Understanding our Earth
We are a world-leading independent research organisation providing objective, expert geoscientific data, information and knowledge.
Recruitment call 2023
Are you a geology graduate, postgraduate or professional looking for the next step in your career?
BGS is growing and we are currently recruiting geologists and geoscientists to support the delivery of our new strategy.
Latest news and events
BGS maps out priorities with five-year strategy
11/05/2023
BGS publishes its new strategy for 2023 to 2028, ‘Understanding our Earth’.
The Stone of Destiny
03/05/2023
The origins of the Stone of Scone: where it came from, why BGS has crumbs of it in its collections and the little-known fact that it is upside down.
Improvements to borehole delivery
25/04/2023
BGS releases improvements to its borehole layer on the GeoIndex, which makes access faster and improves quality.
Island groundwater management in the Philippines: part one — Boracay
19/04/2023
BGS’s Andy Barkwith and Andy McKenzie travelled to the Philippines to undertake collaborative research and outreach with Filipino partners for a national hydrological modelling project. In this first blog, they discuss the first week of work on small islands.
Report identifies areas of the UK prospective for critical raw materials
17/04/2023
Areas from the Highlands to south-west England have the right geology to be prospective for several critical raw materials such as lithium and graphite, according to a new report.
World Mineral Production 2017 to 2021 is now available
14/04/2023
The latest edition of World Mineral Production has been released.
How does public water use influence the amount of phosphorus in the environment?
11/04/2023
New research looks at how phosphorus accumulates in public water systems in the USA.
Six ‘eggs’-tremely tenuous links between geology and Easter
06/04/2023
Think that geology and Easter don’t have anything in common? You might be surprised, as this blog by BGS’s Kirstin Lemon highlights.
Exploring animal diets in Shakespeare’s London
31/03/2023
The ‘Box office bears’ project aims to understand more about the bears that were once a common sight in England. Prof Hannah O’Regan and Dr Lizzie Wright from the University of Nottingham explain what the project entails.
Scientists discover regions of the UK with greatest potential to use heat from deep thermal waters
30/03/2023
BGS geologists have mapped the UK’s potential to use heat from thermal groundwater deep beneath central and southern Britain.
BGS laboratories become first in UKRI to receive gold LEAF accreditation
28/03/2023
BGS achieved gold certification in the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) accreditation in March 2023.
Hemsby coastal erosion: the scale of the transformational challenge around the coastlines of England and Wales
24/03/2023
The recent closure of Hemsby beach in Norfolk provides key information on the transformational challenge of coasts around England and evidence of historical change along the coastlines of England and Wales.
Our core challenge areas
Decarbonisation and resource management
Decarbonisation of power production, heat, transport and industry is a major challenge and one that intrinsically involves geoscience.
Environmental change, adaptation and resilience
We are undertaking research aimed at reducing vulnerability, protecting resources and building resilience in response to substantial environmental changes.
Multi-hazards and resilience
We work with partners worldwide to enhance understanding of hazards, vulnerability, exposure and risk to ensure our science is useful, usable and used.
International geoscience
The BGS is active across the globe delivering institutional strengthening programmes and applied research projects across a wide variety of sectors.
National geoscience
The National Geoscience programme is a forward-looking investment in UK geology that provides relevant, coherent and enriched geoscience knowledge for our stakeholders.
Digital geoscience
The BGS is a data-rich organisation. Our data science and data infrastructure are fundamental to our future research and underpin our strategic challenges.
Map viewers
Data published through map viewers allowing you to reveal more about the ground beneath your feet.
Technologies
Applications, software and online services created by the BGS and our collaborators.
Information hub
Data collections, publications, scanned records and other data gathered by BGS and provided by external organisations.
OpenGeoscience
OpenGeoscience is a free service where you can view maps, download data, scans, photos and other information.
Digital geoscience
The BGS is a data-rich organisation. Our data science and data infrastructure are fundamental to our future research and underpin our strategic challenges.
Digital data licensing and resellers
If you are interested in an information product and the Open Government Licence is not applicable, we encourage the use and exploitation of our information products by providing a wide range of licences.
National Geoscience Data Centre
The National Geoscience Data Centre collects and preserves geoscientific data, making it available to a wide range of users and communities.
National Geological Repository
The National Geological Repository holds our collections of borehole cores, cuttings, samples, specimens, and related subsurface information from the UK landmass and continental shelf.
Discovering Geology
Discovering Geology introduces a range of geoscience topics to school-age students and learners of all ages. Explore these pages to discover the fascinating processes and properties that shape our dynamic planet.
Rocks and minerals
Find out more about the differences between rocks and minerals and how they are formed.
Discovering Geology: climate change
What is the difference between weather and climate? what causes the Earth’s climate to change and what are the impacts? Find out more with our Discovery Geology climate change resources.
Earth hazards
The Earth beneath our feet is constantly shifting and moving, and violently with catastrophic and immediate results. Find out more about earth hazards.
Geological processes
Planet Earth is dynamic with a surface that is always changing. Find out about the processes that cause these changes.
Fossils and geological time
Take a look at the history of the Earth, from its formation over four and a half billion years ago to present times.
About BGS
As the national geological survey, we are the UK’s premier provider of objective and authoritative scientific data, information and knowledge to help society understand our Earth.
Our data and services
The BGS offers a range of services and information for businesses, home-owners, policymakers and the general public.
Working with us
BGS is committed to being an employer of choice and strives to embrace a culture of inclusivity and flexibility.
Offices and locations
Find out more about our offices and facilities located across the UK.
Contact us
Find out more about the BGS and the services we offer through our enquiries and customer services team.