The BGS BritPits dataset contains more than 264 000 records of onshore mineral workings located in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The data includes active, inactive, dormant and ceased sites, as well as a range of mineral operations including mines, quarries and onshore oil and gas fields, together with wharfs and rail depots handling mineral products and industrial processes. Each record describes an onshore mineral working in terms of its name, operational status, geographical location, Mineral Planning Authority (MPA), operator, geology, worked mineral commodity and a range of relevant metadata.

Three levels of BGS BritPits data are available. The open-source index is based on the full BritPits dataset but contains index level information only, including the name, status and location of the working. This can be accessed as a Web Map Service (WMS) layer or via the . The other two levels are available as licensed datasets.

• The open-source index package is available under an Open Government Licence
• The full dataset includes all the entries of the BGS BritPits database, including historic sites; this data is also available for specific Mineral Planning Areas
• A subset of the full dataset that contains only the active, inactive and dormant mines and quarries (over 5200 entries)

These datasets are updated every year. The latest version, released in February 2026, contains 264 549 records, an increase from 262 814 records in the previous version.

This data will be of use to organisations in the public and private sector who have an interest in the location of mineral extraction sites and their possible after-use. For example, the data has been supplied to:

• national and local governments for use in planning and statistical studies
• non-governmental organisations for environmental and conservation planning
• commercial organisations for analysis of resource potential and legacy operations

Ground investigation (GI) work is routinely carried out to assess ground conditions and identify ground hazards prior to the construction of new buildings and infrastructure projects. The UK construction sector invests approximately Â£1.2 billion per year in GI, yet unforeseen ground conditions still cause significant delays and overspend, estimated at 10 per cent of project costs or £120 million per year.

Additional funding has been secured from the  to expand BGS pioneering Common Ground project. This initiative aims to develop a national geotechnical properties data service, maximising the return on GI investment and reducing risk, increasing efficiency and unlocking the value of GI data for the UK construction sector. 

Following the success of the project first phase, the new funding will enable BGS to build on pilot geotechnical data tools that were developed for Glasgow to deliver a national-scale geotechnical data service that combines geotechnical data with geological knowledge.

As BGS moves forward with this exciting phase, we remaincommitted to delivering solutions that maximise the return on investment in GI data, reduce carbon emissions and support a more resilient and efficient construction industry.

Alison Steven, data operations and governance manager at BGS.

Ensuring that users remain at the heart of product development, our partners, , will be conducting further market research and will develop a strategy to help BGS provide an authoritative data service with the functionality that suits the end user. 

The knowledge asset underpinning this project, the 51ÁÔÆæ National Geotechnical Properties Database (NGPD), contains data from approximately 200 000 boreholes, consolidated, validated and verified by BGS experts.

If you are a user or producer of GI data and would like to be involved in the project please get in touch with the Common Ground team.

Geologists at BGS have completed a major update to the geological map of the Yorkshire Wolds, where the underlying rocks and sediments play a vital role as natural reservoirs for the region underground water resources.

The distinctive white chalk rock of the , which forms the magnificent coastal cliffs, is also present beneath the wolds. The chalk is an ‘aquifer’ and is important as the primary drinking-water source for the area. The new geological mapping will provide detailed and accurate information to inform decision making around the use of groundwater resources.

The geology of some of the area was last mapped in the 1800s, before modern understanding of the impact of tectonics (movement of the ’plates’ that make up the Earth crust) on the chalk and before information about differences in the properties of the chalk layers was recorded. At that time, there was no satellite data and underground data was limited, so maps were mostly based on ground observations, with much of it done from horseback! The new mapping provides updated geological data and information for the region and plays a central role in the current BGS national geological mapping programme.

The five-year project involved different remote techniques, including interpretation of 2D seismics (information from small, controlled vibrations that create waves through the rock, which can then be used to map the subsurface), digital elevation models, aerial imagery and borehole records along with field surveys and palaeontological (fossil) analysis. Collectively, these methods and data have significantly improved geological understanding of the chalk aquifer.

The aquifer currently faces a number of pressures, including:

• increased water demand from a growing population as well as industrial uses
• risk of nitrate contamination from agricultural land practices
• risk of salt water from the Humber estuary reaching the aquifer and mixing with drinking water
• improvements to habitats, for example chalk streams

We need to better understand and model how water flows in the Chalk aquifer and the interaction between springs, rivers and abstraction. The new mapping delivers enhanced knowledge that will help to improve regional understanding of both the aquifer and the groundwater resources, as well as localised geological issues that may assist in reducing risks to specific water supply assets, such as water abstraction sites.

Over the past hundred years since the geology of the Yorkshire Wolds was last mapped, our ability to better understand what lies beneath our feet has vastly improved thanks to technological advances and a modern understanding of geology. The updated geological maps will help companies, farmers, local planners and regulators make more informed decisions around the management and protection of the chalk aquifer in the Yorkshire Wolds.

The data also provides a solid geological framework to underpin future work to help mitigate present and future issues faced in the Yorkshire Wolds, including drought, coastal erosion, water quality and saline intrusion into the aquifer.

Laura Burrel Garcia, survey geologist at BGS.

The project was a collaboration between the Environment Agency (EA), Yorkshire Water Services Limited (YWS) and BGS. Recently, EA, YWS and WSP attended BGS headquarters in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, to discuss the conclusion of the project and its outcomes.

The team at the BGS has not just remapped the Yorkshire Wolds; they have also shared their expertise and enthusiasm with all. The outputs of this project will benefit the people of Yorkshire for centuries to come and will greatly assist the Environment Agency in our work to create better places for people and wildlife, while supporting sustainable development.

Ruth Buckley, Environment Agency.

This project has been a wonderful example of collaboration and shared learning. The BGS team members were generous with their time, sharing their expert knowledge of field mapping and interpreting the modern information. It was a pleasure to work with them. The end result is a huge improvement in the collective understanding of the geology, which will feed into improvements in understanding of groundwater flow and a new groundwater model based on the new geology maps. This gives us the ability to better manage East Yorkshire water resources and protect the environment now and into the future. A big thank you to all involved.

Mark Morton, Yorkshire Water Services Limited.

The data produced from this work will form part of the national geological map, which will be freely accessible via the.

51ÁÔÆæ Geology, BGS digital geological maps covering Great Britain, is based on a suite of published paper maps enhanced with latest digital mapping. It is periodically updated with information from field surveys as well as including previously unpublished maps or additional interpretation.

The latest version of BGS Geology 50K now covers the majority of Great Britain plus the Isle of Man, an estimated 236000km². This includes coverage for approximately 99per cent of the bedrock and approximately 95per cent of the superficial deposits across the country.

These geological maps provide crucial information like rock types and faults, forming a valuable resource for a wide range of uses, such as infrastructure planning and development, including ground source heat pumps, and environmental assessment.

The 50K-scale map offers a balance between detail and coverage, making it highly useful for a wide range of applications, from regional assessment to local-scale intelligence.

The latest update incorporates all edits to the dataset since the previous version release in 2017. This includes new and revised tiles of geology data, updates to the coastline and various corrections to geological features across the country. Also included is additional attribution on linear features depicting fault trace handedness and hanging-wall orientation on fault features.

Henry Holbrook, data sharing lead at BGS.

In addition to the 50K maps, BGS has also updated its 10K and 25K maps. BGS Geology 10K and 25K is the most detailed geological dataset we have produced Around half of the country is now covered with this update, including many urban centres and transport routes in Great Britain.

This latest release of BGS Geology 10K and 25K includes new maps and is based on our highest-resolution survey mapping. It will continue to be of great help to the public sector, the construction industry and academics.

Henry Holbrook

51ÁÔÆæ data for both BGS Geology 50K and BGS Geology 10K and 25K is available under licence. You can also view the BGS Geology 50K map data in the GeoIndex viewer. Further information about 51ÁÔÆæ Geology 50K and 51ÁÔÆæ Geology 10K maps is available on the BGS website.

Every city has a story hidden beneath its surface, shaped not just by people but by ancient landscapes and geological forces too. Under our streets, buildings and parks lies an unseen subsurface that has a major influence on how our cities function, grow and adapt.

On World Cities Day, we are highlighting urban geoscience — the study of the ground beneath our towns and cities — and why understanding this hidden world is essential for building safer and more resilient urban environments.

What is urban geoscience?

Urban geoscience helps us to understand the geology and both the natural (for example, ancient river valleys and glacial deposits) and human-made features (for example, old mine workings) beneath our cities. This knowledge helps planners and decision makers to more safely utilise the subsurface — for example, for water, energy and — while avoiding any challenges caused by the complex and sometimes unpredictable geology beneath our feet. As cities develop, urban geoscience offers the insight needed to mitigate risk and plan with confidence.

Examples of how British cities are influenced by geology

There are countless ways in which geology influences the evolution of our towns and cities. Here are four examples from around Britain.

London: shrink–swell clay and the changing climate

Much of London is built on the . This unit has clay-rich deposits that expand when wet and shrinks when dry, a phenomenon known as shrink–swell. This movement can cause cracks in buildings, damage roads and disrupt underground utilities.

With climate change, hotter and drier summers followed by intense rainfall are worsening the effects of shrink–swell. The 51ÁÔÆæ GeoClimate dataset models how these risks may change over time, showing areas most likely to experience future subsidence. Such modelling can allow for preventative or mitigative steps to be put in place to alleviate the effects of the hazard on property and infrastructure.

Glasgow: mining and geothermal energy

Glasgow sits on the Carboniferous-aged and the coal mined from beneath the city powered its industrial growth. The old mine workings have left voids in the subsurface that can collapse and, if the collapse is close to the surface, cause subsidence. However, if potential issues are known, preventative measures can be put in place to reduce the risk.

The 51ÁÔÆæ Mining Hazard dataset helps identify areas where past underground mining might pose a risk, supporting safer planning and development. Old mine workings are also providing new opportunities as warm water in flooded mine workings can be used to supply low-carbon heat and hot water to offices and homes, turning a legacy of coal mining into a .

Truro: radon risk from granite

Truro in Cornwall is a city built on Carboniferous to Permian-aged granite intrusions, which were formed when molten rock slowly cooled deep underground. Granite contains small amounts of the radioactive element uranium, which naturally breaks down (via a series of intermediate, unstable elements) over millions of years to produce radioactive .

In enclosed spaces like homes and offices, radon may build up to levels that pose a health risk, with prolonged exposure to elevated levels of radon increasing the risk of lung cancer. For most people, the risk of developing lung cancer from exposure to radon remains low. However, the advises you to test your home if you live or work in a radon affected area and there are several methods of reducing high radon levels in buildings.

Cornwall is just one of several areas around the UK were radon gas needs to be considered. The 51ÁÔÆæ/UKHSA Radon Potential dataset shows where elevated radon levels are most likely, showing where testing and mitigation are needed around the UK to make homes safer.

Cardiff: complex ground and urban redevelopment

The combination of river sands and gravels, glacial deposits and rocks of the Triassic-aged beneath the city of Cardiff affect drainage, groundwater flow and how easily the ground can be built on. As the city continues to grow and redevelop, understanding the subsurface is key for managing groundwater, avoiding subsidence and planning safe infrastructure.

The 51ÁÔÆæ 3D urban geology model for Cardiff helps to visualise the deposits beneath the city, while the 51ÁÔÆæ Civils dataset provides practical information on ground stability, excavation difficulty and chemical risks to construction materials.

Every city around the world is shaped or influenced to some degree by the rocks that lie beneath its foundations, a changing coastline along its shore or the risks posed by geohazards such as earthquakes, landslides or radon. As cities continue to grow and face new challenges, from a need to become climate resilient to an increasingly crowded subsurface, understanding the ground beneath them becomes more important than ever.

Urban geoscience connects the past with the present, helping us build cities that are not only functional but also resilient.

First launched in July 2000, the BGS GeoIndex is a professional digital geological map application and receives over one million views each year.

The current iterations of the GeoIndex Onshore and GeoIndex Offshore applications are now 10 years old and approaching the end of their technical lifespans. The transition to the updated viewer has allowed us to unify the platforms into a single, streamlined tool and increase awareness of the geological data available from BGS. 

Alongside the integration of onshore and offshore data, the includes a number of other notable additions. The refreshed and upgraded user interface has been designed to enhance the user experience, with improved find and filter tools to make it easier to access the relevant data. Direct links to full records have been added to provide deeper insights and there are expanded basemap options, including the latest Ordnance Survey maps and high-resolution satellite imagery.

The beta release also includes core geological data layers, such as 625K- and 50K-scale digital geological mapping and borehole datasets, to allow for focused user testing. We are looking at eventually streamlining some of the other currently available data layers as part of the review, to ensure the new platform is as user friendly as possible.

The BGS GeoIndex is our flagship map viewer and we’ve spent the last few years planning how we can improve the application for our users.

We are excited to share this beta version for testing and to gauge users’ reactions and hope the updated interface will bring many welcome usability improvements.

Steven Richardson, BGS Geospatial Applications Developer.

We would welcome user feedback during this beta phase, and comments can be submitted through the .

Please note: commercial, research and public good level users should continue to use the existing BGS GeoIndex (onshore) and GeoIndex (offshore) applications for professional use until the new platform is formally launched.

Characterising the distribution of seabed sediments (SBS) is critical for a wide range of applications, including:

• habitat mapping
• marine ecosystem science
• mineral and aggregates assessments
• offshore infrastructure siting and monitoring
• defence
• shipping
• coastal management

51ÁÔÆæ has developed the new national-scale 51ÁÔÆæ Predictive Seabed Sediments (UK) dataset aimed at supporting these applications. The dataset comprises four digital maps that portray SBS composition, including a classified map of sediment types, as well as the predicted proportions of gravel, sand and mud across the UK continental shelf.

These detailed maps are based on about 40 000 sample measurements, as well as numerous physical covariates that relate to the spatial distribution of SBS. They were generated with the assistance of machine learning.

Understanding the nature of the seabed is fundamental for many offshore activities, from understanding benthic habitats and carbon stores to effectively designing and installing offshore infrastructure, including wind turbines and submarine cables.

Seabed sediments lie at the interface between the water column above and the variable geological substrate below. To an extent, they can be considered similar to the soil layer on land, but offshore sediments are exposed to dynamic marine conditions and are therefore potentially transitory and mobile over variable timescales, for example, during tidal, seasonal and storm cycles.

We hope that the release of the new BGS Predictive Seabed Sediments (UK) dataset will provide a useful free resource for many users, including researchers, developers and marine managers.

Dayton Dove, marine geoscientist at BGS.

The BGS Predictive Seabed Sediments (UK) dataset is now freely available to download under the Open Government Licence (OGL) and can be used in combination with other thematic 51ÁÔÆæ 250K datasets that are also now available via OGL, such as bedrock geology. It can also be used with our more recently produced, high-resolution seabed geology mapping.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee provided initial co-funding and supported this project.

Our digital geological maps are a unique national resource. A good understanding of the subsurface is critical for many applications across a wide range of disciplines, including, but not limited to:

• aquifer management
• radioactive waste disposal
• mineral resources
• engineering
• geohazards

Geological maps and digital data help with making investment and planning decisions, assessing hazards and de-risking projects. We are constantly aiming to update and improve our maps, so they are fit for the digital demands of the 21st century.

Why do we want your feedback? 

51ÁÔÆæ is constantly striving to improve its map compilation and dissemination procedures. The maintenance and development of our geological data is a vital part of our survey role. This is especially important as technologies change and offer new ways to disseminate information. The way we collect, compile and produce map data is also changing, so we are reviewing the way our maps and products are developed and delivered to our customers. 

Have your say 

Implementing effective change requires input from all our stakeholder groups and we’d like to hear from you. What are your current priorities? What problems are being solved using our data? What would you like to see in the future? BGS values your input and would appreciate you completing this short questionnaire, providing as much context as possible.