This is a digital version of the paper based 1:1M scale Offshore Quaternary map, North and South sheets. Customers should be aware that, given the age of the paper based maps, the digital version is not quality assured and BGS can accept no liability for the information held on the digital map. In addition, published 1:250,000 Quaternary maps are available. These contain more detailed subdivision of the Quaternary succession. The original paper based map covers the UK Continental shelf. The paper map is symbolised using lithology and chronology. The lithological boundaries were compiled from the data published in the BGS 1:250,000 Quaternary Geology map series and from revised interpretation of core and borehole data. Core and borehole sites are commonly 5 to 20 km apart, thus the lithological divisions are generalised. The formations and sequences identified by BGS have been grouped into Quaternary age ranges. The geological codes assigned to the digital version of the map have been compiled using the key information held on the paper map. The LEX-ROCK style codes combine the lithology and chronology and have been subject to the standard BGS approval process.

The SEA portal is managed by the BGS on behalf of DECC and provides free access to downloadable data, information and reports which have been produced through the SEA process. The Department of Trade and Industry (now DECC) began a sequence of sectoral SEAs of the implications of further licensing of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) for oil and gas exploration and production in 1999. The SEA Process subdivided the UKCS into eight areas shown; beginning in 2008, integrated Offshore Energy SEAs have been undertaken that cover the whole UKCS. An integral part of the SEA programme has been a series of research and monitoring surveys commissioned to acquire new data about the offshore environment and used to help inform the relevant SEAs. Many files can be downloaded directly from portal. Those that are too large to download can be ordered via the website for postal delivery from BGS.

The K-index scale summarises geomagnetic activity at an observatory by assigning a code, an integer in the range 0 to 9 (0 being the least active field and 9 the most active field) to each 3-hour Universal Time (UT) interval. K-Indices are available for Lerwick, Eskdalemuir, Greenwich, Abinger and Hartland Magnetic Observatories. From 1954-90 the values are hand scaled, from 1991 to the present day they are automatically scaled. The data not only aids scientific research into rates of change of the magnetic field and increases the accuracy of the BGS Global Geomagnetic Model, but also provides data to exploration geophysicists engaged in current and future oil exploration.

Index to manuscript geological maps produced by the Survey geologists or other recognised geologists on County Series (1:10560) and National Grid (1:10560 & 1:10000) Ordnance Survey base maps. The index was set up in 1991. Current holdings for Great Britain are over 35,000. There are entries for all registered maps but the level of detail depends on nature of original Survey, ie not all fields are complete for all entries.

Sometimes known as the "One-Inch Collection", this is an archival collection of rock samples collected by BGS field staff during surveys within England and Wales, arranged by 1-inch (or 50 K) scale BGS geological map sheet area. It was intended as a representative suite of the lithologies present in each sheet, although this was only partially achieved. Documentation is via archive of rock sample collection sheets (see COLLECTIONSHEETS) but is poorly coordinated at present.

Rocks, thin sections and paper registers: samples from past BGS surveys and projects overseas. Though neglected for several years, the collection has been re-opened for addition of new material from overseas projects and donations. Paper registers are arranged by accession order on a country by country basis. The records have not been placed in electronic format and are not currently machine readable.

The aa index is a simple global geomagnetic activity index, with units of 1 nT (nanotesla), which is produced from the K indices from two approximately antipodal observatories. At present these are Hartland observatory in the UK and Canberra observatory in Australia. The main advantage in using aa indices for research purposes is that the time series spans further back (to 1868) than any of the other planetary indices time series.Also, up to date values are produced and made available weekly, giving nearer to real time availability than any other planetary index. In between the weekly updates, BGS calculates estimated aa indices, providing real time "nowcasts" which are updated on an hourly basis. These estimates are clearly marked with the letters "Est". Although calculated by the same method, the aa indices available on this service are not the definitive values. These are published by the International Service for Geomagnetic Indices, CRPE/CNET - CNRS, 4 Avenue de Neptune, F-94107 Saint Maur, Cedex, France.

The Single Onshore Borehole Index (SOBI) is an index of over 1 million boreholes, shafts and wells and references collections of digital and analogue records from all forms of drilling and site investigation work held by the BGS. The index covers onshore and near shore boreholes from Great Britain dating back to at least 1790 and ranging from one to several thousand metres deep. Some 50,000 new boreholes are added each year. The majority of the records contain written descriptions of the ground encountered. The SOBI index database originated in 1988 from a number of existing tables and from data input from a variety of coding forms. Therefore not all fields in the database are populated and data that should be in some fields may currently form part of the entries in another. The index is available on the BGS website via the Geoindex

The official BGS photographic archive contains an estimated 300,000 photographs. The archive has been built up systematically since its founding in 1891 and is becoming a very popular educational resource for images of the geology of the UK and overseas. A wide range of topics is represented: field geology, landscapes, oblique aerial photographs, geohazards, marine operations, fossil, rocks and photomicrographs of rocks and minerals in thin section. In addition there are an estimated 225,000 photographs held with former groups, projects and individual geoscientists. The collections hold a diverse range of photographic material which includes black and white or colour negatives, transparencies and prints. The film formats range from 35mm to 10"X8" which includes both film and large format glass plates.

The GeoSure datasets and related reports from the British Geological Survey provide information about potential ground movement due to six types of natural geological hazard, in a helpful and user-friendly format. The reports can help inform planning decisions and indicate causes of subsidence. The Collapsible Ground dataset provides an assessment of the potential for a geological deposit to collapse (to subside rapidly) as a consequence of a metastable microfabric in loessic material. Such metastable material is prone to collapse when it is loaded (as by construction of a building, for example) and then saturated by water (as by rising groundwater, for example). Collapse may cause damage to overlying property. The methodology is based on BGS DiGMapGB-50 (Digital Map) and expert knowledge of the origin and behaviour of the formations so defined. It provides complete coverage of Great Britain, subject to revision in line with changes in DiGMapGB lithology codes and methodological improvements. The storage formats of the data are ESRI and MapInfo but other formats can be supplied.