The sea area around the United Kingdom is used for a wide range of human activities, all of which have a significant impact on the marine environment. The naturally-occurring concentrations of chemical elements in sea bed sediments may be enhanced by contaminants introduced by input from rivers and the atmosphere and by more localised sources arising from shipping operations, exploitation of oil and gas, and by direct discharges from drainage systems, sewage outfalls, effluents from industry and waste disposal at sea. It is therefore important to identify the 'background' components of sea-floor sediments, that are inherited from the rocks or older sediments from which they are derived, and those that have been introduced into the environment.

BGS offshore geochemical data, consisting of a set of 38 elements, are available from sea bed samples collected from a variety of sediment types occurring in a wide range of environments. Samples have been collected offshore off the eastern shores of the UK, where heavily populated and industrialised catchment areas are drained by major rivers such as the Thames, Humber and Tyne, flowing into the North Sea. In contrast, samples are also available from the continental shelf west of Scotland, where man's activities have had considerably less impact. The data provide a baseline for chemical element concentrations in sea bed sediments, against which samples collected in the future may be assessed. It should therefore be of significance to a diverse range of interests including pollution control, fishing, natural resources, nature conservation, shipping, tourism, recreation, and waste disposal management. In addition, the information derived from the data will be of use to geologists in identifying the source of sea bed sediments and any underlying deposits.

See also

BGS data resellers

Data for Universities