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

Groundwater flooding is the emergence of groundwater at the surface, which can occur in a variety of geological settings, including areas with historical mining. In England and Wales, it estimated that groundwater flooding accounts for an estimated £530 million in damages per year.

Project Groundwater Northumbria aims to increase awareness and understanding of groundwater flooding and help prepare for and mitigate flood events through innovative approaches and technologies. The project, in which BGS is a partner, is led by Gateshead Council and is part of the Environment Agency Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme.

Following a major groundwater flood event in Gateshead in 2016, along with several smaller incidents, BGS has constructed a subsurface map and produced a free, 3D geological model of the bedrock in Gateshead. These help better understand the sequences and geometries of the shallower soil layers (superficial deposits) at tens of metres of depth, alongside structures and boundaries in the bedrock to several hundred metres of depth.

The north-east of England was a major centre for coal mining. In areas with historical mining activities like Gateshead, the effect of mine workings on groundwater movement can be significant. The map and model will give a better understanding of how the natural subsurface conditions, combined with the legacy of human activity in the subsurface such as abandoned coal mines, affects the direction of groundwater flow.

The insight provided from the anticipated groundwater flow paths will help identify where groundwater flooding is likely to occur. This will allow Gateshead Council (and other organisations, such as the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water) to better deploy resources more effectively and monitor the speed and spread of flooding in real time, to help manage and alleviate groundwater flooding in the area.

The 3D geological model of Gateshead, released as part of Project Groundwater Northumbria, will help us to understand the impact of groundwater movement in this area and improve Gateshead Council response to future floods.

The model is an innovative step forward in how we capture data. Traditional geological maps don’t allow to us to show the interaction of mine water and groundwater, but we can showcase them with this model. It has really helped us to improve our 3D understanding of coal fields and how water flows through them. In turn, this is part of a wider programme of 3D urban geology across the country.

Project Groundwater Northumbria showcases how multiple organisations can work together on one project with the same aim and highlights the geological and technologies advances that can be achieved.

Ricky Terrington, BGS 3D Geospatial Lead and project leader.

The 3D geology model for Gateshead can now be accessed for free on BGS.

The reports produced as part of this project are available to read:

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.

Artificial ground is found throughout the country in a variety of places, for example:

• railway and road cuttings and embankments
• foundations under buildings
• the waste and voids from surface and underground mining
• roads
• landscaped parks and golf courses

51ÁÔÆæ has been creating national geological maps for nearly 200 years and often these maps are the only record of ground being altered by humans.

We are in the process of developing new methods for capturing and representing artificial ground information and we want to ensure that this is as useful and beneficial as possible to the stakeholder community.

Why do we want your feedback?

The aim of this survey is to gain an understanding from you, our stakeholders, about the types of data that are used regularly, why you need that data, and what decisions are made using the data. Mapping of artificial ground is not easy and everyone treats these deposits differently. By providing a standardised method of collecting and displaying artificial ground data there is significant potential to improve the communication of these features.

Interested in getting involved?

We have put together a short survey that aims to capture your thoughts and processes when working with artificial ground data. We value your input and would appreciate you completing this short questionnaire, providing as much context as possible.

Survey deadline extended to 28th November 2025.

North Lanarkshire has an industrialised past, including a significant coal mining legacy. Created by BGS alongside WSP UK and North Lanarkshire Council (NLC), the new coal mine gas risk decision-support tool helps to provide a preliminary risk assessment of coal mine gas emissions in North Lanarkshire. The tool utilises publicly available data and information from BGS and the Mining Remediation Authority on the subsurface to inform an instant risk zone rating for any 50 × 50 m grid cell within the North Lanarkshire area.

The tool is now live and being used by NLC to identify areas at potential risk of coal mine gas emissions and communicate them to relevant planning applications for new building or housing developments, helping to manage the risk.

After two years of research and development, we are pleased that the coal mine gas risk decision support tool is now live. It is underpinned by data and geoscience and enables NLC to identify and communicate potential risks so that these can be managed by planning applications for new builds.

We will continue to update and enhance the tool and hope to be able to expand it to be used by other councils across Scotland in the future to help manage risk.

Darren Beriro, principal geoscientist at BGS who led the development of the tool.

The new tool provides information about the risk of mine gas emissions on land across North Lanarkshire, helping inform development decisions and planning applications. By giving consistent, accurate information, the tool avoids the need for additional investigations where there is a negligible risk and allows development to progress more quickly. Where there is an increased risk from mine gas, the tool helps direct developers to expertise, advice and support on the actions required to address the risks and put in place controls to allow the development to progress.

Mark Findlay, pollution control and public health manager at North Lanarkshire Council.

In addition to the best available data from the BGS and MRA, WSP UK have developed Risk Zone Advisories within the tool and it is the combination of these items that enables NLC to consistently and efficiently screen and communicate preliminary risks to planning applicants and developers.

We are excited to see the tool in use after a long collaborative effort and hope to introduce it across other areas with significant coal mining legacy.

Aliyssa Glen, principal consultant at WSP who led the development of the tool within WSP.

Digital scans of over 500 historical plans of abandoned mines (non-coal) have been released by the National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) as part of BGS’s commitment to providing more open, accessible data for its users.   

In the late 1800s, the Coal Mines Regulation Act and Metalliferous Mines Regulation Act created the statutory requirement for the deposition of plans of abandoned mines by mine owners to the Secretary of State. In 1980, the BGS Edinburgh office was appointed as the statutory place of deposit for plans of abandoned non-coal and oil shale mines in Scotland. These plans have been preserved and managed by the NGDC, which is NERC’s Environmental Data Service designated geoscience data centre that is hosted by BGS. NGDC collects and preserves geoscientific data and information, making them available for the long term to a wide range of users and communities.

To reflect the BGS commitment to more open, accessible data for its users, the decision was taken to make scans of these non-coal mine abandoned plans digitally accessible to the public. This decision comes at an important time when there is increased interest in the potential of mine water for developing geothermal energy technologies. Having these plans openly accessible means they can be used in desk-based studies for those working in the public and private sectors doing site investigations, hazard assessments or further academic research. 

NGDC is committed to providing findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable data (FAIR data) and this includes reviewing access to legacy datasets. The release of over 500 plans demonstrates our commitment to being a trusted provider of geological data and knowledge.

Alison Steven, BGS Data Operations and Governance Manger (NGDC).

The plans can be viewed via the and can be filtered by selecting ‘Abandonment plan’ from the plan type drop-down menu.

These abandoned mine plans are part of a collection of over 70 000 plans delivered through the viewer, including sixteen different plan types such as open cast, quarry and cave plans. The portal can be searched by geographical area, mineral or mine name. The information returned includes mine name, mineral, geographical area, plan date (where available), whether a digital copy of the plan is available and who to contact to purchase copies of a scanned plan. 

More information

Abandoned mines plans for Northern Ireland can be accessed via the .

Further information on the history of non-coal mining plans is available through the BGS website.

Please contact the for any enquiries relating to coal mine plans in Scotland, England and Wales – or visit their .

The latest release of the 51ÁÔÆæ BritPits dataset covers more than 260 000 mineral workings 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, onshore oil and gas fields, wharfs and rail depots handling mineral products and industrial processes. Each entry describes an onshore mineral working in terms of its name, operational status, geographical location, Mineral Planning Authority, operator, the geology worked and the mineral commodity produced.

This data is of particular value to organisations with an interest in the location of mineral extraction sites and their potential for further use. For example, BritPits 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

51ÁÔÆæ BritPits is available in three different packages:

Two licenced packages are available in GISand CSV formats.

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 (MPAs). The full dataset is available as a GIS or CSV format and can be accessed as a Web Map Service (WMS) layer or via the .

The AID data package is a subset of the full dataset and includes only the active, inactive and dormant mines and quarries (around 5200 entries).

Index level information is available to view via the BGS GeoIndex and access as a WMS link under the Open Government Licence (OGL). This is based on the full BritPits dataset but contains index-level information only on the name, status and location of the working. More detailed information on commodities, MPAs, operator, etc. are reserved for the licensed version.

Further information is available through the 51ÁÔÆæ BritPits dataset page or by contacting the digital data team.

Concerns around deep-sea mining and its impact on the marine environment have been heightened by a lack of evidence and understanding of the long-term recovery of the deep-sea ecosystem once mining is finished. New research led by the UK National Oceanography Centre (NOC), with co-authors from scientific organisations including BGS, has been , providing vital evidence in the global deep-sea mining debate.

A team of scientists, including BGS Senior Geoscientist Dr Hannah Grant and Dr Pierre Josso, deputy director of the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, visited the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in 2023 to investigate a test mining site from 1979. This site provides an opportunity to investigate potential timescales for recovery and what traces remain 44 years after the mining machinery left.

51ÁÔÆæ geologists provided sedimentological analysis and studied video footage of the seabed to assess the physical geological changes resulting from deep-sea sediment disturbance during the mining test. The results showed that the mining caused long-term changes to the sediments due to its propulsion design, which is quite distinct from today collector system designs, but that the long-term effects on the fauna living at these depths is variable.

With this research, BGS geologists are adding to the deep-sea environmental evidence base. We are assessing both the short- and long-term effects of deep-sea mining in order to inform policymakers.

Dr Hannah Grant, BGS Senior Geoscientist.

This research provides a foundation for ongoing BGS work exploring the effects of disturbance by the release of metals into sea water and how rapidly areas affected by such disturbance recover to their previous state.

To tackle the crucial question of recovery from deep-sea mining, we need first to look to the past and use old mining tests to help understand long-term impacts. Forty-four years later, the mining tracks themselves look very similar to when they were first made, with an 8-metre-wide strip of seabed cleared of nodules and two large furrows in the sea floor where the machine passed. The numbers of many animals were reduced within the tracks but we did see some of the first signs of biological recovery.

We found some recovery of small and mobile animals living on the sediment surface. A type of large, amoeba-like xenophyophore, creatures commonly found everywhere in the CCZ region, had recolonised the track areas. However, large-sized animals that are fixed to the sea floor are still very rare in the tracks, showing little signs of recovery.

Prof Daniel Jones, lead author and expedition leader, NOC.

The team also discovered that sediment plumes, previously considered likely to have a major impact on the sea-floor community, had limited long-term physical impacts and no detectable negative effects on animal numbers in the study.

The evidence provided by this study is critical for understanding potential long-term impacts. Although we saw some areas with little or no recovery, some animal groups were showing the first signs of recolonisation and repopulation.

Prof Daniel Jones.

Deep-sea mining is increasingly being considered as a potential solution to supply the crucial metals required for advancing global technology and driving the transition to a net zero energy future. The CCZ, a vast region in the international waters of the central Pacific Ocean, is a key area of interest for mining. Spanning over 6 million km2, it is approximately 25 times the size of the UK and is home to unique and biodiverse deep-sea creatures, many yet to be described by science. It is also a rich mineral resource of polymetallic nodules, highly enriched in metals. At depths of nearly 5000 m on the seabed of the CCZ, the abundant, potato-sized rocks represent one of the most promising deep-sea mineral resources.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), established in 1994 under international law, is deciding whether to allow deep-sea mining in the region and under what conditions. A key question in this decision is whether deep-sea ecosystems can recover from mining disturbances.

General ecological theory will predict that, following disturbance, any ecosystem will go through a series of successional stages of recolonisation and growth. However, until this study, we had no idea of the timescales of this critical process in the deep-sea mining regions, or how different parts of the community respond in different ways.

Our results don’t provide an answer to whether deep-sea mining is societally acceptable, but they do provide the data needed to make better-informed policy decisions such as the creation and refinement of protected regions and how we would monitor future impacts.

Dr Adrian Glover, study co-author, Natural History Museum.

The first industrial trials of deep-sea mining were carried out in the Pacific Ocean in the 1970s and Prof Jones and his team visited this site in 2023 to explore and study the aged mining tracks. The team reached the site on board the world-class RRS James Cook, which is equipped with the cutting-edge underwater robot submersible Isis.

The study forms part of the NOC-led ‘Seabed mining and resilience to experimental impact’ (SMARTEX) project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). All the data collected is made available to all stakeholders in order to guide future policy decisions by the ISA and the nation states involved.