OpenGeoscience — Free data!
What is OpenGeoscience?
A free service where you can view maps, download photographs and other information.
Use OpenGeoscience material free-of-charge for non-commercial private study, research and educational activities.
Explore the six OpenGeoscience sections: Data, Education, Maps, Pictures, Reports and Software.
Who can use OpenGeoscience?
We encourage non-commercial users to use OpenGeoscience material with their own data. Contact us if you create something new and innovative that could benefit others: usingbgsdata@bgs.ac.uk
Maps
View the geology of Great Britain from your web browser, a geobrowser (Google Earth) or GIS systems (MapInfo or ArcGIS).
Simple view
Pan and zoom to where you live, click on an area of interest and reveal the rocks beneath your feet.
Explore the Geology of Britain in your web browser
Intermediate view
View the geology layers or recent earthquakes in Google Earth or Google Maps at small scale 625k using KML.
Advanced data (625k) and view (50k)
MapInfo or ArcGIS users can download the complete small scale 625k data in in ESRI© and MapInfo© formats.
Users of these and other systems can also view medium scale 50k data using our Web Map Service (WMS).
View our mash-ups gallery to see how others use our geological map data.
UK academic users at subscribing institutions can also access DiGMapGB-50 from the EDINA Geology Digimap service which provides online mapping and data download services.
Pictures
GeoScenic
View and download images from the vast collections of geological photographs held in the National Archive of Geological Photographs.
Free download of 1000 X 1000 pixel images for non-commercial use.
Explore GeoScenic
Data
Online Data
Many of the BGS's most popular datasets are available to search and view in Online data
Including:
- GeoIndex — map-based index of the data we hold
- Lexicon of Named Rock Units — BGS definitions of terms that appear on our maps and in our publications.
- Rock Classification Scheme — system for classifying and naming geological materials
- Rock Collections — a million plus samples in mineralogy & petrology collections
Downloads
Browse for more free data in Downloads
Education
Information and resources for schools and colleges, lifelong learners or anyone with an interest in geology. Free Educational resources
Popular resources include:
GeoScholar is a set of Free geological data for UK universities and the higher education sector, to support teaching and learning within the geosciences.
Make-a-Map
Make-a-Map is an interactive geological map of the British Isles. It is intended for amateur geologists, students and teachers looking for an overview of the geology of the British Isles.
Climate through time poster
Climate through time illustrates the links between our planet's changing climate, and the different rocks which formed as environmental conditions varied through geological time.
Online maps for FE and HE
Online maps and spatial data of Great Britain for UK higher education and further education. Find out if your institution subscribes to EDINA Digimap Collections
Reports
Software
Mapping
BGS·SIGMAmobile is the BGS digital field data capture system designed to run on rugged tablet PCs with integrated GPS units. Download BGS·SIGMAmobile
Pumping tests
Programs to simulate and analyse pumping tests in large-diameter wells.
Download BGSPT — Analysis software
