Press releases

Press releases and announcements are compiled and issued by the BGS Press Office.

BGS maps help understand relationship between groundwater and fracking.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) in partnership with The Environment Agency (EA) have today, for the first time, published a series of maps which show the depth to each shale gas and oil source rock below principal groundwater aquifers in England and Wales. Understanding the distance between the two is important when assessing the environmental risks of shale gas and oil exploitation.

3 July 2014

The Carboniferous shales of the Midland Valley of Scotland: geology and resource estimation

Phase transition © iStockphoto.com/Grasko

The British Geological Survey (BGS) in association with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has completed an estimate for the amount of shale gas and oil in the Midland Valley of Scotland.

30 June 2014

Jurassic Shale of the Weald Basin: resource estimation

The British Geological Survey (BGS) in association with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has completed an estimate for the amount of shale oil and shale gas in the Weald Basin in south-east England.

The estimate is in the form of a range to reflect geological uncertainty. The range of shale oil in place is estimated to be between 2.20 and 8.57 billion barrels (bbl) or 293 and 1143 million tonnes, but the central estimate for the resource is 4.4 billion bbl or 591 million tonnes.

No significant gas resource is recognised using the current geological model.

23 May 2014

TELLUS launches its data

The Tellus South West survey project proudly launches its new maps and data on the 20th May at the Holiday Inn, Plymouth. The project has mapped the soils, rocks, landscape and ecology of Devon and Cornwall to unprecedented depth and detail. The maps and data can be freely downloaded online, and provide the counties with world-leading information on their natural resources, landscape and environment that will be used by businesses, government and scientists for many years to come.

19 May 2014

From WWI to the Web: 100 years of World mineral information at BGS

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is celebrating 100 years of producing its World mineral production data from 1913 to the present.

This annual publication is the longest continuous publicly available record of global mineral production by country and commodity and charts rising demand due to global population growth, changing national boundaries and technological developments.

This unique record underpins the UK efforts to ensure long-term availability of secure, adequate and sustainable mineral supplies which are essential to continued economic development and growth.

30 April 2014

myVolcano erupts into app stores TODAY!

myVolcano is a crowd-sourcing app that will enable you to keep an eye on the active volcanoes of the world and help volcano research. Take this app with you on your travels to learn about volcanoes and volcanic eruptions from the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution. With your help, scientists will learn more about the distribution of volcanic ash and gases produced during future volcanic eruptions that impact the UK ultimately helping to inform government, business and airlines on the characteristics of the next eruption.
Read more about myVolcano

7 April 2014

New Director for the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Marie Cowan as the new Director for the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI). Dr Cowan has worked at GSNI for 10 years, with a proven track record in project management of the Tellus Border project. Dr Cowan succeeds Mr Mike Young who retires from the post on the 1st June 2014.

6 March 2014

The Ancient Britons: Shrimp-like animals have survived millions of years in groundwater

Niphargus glenniei, credit Chris Proctor

Ancient shrimp-like animals have been living in underground waters in Britain and Ireland for at least 20 million years, a recent genetic study has shown.

28 February 2014

Storms, sinkholes and landslides

The exceptional winter storms encountered in the UK this year have contributed to an increase in the incidence of sinkholes and landslides, the British Geological Survey (BGS) report today. The Met Office has confirmed that this winter has been one of, if not the most, exceptional periods of winter rainfall in at least 248 years.

27 February 2014

Cementing a partnership between Nottingham and the British Geological Survey

The University of Nottingham and the British Geological Society (BGS) have joined forces to develop a new Centre for Environmental Geochemistry (CEG).

More information is available from Charlotte Anscombe, in the Communications Office at The University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 7484 417 or Sarah Nice, in the Press Office at The British Geological Survey, on +44 (0) 115 936 3605

13 February 2014

News and Events