BGS publication viewer — publications from 1835 to present
This resource provides access to a range of free to view publications produced by the survey, and by other bodies whose responsibility was later taken over by the survey (for example the Imperial Institute/Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau).
Access is provided to formal BGS print publications and to the recent research reports/open reports series, and are arranged into the traditional categories shown below. A notable addition is Earthwise, the digital publication channel.
Links are provided to the BGS Online Shop for purchase of print versions. Out of print works can also be purchased in searchable PDF format.
Scanning of publications is a work in progress, and publications such as BGS technical reports will be added at a later stage. Please contact us if you require a publication which is not yet available.
Browse our publications
Regional UK and Ireland
Regional guides
- British Regional Geology (Regional Guides)
- United Kingdom Offshore Regional Report
- Subsurface geology memoirs
- Non-series publications dealing with the regional geology of Great Britain
Early Survey memoirs
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and of the Museum of Practical Geology
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey (Stratigraphical monographs)
England
District:
Sheet memoirs - Old Series:
Horizontal-vertical sections:
Sheet memoirs New Series:
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, England and Wales (Sheet - New Series)
- Sheet descriptions England and Wales (1:50,000 maps)
- Sheet explanations England and Wales (1:50,000 maps)
Scotland
District:
Sheet memoirs:
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain (Scotland) (Sheet)
- Sheet descriptions Scotland (1:50,000 maps)
- Explanations for 1 50,000 Geological Sheet Scotland
- Sheet explanations Scotland (1:50,000 maps)
Ireland (as part of former Geological Survey of UK)
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Ireland (District)
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Ireland (Sheet)
Northern Ireland
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (Sheet)
- Non-series publications dealing with the regional geology of Ireland
Classical areas
General memoirs
Annual reports
- Annual Report of the Geological Survey and Museum
- Report of the Geological Survey Board
- Annual Report Institute of Geological Sciences
- Annual Report British Geological Survey
Accounts of work undertaken by the Survey
- Summary of Progress of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom
- Summary of Progress of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom and Museum of Practical Geology
- Summary of Progress of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and the Museum of Practical Geology
- Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Great Britain
- Report Institute of Geological Sciences
- BGS Reports
Palaeontology memoirs
- Figures and Descriptions of British Organic Remains Decades, Memoirs (Palaeontology) of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey (Palaeontology Monographs)
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey: Palaeontology Monographs
- Non-series Palaeontological publications
Catalogues of publications, photographs and the Library
- Catalogues of publications of the Geological Survey
- Catalogues of publications of the Geological Survey (Scotland)
- Catalogues of publications and collections of the Geological Survey in Scotland
- Catalogues of publications and collections of the Geological Survey in Ireland
- Catalogues of geological photographs prepared by the Geological Survey and Museum
- Catalogues of the Library of the Mining Record Office, Museum of Practical Geology and Geological Survey
- Sectional list No. 45. Geological Survey and Museum
Publications relating to the Museum or the Survey
Museum:
- General guides to the Museum of Practical Geology/Geological Museum
- Guides to specific exhibits in the Museum of Practical Geology/Geological Museum
- Guides to geological models in the Museum of Practical Geology/Geological Museum
- Non-series publications of the Geological Museum
- Non-series guides to geological walks organised by the Geological Museum
- Report of the Departmental Committee on the Science Museum and the Geological Museum
- Guides to the collections of Geological Survey material in the Royal Scottish Museum
GSGB/IGS/BGS:
- Non-series publications concerning the Geological Survey/Institute of Geological Sciences
- Regulations. Geological Survey
- Miscellaneous publications of the Geological Survey of Great Britain.
- Miscellaneous publications of the Geological Survey/Institute of Geological Sciences
- Miscellaneous publications, BGS - strategy documents
- Ignis fatuus
IGS (Scotland):
BGS occasional publications
UKOOA and related volumes
ENDS Report
Publications on computing
Popular publications
Great Britain:
- Local Geology Guides
- Earthwise Books
- Earthwise Discovering Geology Guidecards
- Discovering Geology Fossil Focus Guidecards
- Earthwise Holiday Geology Guides and Maps
- Earthwise, Magazine of the British Geological Survey
Northern Ireland:
Economic memoirs
National
MAR sand and gravel reports:
- Assessment of British Sand and Gravel Resources
- Mineral Assessment Report Institute of Geological Sciences
Miscellaneous:
- Special Reports on the Mineral Resources of Great Britain
- Wartime Pamphlet Geological Survey of Great Britain
- Mineral Dossier Mineral Resources Consultative Committee
- Mineral Reconnaissance Programme Report
- Sources of road aggregate in Great Britain
- Mineral profiles
- UK mineral resources (non-series publications)
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey (Economic)
Coal
Memoirs:
Supplementary to memoirs:
Water
County memoirs:
Sheet reports:
- Well Catalogue Series Water Supply Papers of the Geological Survey of Great Britain (England and Wales)
- Well Inventory Series (Metric Units) Institute of Geological Sciences
- Well Catalogue Series Water Supply Papers of the Geological Survey of Great Britain (Scotland)
Miscellaneous series:
- Hydrogeological Report of the Geological Survey of Great Britain
- Hydrogeological Report of the Institute of Geological Sciences
- Research Report, Water Supply Papers of the Geological Survey of Great Britain
- Research Report Water Supply Papers of the Institute of Geological Sciences
- Technical Communication Water Supply Papers of the Institute of Geological Sciences
- Non-series publications on hydrology and hydrogeology
UK mineral statistics, mines and quarries
- Records of the School of Mines and of Science Applied to the Arts
- Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain (Mining Records)
- Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. [Home Office, Inspector of Mines]
- Summaries of the Reports of the Inspectors of Mines to Her Majesty's Secretary of State, and the Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, including Lists of Mines and Mineral Works
- Mines and Minerals. Mining and mineral statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, including lists of mines and mineral works. (Prepared by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, Home Office)
- Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with the Isle of Man. [Prepared by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, Home Office]
- Mines and quarries: General report and statistics. Part I: District statistics; Part II: Labour; Part III: Output; Part IV: Colonial and foreign statistics. [Prepared by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, Home Office]
- Annual report of the Secretary for Mines for the year ending .... and the Annual report of H.M. Chief Inspector of Mines for the same period with a statistical appendix to both reports. [Prepared by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, Home Office]
- List of Mines in Great Britain and Ireland and the Isle of Man. [Prepared by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, Home Office]
- List of Mines in Great Britain and the Isle of Man. [Prepared by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines, Home Office]
- List of miscellaneous mines in Great Britain. [Mines Inspectorate]
- List of miscellaneous mines in Great Britain [H&SE)
- List of quarries. [Mines Inspectorate]
- List of quarries. [Divisional lists]. [Mines Inspectorate]
- HSE List of quarries. Scottish District. [Health and Safety Excecutive]
- Directory of mines and quarries [British Geological Survey]
- United Kingdom Mineral Statistics
- United Kingdom Minerals Yearbook
Ireland
Overseas
Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, district memoirs
Imperial Institute to Overseas Geological Survey
Annual reports:
- Annual Report Imperial Institute
- Progress Report of the Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau
- Annual Report of the Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau
- Annual Report of Overseas Geological Surveys
Miscellaneous:
- Non-series publications dealing with a unified method of recording mining and metallurgical statistics
- Non-series publications on the work of the Imperial Institute and Overseas Division Institute of Geological Sciences
Imperial Institute/Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau
Statistical summary:
- Mineral Industry of the British Empire and foreign countries - Statistical Summary
- Statistical summary of the mineral industry: world production, imports and exports
Mineral industry of the British Empire 1913-1944:
- The mineral industry of the British Empire and foreign countries, war period (1913-1919)
- The mineral industry of the British Empire and foreign countries, statistics, 1919-1922
- The mineral industry of the British Empire and foreign countries
- The mineral industry of the British Empire and foreign countries. Iron ore (summary of information as to the present and prospective iron-ore supplies)
- Reports on the mineral industry of the British Empire and foreign countries
Mineral Monographs:
- Monographs on minerals resources with special reference to the British Empire
- Mineral monographs [Mineral Resources Division, Imperial Institute]
Mining Laws:
World Mineral Resources:
Results of research:
Colonial Geological Survey
Results of research:
- Colonial Geology and Mineral Resources: the quarterly bulletin of the Colonial Geological Surveys
- Colonial Geology and Mineral Resources Supplement Series
- Colonial Reports - Miscellaneous
Overseas Geological Survey
Results of research:
- Overseas Geology and Mineral Resources
- Overseas Geology and Mineral Resources Supplement Series
- Overseas Memoir Institute of Geological Sciences
Results of research (Geophysical):
Modern mineral statistics
World:
Europe:
Afric/Asia/South America:
- World Mineral Statistics - African mineral production
- World Mineral Statistics - China and South East Asia Mineral Production
- World Mineral Statistics - South American Mineral Production
Specific countries
United Arab Emirates:
Geophysics and geochemistry
- Regional Geochemical Atlas Institute of Geological Sciences
- Non-series publications on geochemistry
- Geophysical Paper Institute of Geological Sciences
- United Kingdom Gravity Measurements
- Geothermal energy in the United Kingdom: review of the British Geological Survey's Programme 1984-1987
- Geomagnetic Bulletin Institute of Geological Sciences
- Seismological Bulletin Institute of Geological Sciences
Reports (RR, OR)
Research reports
- Research Report Onshore Geology Series
- Research Report Offshore Geology Series
- Research Report Overseas Geology Series
- Research Report Hydrogeology Series
- Research Report Minerals Series
- Research Report Mineralogy and Petrology Series
- Research Report Stratigraphy Series
- Research Report Geochemistry Series
- Research Report Applied Geochemistry Series
Research reports (current series)
Open reports
NORA
- BGS research published externally in the NERC Open Research Archive (NORA)
Terms of use publications portal
To meet with BGS's commitment to the openness of its data, the materials available through this portal are viewable under the Open Government Licence. This licence is subject to the following acknowledgement accompanying any use of the material: "British Geological Survey © NERC [year] ".
In some instances material released under this portal contains not only BGS, but identified third party data. Third party data is not covered by the OGL: if users wish to reuse any of this data, they must gain direct permission from the appropriate copyright owner to do so.
Take down policy
If you are a copyright holder and are concerned that you have found material on the portal belonging to you, and have not granted permission for this use, please contact the BGS IPR team. Please ensure you include the below information in any communication:
- Your contact details.
- The full bibliographic details of the material.
- The exact and full URL where you found the material.
- Proof that you are the rights holder and a statement confirming that you are the rights holder or are an authorised representative.
Given proof of valid objection, BGS will take down the relevant material from the portal.