Browsing the BGS News Archive - News Releases

The new British Geological Survey (BGS) Risk List 2012 ranks the threat to the global supply of the metals and other elements which are vital to our modern economy. The list highlights high-technology, 'critical' metals such as rare earths, tungsten and antimony where production and resources are concentrated in a few countries and so are at greater risk of supply disruption. The Risk List 2012 will help to focus future exploration activity, as well as research on greener production technologies and more cost effective recycling.

Space weather is an emerging threat to our technological way of life. With the Sun expected to reach its 11 year peak of activity in 2013, are we aware and prepared for this threat, does anyone really know what will happen? Will business continue as normal or will the lights go out?

Seen from space our Sun is a variable and dynamic star, very different from its placid day-to-day appearance from Earth. Eruptions from the surface of the Sun, known as coronal mass ejections (CME’s), can cause real problems as they collide with the geomagnetic field surrounding the Earth. CME’s result in geomagnetic storms that have the potential to disrupt ground and space technologies, such as electricity transmission, communications and satellites.

The spectacular Northern Lights (aurora borealis) are also a consequence of space weather and CMEs. The Northern Lights usually occur when energy from the solar wind accelerates electrically charged particles towards the Earth’s polar atmosphere, but CME’s boost this process. If the CME’s are strong enough and the magnetic fields they contain point in the right direction this interaction can be very strong. If this happens we have a much greater chance of seeing the aurora further south than is usual. In the past few months, with solar activity increasing the aurora have been spotted in central Scotland and as far south as Lincolnshire, England.

One of the 'missing pieces' of the world's geological map, the Russian Federation and its neighbours, is now available to view online – over 22 million square kilometres, or 15 per cent of the Earth's total land surface!

The Russian Geological Research Institute (VSEGEI) launched the map data at the 34th International Geological Congress (IGC), in Brisbane, Australia, in August 2012. This is the first digital geological map of the whole of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and neighbouring countries the maps can be viewed via OneGeology.

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European scientists are set to explain the likely impacts of CO2 storage to the public in Dublin this weekend. The public will be encouraged to question the experts directly with the aim of improving the understanding and communication of the technologies that are likely to be used.

Scientists have produced a new free map app of the soils of Great Britain. The app, mySoil, also enables the general public to upload information about the soil where they live, helping to improve our knowledge about the properties of soils and the vegetation habitats that they provide.

Using mySoil you can view a map of soil parent material - the underlying geological material - click on an area to get information about soil depth, texture, pH and organic matter content, and explore vegetation habitat data across the UK.

mySoil, produced by the NERC British Geological Survey (BGS) and the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), was launched at the Times Cheltenham Science Festival on 14 June 2012.

mySoil, for iPhones and iPads, is for anyone with an interest in the soil of Great Britain, including allotment owners, farmers and agricultural specialists, gardeners, schools and college students, environmentalists and land use planners. We encourage land users, especially in cities, to send us descriptions and pictures of their soil. The public can play a big role in contributing to soil science data, for urban areas in particular, where the data is limited.