. arranged in sequence, this will usually be of a lithostratigraphic type. Other rock types for example intrusive igneous bodies will be of a lithodemic type. More information on the formal naming of UK rocks is available in the BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units. Geological names are based on the lithostratigraphic or lithodemic hierarchy. The lithostratigraphic scheme arranges rock bodies into units based on rock-type and geological time of formation. Where rock-types do not fit into the lithostratigraphic scheme, for example intrusive, deformed rocks subjected to heat and pressure resulting in new or changed rock types; then their classification is based on their rock-type or lithological composition using visible features such as texture, structure, mineralogy. The data are available in vector format (containing the geometry of each feature linked to a database record describing their attributes) as ESRI shapefiles and are delivered free of charge under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

This layer of the map based index (GeoIndex) shows the location of drillcore, bulk specimens, unwashed cuttings and processed material from onshore boreholes drilled in UK by BGS, commercial and public bodies. The majority of borehole cores and samples are available for study and sub-sampling by bona fide academics and commercial companies. Commercial companies are charged for access; academics will need to complete an academic waiver form.

This layer of the GeoIndex shows the location of available 1:10000 scale digital geological maps within Great Britain. The Digital Geological Map of Great Britain project (DiGMapGB) has prepared 1:625 000, 1:250 000 and 1:50 000 scale datasets for England, Wales and Scotland. The datasets themselves are available as vector data in a variety of formats in which they are structured into themes primarily for use in geographical information systems (GIS) where they can be integrated with other types of spatial data for analysis and problem solving in many earth-science-related issues. The DiGMapGB-10 dataset is as yet incomplete, current work is concentrated on extending the geographical cover, especially to cover high priority urban areas.

This layer of the map based index (GeoIndex) shows the location of available 1:10000 or 1:10560 series paper geological maps. Since the 1960s the standard large scale map for recording geological information has been the Ordnance Survey (OS) quarter sheet, covering a 5km by 5km area. The maps themselves are supplied in different formats depending on their age and the method of compliation or reproduction used. Only the latest and most up-to-date version is listed.

An index to over 600 ground geophysical surveys carried out in the UK for a variety of projects. A large number of these surveys were done in conjunction with the DTI Mineral Reconnaissance Programme in the 1970's and 80's, and many others were carried out at the request of BGS field mapping groups. Information held describes the survey objective, location of measurements, geophysical methods and equipment used, reports and publications, storage locations of data and results (for analogue and digital data), dates and personnel. There are two datasets; one shows the outline of the survey areas, and the other shows the actual survey lines within each area.

The map shows the potential for the rocks to supply groundwater and the type of groundwater flow within the rocks. The dataset reattributes polygons in the Digital Geological Map Data of Great Britain - 625k (DiGMapGB-625) Bedrock version 5 dataset to indicate whether the bedrock is an aquifer, the type of flow through the aquifer (fracture and fissure flow or intergranular flow) and how productive the aquifer is likely to be. The dataset is based on the known hydrogeological properties of rock types. The dataset covers just the bedrock formations for the UK and the Isle of Man. The data can be used for planning, environmental analysis, water supply and hazards.

This layer of the map based index (GeoIndex) shows the path the survey ship took whilst undertaking the ship gravity, magnetic and bathymetry survey. This index is based on data from approximately 350,000 line kilometres of multi-instrument geophysical survey lines. The data itself includes seismic, sonar, magnetic, gravity, echo sounder, multibeam bathymetry and navigation data, both in digital and analogue format. The data were primarily collected by BGS and the collection also includes additional third party data.

In 2011 the British Geological Survey (BGS) decided to begin the assembly of a National Geological Model (NGM) from its existing and on-going geological framework models , comprising integrated national crustal, bedrock and Quaternary models. The bedrock component is the most advanced of these themes and comprises both the calculated models and a complementary network of cross-sections that provide a fence diagram for the bedrock geology of Great Britain. This fence diagram, the GB3D_v2014 dataset is available in a variety of formats from the BGS website www.bgs.ac.uk as free downloads, it supercedes the earlier 2012 version. The model complements the existing 1:625 000 scale mapsheets published by BGS utilising the same colour schema and geological classification. The component cross-sections extend to depths between 1.5 and 6 km; they have an aggregate length of over 25,000 km, and they are snapped together at their intersections to ensure total consistency. The sections are based on the existing BGS geological framework models where they cut through them together and incorporate around 300 deep stratigraphic boreholes across England and Wales. The sections also take account of the vast wealth of published data on the subsurface structure of Britain both from BGS and in the scientific literature. Much of this is in the form of cross-sections, contour maps of surfaces, and thicknesses (isopachs). The fence diagram has been built in the Geological Surveying and Investigation in 3D (GSI3D) software. It is envisaged that this dataset will form a useful educational resource for geoscience students and the general public, and also provide the bedrock geology context and structure for regional and catchment scale studies. The fence diagram has been built in stages between 2009-14 using funding from the BGS National Capability Programme the Environment Agency of England and Wales, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Some 16 expert regional geologists compiled the sections.

Data identifying landscape areas (shown as polygons) attributed with geological names and rock type descriptions. The scale of the data is 1:625 000 scale providing a simplified interpretation of the geology and may be used as a guide at a regional or national level, but should not be relied on for local geology. Onshore coverage is provided for all of England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. Superficial deposits are the youngest geological deposits formed during the most recent period of geological time, the Quaternary, which extends back about 2.58 million years from the present. They lie on top of older deposits or rocks referred to as bedrock. Superficial deposits were laid down by various natural processes such as action by ice, water, wind and weathering. As such, the deposits are denoted by their BGS Lexicon name, which classifies them on the basis of mode of origin (lithogenesis) with names such as, 'glacial deposits', 'river terrace deposits' or 'blown sand'; or on the basis of their composition such as 'peat'.Most of these superficial deposits are unconsolidated sediments such as gravel, sand, silt and clay. The digital data includes attribution to identify each deposit type (in varying levels of detail) as described in the BGS Rock Classification Scheme (volume 4). The data are available in vector format (containing the geometry of each feature linked to a database record describing their attributes) as ESRI shapefiles and are delivered free of charge under the terms of the Open Government Licence.