Improving our ability to predict how coastlines will change is an essential part of quantifying risks from coastal erosion and flooding. Coastal Modelling Environment, or CoastalME, is a free tool created by BGS in partnership with the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton.

CoastalME is being used in the UK and internationally to provide improved predictive capability for coastal adaptation. Modellers can use CoastalME to simulate the interaction of coastal landforms and human interventions for open coast systems. This enables users to model and visualise coastal landscape changes more effectively using commonly available spatial data.

The operational tool is being used to inform decision making at regional, international and global levels and was named as a as part of the Government Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management research and development programme. At the regional level, the tool is being used as part of the Resilient Coast (RC) project, funded by the Government’s .

The RC project explores the concept of a sediment circular economy for coastal adaptation in East Anglia, in which the release and transit of sediment is mapped and value is assigned where benefits accrue. CoastalME is used to quantify the movement of sand, gravel and fine material along the coast and to determine its value as a nature-based resource. Early results suggest that allowing a 1m landward recession of less than 10m of the cliffs between Felixstowe and Caister would release around 1.8millionm³ of sand.

At an international level, CoastalME has been used in Spain to assess the risk of flooding and erosion for the whole of Andalusia coastline, which extends for 1200 km, measured at a scale of 1:25 000, and traverses five of eight provinces. This study represents the first attempt to map the spatial distribution of sediment thickness along this coastal zone by integrating various publicly available datasets. It demonstrated the flexible design of CoastalME by incorporating representations of geomorphological features such as β€˜ramblas’ (a dry riverbed used as a road or thoroughfare) that are important sources of sediment during heavy rainfall events.

After years of developing CoastalME, we are pleased to see that it now been officially released and is freely available to support coastal engineers and decision makers to better assess the risk of compound flooding and erosion more accurately than ever before.

Dr Andres Payo Garcia, head of BGS Coasts and Estuaries.

Funding

This research was initially funded by the NERC iCOAST project as a proof of concept, NE/J005584/1 (2012 to 2016).

The workflow to create the sediment thickness model was developed between 2016 and 2022 thanks to funding from BLUEcoast, NE/N015649/1.

It is being operationalised (2022 to 2027) as part of the ongoing CHAMFER project NE/W004992/1 and is being extended to gravel-dominated coastal environments as part of the 2024 to 2028 UKGravelBarriers project, NE/Y503265/1.

Contact

For more information, please contact 51ΑΤΖζ press (bgspress@bgs.ac.uk) or call 07790 607 010.

Groundwater accounts for the largest volume of liquid fresh water on Earth. It represents an essential resource for public and private supply, agriculture, industry and recreation around the world.

Groundwater flow can be visually shown through computer models, which helps us understand temporal variations in groundwater levels and interactions between groundwater and surface waters.

The British Groundwater Model (BGWM) is the first integrated groundwater model covering Great Britain to simulate transient groundwater dynamics and surface water/groundwater interactions at the national scale. The model provides a tool for a general assessment of groundwater resources in British aquifers and for improving current representations of groundwater flow in existing UK-focused land-surface and water-quality models.

BGWM uses the code and includes British 3D geology. Model parameters were calibrated against measured groundwater levels and estimated baseflows using the code.

The next phase of development will involve increasing the sophistication of the parameterisation, as well as a more realistic simulation of aquifer–marine interactions (coastal processes). By undertaking this future work, the BGWM will be improved so that it will become a robust decision support tool to test different solutions in the context of a changing population and climate.

This model represents the first attempt at simulating British groundwater systems as a whole. This is a tool that will be used to address a wide range of problems related to the use and conservation of groundwater resources at the national scale.

Marco Bianchi, BGS Principal Groundwater Modeller.

This model is the culmination of dedication and hard work from many BGS colleagues over the last five years. It gives the UK groundwater community the ability to address national-scale groundwater resources questions for the first time.

Andrew Hughes, BGS: manager of the Hydro-JULES research programme.

Further reading

Funding

The development of the BGWM was supported by the Hydro-JULES research programme through NERC National Capability funding.The programme, which aims to improve the understanding and simulation of the terrestrial hydrological cycle for the British mainland and global scales, is led by:

• UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
• 51ΑΤΖζ
• National Centre for Atmospheric Science
• National Centre for Earth Observation

Loch Lomond is a freshwater lake at the heart of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in the south-west highlands of Scotland. It is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and vistas influenced by past ice ages.  

Using seismic data, marine geoscientists at BGS have discovered a new sedimentary unit buried in deposits beneath the loch, giving new insights into its past glacial history.

Scotland in the last ice age

Much of the highlands of Scotland were covered by an extensive mountain ice cap 12 900 to 11 700 years ago, during the last period of cold climate (known as the Younger Dryas or the Loch Lomond Stadial). Decades of onshore research have shown how past ice ages have shaped the landscape of Loch Lomond, including carving of the present-day loch itself and its surroundings through processes such as erosion and deposition. However, this new dataset provides an interpretation of the stratigraphy now buried beneath the loch.

Mapping the loch bed and subsurface features

51ΑΤΖζ used multibeam bathymetry surveys to gather detailed information about the features on the loch bed. The data revealed a series of flat-topped and prograding features (or the growth of a river delta further out into the sea over time) and ancient glacial geomorphological features. These features include drumlins, which are oval-shaped hills largely composed of glacial drift that form parallel to the direction of ice flow, and streamlined bedrock, created by glacial restructuring of hard beds that produces a collection of extended rock landforms, interpreted as showing the direction of the palaeo-ice advance.

It been incredibly exciting to have had the opportunity to interpret these datasets and present the loch surface and subsurface in a way we’ve never seen before. The seismic mapping and interpretation of the Inchmurrin Formation helps us understand past landscapes and geological events that are now buried under the loch bed. We are keen to undertake further research in and around the area, building on the seismostratigraphical framework that we observe in Loch Lomond.

Nicola Dakin, BGS marine geoscientist.

51ΑΤΖζ geoscientists used seismic data to map the subsurface of the loch. Seismic data uses sound waves, which travel through buried layers of sediment, forming an acoustic image based on density variations between different sediment types. We interpreted the acoustic signature, linking sedimentary processes and depositional environments to past climatic cycles. This provided a framework to create an updated chronostratigraphy within the loch.

What did the survey reveal?

• during glacier advance associated with the cold Younger Dryas climate, glacial landforms were shaped underneath the ice; these can now be identified at the base of the sedimentary succession, up to 60 m below the loch bed surface
• as the ice retreated, vast volumes of water and sediment were released into the loch, leaving a sequence of layered sediments up to 44 m thick
• immediately after deglaciation of the area, exposure of steep loch margins likely resulted in landslides into the loch, producing a unit that is shown as a transparent layer in the seismic data and can represent up to 50 per cent of the sediment fill in places β€” we have named this new unit the β€˜Inchmurrin Formation’
• as the climate transitioned from the early Holocene to the present day, a final phase of lacustrine sedimentation followed, depositing up to 127 m of the youngest, layered, grey-brown lake sediments

Global value of this work

Work is continuing to build understanding of other lochs in the area. The Loch Lomond dataset is a valuable resource that could enable BGS to offer insights into the extent and rates of landscape adjustment that accompanied the transition from glacial to non-glacial conditions. Such findings are of global importance when considering landscape stability and potential future geohazards in regions that are undergoing rapid deglaciation, such as around the European Alps, Himalayas and New Zealand Southern Alps.

About the author

A new urban interactive models tool, providing free user access to geological models for selected UK cities, has been added to BGS’s service.

51ΑΤΖζ GeoIndex already provides access to a range of 2D information and data resources through an interactive map viewer, enabling users to navigate to their area of interest, view and query datasets, download reports and clip data, and make enquiries.

The new tool allows users to capture synthetic boreholes, geological cross-sections and slices through 3D models developed by BGS for London, Glasgow and Cardiff, the largest cities in England, Scotland and Wales.

A range of technical, professional and academic users, in particular consultancy for the geotechnical, construction and groundwater sectors, will benefit from the tool, which makes key urban models freely accessible for the first time.

The models provide regional geological understanding (50 m resolution) designed to help users develop conceptual ground models and plan ground investigations.

Users can query the geological model to obtain a range of visualisations of geological conditions beneath each of the cities. The views can also be downloaded as a standard format PDF.

Each of the geological models was constructed through the analysis of thousands of borehole records and integration with geological map data, informed by extensive literature review. In addition to the virtual borehole and section functions, a new slice function is being trialled for displaying geological units at specified depths.

Katie Whitbread, who leads the national geological modelling programme at the BGS, said the tool helps inform the development of conceptual ground models for construction and groundwater management, as well as supporting early-stage planning.

Urban geological models encapsulate a huge amount of geological data and knowledge to provide comprehensive 3D information on the variability of the rocks and sediments underlying our cities. Understanding this variability is critical for de-risking decision making and investment in a range of applications from construction to the management of surface and groundwater.

Conceptual ground models are a key component of early planning and desktop studies, helping to identify potential risks, develop hypotheses around ground conditions, optimise the design of targeted investigations and allow communication of the geological conditions to different stakeholders.

The urban interactive model tool adds value to the initial stages of this development process, providing accessible regional geological understanding for key UK cities, derived directly from three-dimensional geological characterisation of the upper few 100 m of the ground.

Katie Whitbread, project manager, 51ΑΤΖζ National Geological Model.

Through the tool, users can link to other BGS resources including the lexicon, model metadata reports and relevant research reports for the selected cities, and access wider 2D and 3D data services.

The underlying model data, along with a range of other BGS LithoFrame models, can be licensed through BGS Data Services, who can also arrange academic licences. BGS also provides bespoke modelling services and commissioned research for users requiring access to more detailed information.  Users are encouraged to provide feedback by email to 51ΑΤΖζ Enquiries and are invited to get in touch if they are interested in being part of a user forum to help inform the design and development of new features and functions.

Whilst the tool is not intended to provide a substitute for detailed site investigations and we recognise these evaluations require additional information, the geological model provides a baseline dataset and regional context that, crucially, can inform early decision making, particularly at the desk study stage.

We are committed to working closely with potential users and stakeholders to develop the model and explore how BGS can advance its 3D geology services to help support planning and resource assessments.

Working with our stakeholders, we would like to explore future development of the tool such as increasing the coverage of UK urban areas, adding geotechnical and hydrogeological information and providing additional digital output formats so that GeoIndex continues to provide subsurface knowledge where it is needed most.

Katie Whitbread,project manager, 51ΑΤΖζ National Geological Model.

The new tool can be accessed by opening the onshore and navigating to the new β€˜3D models’ layer, under the data list.

With an increasing awareness of the issues around climate change and changes in pattern and severity of hazards such as flooding, coastal erosion and subsidence, it is more important than ever that we continue to update data products with the latest research and data analyses. BGS makes information available for users to help model, plan, mitigate for and adapt to geohazards across Great Britain, being prepared both for today and for the future.

The UK government recently released its 10 point plan for a green industrial revolution to tackle the climate emergency, but more needs to be done to ensure geohazards are included, especially within planning and development.

In November 2021, the UK hosts the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). This is an important opportunity to engage and encourage governments around the world to collaborate in tackling the major challenges in the climate crisis. BGS will be sharing updates throughout the year about how our research is supporting the major themes of COP26, helping achieve net zero emissions by 2030 and mitigating other challenges presented by climate change.

In this blog, we’re introducing you to our product development team for 51ΑΤΖζ Hazard and Resilience Modelling. We’ll share a little about their individual roles and experience and what drives them to create and continue to improve BGS data products.

If you would like to find out more about our latest data product release GeoClimate UKCP18, be sure to sign up to our launch webinar on May 20.

So, grab a cuppa and meet …

Clive Cartwright | Rowan Vernon | Emma Bee | Anna Harrison | Chris Williams | Severine Cornillion | Katy Lee | Jenny Richardson

Clive Cartwright

A GIS expert, data innovator, python scripter, leader of LandFIT and frustrated archaeologist, Clive has a background in cartography and works alongside scientists to create and deliver innovative products. Clive finds inspiration from all sorts of sources and often when he least expecting it. Clive could be listening to BBC Radio 4 or perhaps Gardeners’ Question Time and the discussions and topics raised often flag up ideas of where geology could be applied.

Natural flood management is a good example that he heard during a recent farming debate. ‘Creating surface ponding or diverting water could be strongly influenced by the type of underlying geology; unstable ground could be made worse, and sinkholes could develop.’ This fed into Clive work, and led to developing a prototype dataset.

The variety and scope of tasks Clive works on can vary hugely from IT work, scripting computer processes in a software called Python, to being out in the field, examining river processes in the Lake District National Park. Clive recalls the last as one of his favourite projects; learning through fieldwork and gaining a greater understanding of physical process is invaluable and led to the creation of a data product GeoScour and GeoScour Open, all about identifying key areas at risk of river erosion during storm floods.

‘My background in archaeology means that I have a key perspective of how the two subjects interrelate and my job allows me to indulge in my interests both at work and in leisure time; I can often be found looking out for or , much to the boredom of my kids!’

Clive Cartwright, BGS Geospatial Data Analyst.

Clive cartographic background also plays a role in his work. He explains that creating the BGS GeoSure hex grids as national coverage open datasets used both skillsets: scripting the technical data analysis and processing needs in Python as well as using cartographic skills to ensure the outputs were suitable visualisations for a range of uses.

As a GIS analyst and data innovator, Clive next tasks will be looking into natural capital and incorporating a better understanding of how the huge importance of geology can be communicated and valued on a national scale.

To find out more about Clive data and outputs, please visit:

• product Development webpages
• sustainable drainage systems
• mining hazard hex grid data
• superficial thickness hex grid
• suitability and viability of green infrastructure data prototype

Rowan Vernon

A geologist with a background in geological mapping, 3D structural modelling and coastal processes, Rowan leads the development of coastal domains as part of GeoCoast.  Rowan is a keen climber, campervan renovator and DIY enthusiast.

Geology became a fascination for Rowan from an early age, particularly mountains, having regularly visited the Scottish Highlands on childhood holidays. This was further strengthened when her aunt and uncle embarked on a trekking trip in the Himalayas and Rowan finally got to realise her dream when, as part of her PhD research, she worked on the Tibetan Plateau, studying mountain uplift and tectonic evolution.

Since joining BGS, she has continued her work in structural geology, frequently applying it to a UK setting such as the GeoCoast project. Rowan explains that understanding coastal processes, particularly the structure of rocks, is important to understand how the coast will behave and how the rocks will affect that. Climate change processes are important too; through these, we can expect changes in the way the coast erodes and how different hazards occur.

‘My work on developing coastal domains has been bringing together multiple different datasets to identify areas of similar characteristics. The UK has an incredibly varied coastline, one of the most varied in the world based on its size. Being able to understand how the coastline behaves and the impacts of changes such as sea-level rise will be critical for ensuing our coastal communities and infrastructure are resilient and adaptive for the future.’

Rowan Vernon, BGS Geologist.

Being a geologist definitely helps you understand the natural environment and landscape, and Rowan has enjoyed many projects that help to make that knowledge and data relevant to society. She has also learnt a lot from working collaboratively and applying that geological knowledge to different areas and topics. Recent work with the Environment Agency and water companies is helping improve water management and contamination issues.

Rowan’s longer-term ambition is to bring together all of BGS multiple datasets on structure into one easy-to-access database. This will allow easier analysis of coastal zone erosion, understanding groundwater flow and siting of key infrastructure.

To find out more about Rowan data and projects, you can visit: GeoCoast project.

Emma Bee

A geospatial analyst with a background in GIS development and social media analyses, Emma enjoys collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Emma is a chartered geographer and very much enjoys the β€˜people’ and β€˜place’ elements of her job. She utilises her geography skills on a daily basis to ensure that both the human and physical aspects are considered in her work, which primarily focuses on geohazards. ‘I love networking and listening to different people perspectives to help solve multidisciplinary problems,’ says Emma, who uses her skills to analyse spatial data to answer real world problems. One aspect of Emma work is analysing landslide data, both in the UK and overseas.

Being a geospatial analyst means bringing together multiple types of data with a spatial dimension to help understand or solve a societal problem, so analysing data relating to a specific location can offer valuable insights. One such project she is working on is all about developing an early warning system (EWS) for rainfall-induced landslides in India. Key to its success are both the data about the locality and the social, political and cultural dimensions to developing a system and ensuring forecast information is appropriately communicated and interpreted. Emma explains that social media data can also provide valuable information for scientists.

‘Social media can provide useful information about what the situation on the ground is like directly following a hazard event and can help scientists become aware of events, sooner than they might otherwise have done. It is a useful tool to understand.’

Emma Bee, BGS Senior Geospatial Analyst.

Emma love of networking and bringing people together was highlighted in her secondment with the Met Office. This opportunity was invaluable to understand how other organisations operate and how they conduct their data analytics and operations. This time allowed strong relationships with colleagues to form and has since resulted in multiple collaborations, new projects and research bringing together weather, climate and geohazard data. 

In her downtime, Emma loves nothing more than a walk in the hills; one of her favourite places is Ingleborough in Yorkshire. Over the last year, during lockdown, she has enjoyed discovering many local footpaths too.

To find out more about Emma work, you can visit:

• 51ΑΤΖζ GeoSure Debris Flow data
• 51ΑΤΖζ GeoSocial
• landslides and rainfall data analysis

Anna Harrison

An applied Quaternary scientist and lead of the climate CHANGE project, Anna is involved in analysing climate change data at BGS and enjoys developing science information for stakeholder needs. She has run a number of focus groups and enjoys collaborating with colleagues both across BGS and externally. Anna main role in product development is managing the GeoClimate team, which typically includes planning work tasks, keeping in touch with stakeholders, and ensuring everyone is abreast of the latest research and government agendas around climate change related to geohazards.

Anna always finds inspiration working with her BGS colleagues and knows that collaboration is key to success. While that collaboration has had to be via Zoom during lockdown, she likes the fact that Zoom allows everyone an equal platform.  Anna explains that, although we have a diverse stakeholder community, it is important to ensure our outputs are tailored towards their needs.

‘I really enjoy the diversity of my role I can be carrying out science research one week and attending a stakeholder meeting or conference the next. Our stakeholders are from a large range of sectors from critical infrastructure providers to home buyers. We have made data freely available for public use as GeoClimate Open, so that people can gain knowledge and understanding of how subsidence hazards might impact in the future.’

Anna Harrison, BGS Applied Quaternary Scientist.

Climate change is an ever-increasing challenge and, as awareness grows, so does the need for research and data interpretation. Anna describes a recent project she has led interpreting data for part of the to assess climate risk and financial stability. ‘These sorts of analyses are key for moving forward and ensuring that geohazards, particularly shrink–swell subsidence, are properly considered and mitigated for,’ she says.

Her next tasks are to contribute to , the major climate change conference in Glasgow this year, and to bring together research in groundwater flooding with climate data. In between balancing all these activities, Anna loves to spend time with her young family and walking the family cockapoo, Coco. 

To find out more about Anna data and projects, you can visit GeoClimate: UKCP09 & UKCP18.

Chris Williams

A geospatial analyst with a background in geomorphology and terrain analysis, Chris role at BGS is to lead the development of data analytics for assessing geohazards. Working with both data analysts and geologists, Chris looks to combine a complex range of data and interpretations with knowledge of natural processes. One example is developing data tailored for the emergency services. Most recently, climate change and temporal data are a focus, looking to inform and support adaptation and resilience for the future.  As a keen surfer, Chris has an interest in all things coastal and is also a keen climber and budding grow-your-own enthusiast.

Chris is passionate about using different data types, such as temperature, terrain and hazards, to innovate and find new solutions to β€˜real-life’ issues. One such example of this is his work with the emergency services, where geodata is inherently important but geology detail is not needed. Chris explains ‘What is crucial is the interpretation and ability of users to understand consequences of, for example, a landslide. An emergency response team is not interested in the type of geology but does need to know how different areas and situations react and what the consequences could be. Another aspect of my work is the innovation of technical know-how. This ranges from ensuring that we are up to date with current geo-environmental academic research as well as using that we are using the most effective and suitable technologies to create our products and carry out our analyses.’

‘A geospatial analyst is someone who interrogates and manipulates any type of spatial data. The role can be incredibly diverse but essentially it all about gaining insights into data and finding opportunities to interpret and use it.’

Chris Williams, BGS Geospatial Analysis Lead.

Chris recent work is using climate change data. The key factor here is where environmental processes become important and the impacts that then occur. Annual, or even seasonal, changes can have a detrimental impact on geohazards, which then impact on the way we live, the way we build and how we can manage and adapt to coastal erosion, groundwater flooding, or subsidence. Chris says ‘The aims of the research and analytics are to provide information to help people to be prepared and able to deal with different or changing issues in the future. ‘

Chris finds much of his inspiration and motivation from being outdoors in the natural environment. It is intrinsically linked to his job but experiencing it for real not only helps his understanding, it also puts things into context. Especially, Chris says, a few days spent surfing at the coast are not only a great escape but also motivate him to continue to find sustainable solutions to geoenvironmental issues.

To find out more about Chris data and projects, you can visit:

• GeoCoast
• emergency services

SΓ©verine Cornillon

With a background in geology, SΓ©verine works alongside a range of scientists to evaluate and analyse a broad range of geoscientific issues, from brownfield cost calculators to historic river networks and their present-day influence on geohazards. SΓ©verine has a keen interest in natural hazards, urban water management and delivering data solutions to stakeholders.

SΓ©verine loves problem solving: piecing together different information to understand the bigger picture. This is why she first got involved in geospatial analysis and, having a background in geology, she is able to understand the environmental processes and 3D conceptualisation needed in her job. ‘Having both geology and geospatial skills allows me to identify the technical workflows necessary as well as to collaborate effectively with other geologists and data experts,’ she explains.

A recent project that she is involved in, Camellia, is about bringing together stakeholders from multiple organisations from commercial to academic, water companies and local authorities. The aim is to provide a platform for data as well as communication for understanding urban water management. ‘I really enjoy this aspect of my work where I can see that what I do makes a difference!’ says SΓ©verine.

Another project she has contributed to is the Brownfield Ground Risk Calculator, a tool for local authorities to assess potential risks and costs of redeveloping brownfield sites.  Most recently, SΓ©verine is leading the development of the GeoScour data product, which identifies stretches of rivers susceptible to erosion during storm events.

  

‘The climate is changing and flooding is an increasing issue, already costing the economy millions of pounds through winter storm damage. It is important that we input our knowledge and provide data that will help catchment managers, infrastructure managers and provide the best scientific understanding and data possible to enable better decision making.’

SΓ©verine Cornillon, BGS Geospatial Data Analyst.

SΓ©verine is inspired by enabling others to learn and accomplish goals. ‘I love supporting colleagues in technical methods and engaging with external stakeholders to tailor solutions for their needs. As a student, I travelled to Burkina Faso and Senegal in west Africa and was able to use my GIS skills in a number of international humanitarian projects.’

In her spare time, SΓ©verine is a keen tennis player, a sport she has enjoyed since her teens and recently took up again a few years ago. Once lockdown has been lifted and life is returning to normal, she looks forward to once again picking up her racquet and winning a few games!

To find out more about SΓ©verine data and projects, you can visit:

• GeoScour Premium data product
• GeoScour Open
• Camellia
• Brownfield Ground Risk Calculator

Katy Lee

A geologist with a background in geological mapping and engineering geology, Katy is the team leader of BGS Hazard and Resilience Modelling. She has an interest in the historic environment and how hazards are mitigated, utilising data to help protect and adapt to climate changes. She recently completed a placement with Historic England, appreciates good project management and enjoys getting out and about with her dog.

‘I find inspiration from all sort of places,’ says Katy, ‘but probably mostly from the natural environment and the processes happening within it, such as the shifting shores of coastal areas, the changing seasons and the ever-changing flow of rivers and streams.’

‘I can be analysing digital data in a GIS, or compiling a GeoReport for a customer in the morning, then meeting with stakeholders to discuss data needs and climate change issues in the afternoon. The part I think I enjoy most about my job is making data useful for everyone and interpreting science in a way that allows an understanding of hazards and how they might impact you, your home, your way of life is incredibly important, and it’s essential to ensure that people understand how they can be resilient to natural processes.’

Katy Lee, BGS Team Leader of Hazard and Resilience Modelling.

Katy joined BGS over 20 years ago as a mapping geologist.  A key motivator for her is being outdoors, being able to observe and interpret the 3D landscape beneath your feet and to understand how the rock originated because understanding past environments is the key to understanding the future. After many years of creating geological maps with new, detailed understanding and data, including borehole logging and 3D modelling, Katy decided to move into product development. ‘It was a natural step,” she says. ‘I enjoyed providing solutions and data that others could use, so by making products I’ve found a really positive way to make a difference.’

Although we don’t have volcanoes or big earthquakes in the UK, it important to recognise other hazards that can cause significant problems if not properly assessed and engineered for. For example, the team looks at subsidence, mining hazards, solution hollows and much more. Recently, Katy has led developments on river erosion and coastal change. ‘We are led by our stakeholders and their needs, whether engineering, insurance, climate change, planning, etc. and provide impartial data and advice. Our next steps are to look at providing more temporal environmental data and incorporating other hazards into our climate change assessments.’

In her spare time, Katy enjoys getting out into the countryside, especially when walking with her energetic Labrador! Being outside, witnessing change in the natural world is the best tonic that one can find.  

To find out more about Katy data and projects, you can visit hazard and resilience modelling.

Jenny Richardson

An expert GIS programmer and analyst, Jenny has worked on a range of geohazard projects and is a key process scripter within the team, using technologies including Python and Java. She has recently been working with daily data streams of weather data from the Met Office and developing detailed models to ingest and analyse landslide potential across Great Britain. Jenny enjoys crafting and is a keen baker and DIYer.

Jenny first became interested in earth sciences through her love of skiing in the mountains. ‘Being on alpine slopes, surrounded by mountains, glaciers and contorted rock formations, is both awe inspiring and humbling,’ she says. This love of the natural environment led her to study physical geography as a degree and this in turn led her to investigate methods of visualising spatial data in GIS. Originally self-taught in ARC GIS, she completed a GIS MSc before joining BGS, where she continued to develop her skills as a software developer and now regularly uses Python in her work. As one of the team’s key developers, Jenny spends blocks of time focusing on individual projects; some weeks she can be working on coastal data analyses, identifying the amount of coastline that is susceptible to erosion, whilst another week she could be analysing data for commercial research for clients such as Network Rail.

Jenny explains that she loves the problem-solving aspect of her job where she can take a series of analytics, break down into steps, script, test and tweak until an accurate solution is created. ‘Scripting is all about being able to automate a workflow,’ explains Jenny, ‘and make tasks reproducible.’ This is of enormous benefit in BGS product development as it streamlines and creates accessible pipelines (a set of automated processes) for often complex geospatial analytical processes.

A role she has recently enjoyed was the challenge of picking up legacy codebase and deciphering and updating it to create suitable outputs that will feed into a client asset-management programme.  Jenny has also worked on the GeoCoast project and has developed a series of data stats for local authorities and shoreline management plan areas. ‘These are critical in visualising and communicating potential threats around the coastline of Great Britain,’ says Jenny.

Jenny is passionate about her work, emphasising that geology underpins everything from housing development, through industry and resource to leisure. It really important to understand the potential impacts we are already beginning to see related to climate change and Jenny is already involved in a project that is all about assessing resilience to climate change and ensuring that planning for the future is sustainable.

As well as having a successful career, she is a proud mum of two and baking, especially triple chocolate cookies or brownies, is a favourite. She is also a dab hand at carpet fitting, having renovated much of their family house over the last few years!

Find out more about projects that Jenny is involved in:

• GeoCoast
• GeoSure
• GeoSure Insurance Product
• GeoClimate
• NHP daily hazard forecast

Please get in touch if you’d like more information or have suggestions about future blogs and let us know what you would like to see or hear about. Do you have a story about how climate change is affecting you? Let us know

If you would like to find out more about our latest data product release GeoClimate UKCP18 then be sure to sign up to our launch webinar on May 20.

Natural water in the ground below us could be used as a low-carbon heat source in many UK towns and cities, new research from BGS says. The public research body is now calling for more research to understand how geothermal technologies could be scaled up across the UK.

The Earth provides the natural resources that make life in the modern world possible: rocks are used to create buildings, bridges and cars as well as silicon chips, smartphones and jewellery. The underground also stores our waste, supports our infrastructure and absorbs drainage. We rely on it, but it can be hard to imagine what the world below ground actually looks like. The role of the BGS is to β€˜shine a light’ into the underground and reveal what lies beneath our feet.

51ΑΤΖζ is launching 14 geological visualisation models to provide a unique, 3D view of the structures and geological units that make up the upper 1.5 km of the UK crust. Delivered in a pdf format and available to download from the 51ΑΤΖζ website, the β€˜GV models’ bring to life the 3D nature of our Earth by providing an interactive format to enhance conceptual understanding of the UK geology.

The GV models allow the user to explore the world below ground in a number of ways β€” zooming in and out, rotating the view, highlighting different geological sections and querying key information. A detailed legend provides information on each geological unit in the model, such as the age and type of rock, revealing the hidden structure of the underground.

Constructed from the 1:625 000-scale bedrock geology map and the UK3D national fence diagram of cross-sections, the GV models cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland (with models for Scotland planned). They represent a step change in open-access 3D geoscience resources for the UK and complement other regional information resources the BGS delivers, such as the British Regional Geology (Regional Guides) series and the Regional Summaries.

Three-dimensional geology opens up the complex world beneath our feet in a way that can be easily understood. The 3D models may help professionals working in industry and environmental regulation, as well as providing tools for public engagement and teaching. But these open-access tools are there for everyone to explore and discover, whatever your interest in the subsurface.

Dr Katie Whitbread, BGS National Geological Model project manager.

The 3D models have been developed under the BGS National Geological Model project, with financial support from Radioactive Waste Management (RWM), and form part of a wider BGS national programme, funded by a range of stakeholders, to make our science publicly available and accessible to all.

To help us enhance the user experience and improve the future development and design of 3D resources, feedback is encouraged and can be submitted through the BGS enquiries service.

• Step-by-step video guide on