BGS Geophysical Tomography (GTom) provides leading-edge technology for non-invasive, geoelectrical imaging of the shallow subsurface.
The techniques (instrumentation, software and methodologies) developed by GTom are used to underpin studies in infrastructure monitoring, waste management, contaminated land remediation and the protection of groundwater and soils, as well as the detection and mitigation of natural hazards. Our PRIME technology permits complex earth systems and processes to be monitored remotely using permanent, in situ sensor networks and wireless telemetry.

BGS Geophysical Tomography: an introduction.
Find out more about our work

Technologies
Creating innovative technologies with in the field of geophysical and geotechnical monitoring.

Applications
Applications range from mineral exploration and waste management, to monitoring active processes within the subsurface, such as the movement of pollutants, or the flow of groundwater in unstable slopes affecting infrastructure.
PhD students and graduates
John Ball
‘Use of geophysics for the monitoring of earthen water retaining structures’
Jimmy Boyd
‘Coupled hydrogeophysical and geomechanical modelling of slope stability for improve early warning of landslides’
LinkedIn
Jessica Holmes
‘The use of near-surface geophysical methods for assessing the condition of transport infrastructure’
Alex Priestley
‘Assimilation of geophysical data in snow hydrology modelling
Luke Sibbett
‘Early warning landslide events using computer vision and geophysical image analysis’
Adrian White
‘Seeing inside flood embankments – novel geophysical imaging approaches for assessing the health of safety-critical flood defence infrastructure’
Twitter
LinkedIn
Jim Whiteley
‘Geophysical indicators of slope stability: towards improved early warning of landslide hazards’
Mihai Cimpoiasu
‘Combining geoelectrical imaging and X-ray computed tomography (CT) for improved hydraulic characterization of soils’
LinkedIn
Paul McLachlan
‘Revealing hydrological and biogeochemical heterogeneity at the groundwater-surface water interface using geophysics’
ResearchGate
LinkedIn
Michael Tso
‘Enhancing information content in geophysical data for nuclear site characterisation’
ResearchGate
Current research

Scientists set sail to investigate high-resolution sea level, climate and coral reef records
25/09/2023
BGS scientists are taking part in an expedition off Hawai’i to investigate sea-level changes recorded by ancient coral reefs.

Join the BGS Board
06/09/2023
BGS is looking to appoint one to two non-executive directors to join our board.

Nurturing early career scientists: 20 years of undergraduate industrial placements at BGS
28/09/2023
Michael Watts, BGS Head of Inorganic Chemistry, and previous placement students reflect on their experiences working at BGS’s Inorganic Geochemistry Facility over the past 20 years.
You may also be interested in

BGS PRIME: an early warning system for slope failure
Dam and slope failures can lead to the wide-scale destruction of property and, in some cases, catastrophic loss of life.

Engineering and Geotechnical Capability
The BGS Engineering and Geotechnical Capability leads the development and application of field and laboratory infrastructure and long-term management of geophysical and geotechnical property data.

Landslides
The BGS landslides team is involved in many aspects of landslide research, with the primary objective of building resilience both in the UK and internationally.
Related news

Can geophysics help feed people in a changing climate?
09/11/2021
Conservation agriculture and electrical resistivity tomography could help combat the factors affecting food security in southern Africa.

Back out in the field with Tromino
18/08/2021
Steve Thorpe discusses returning to fieldwork after the COVID-19 pandemic and trying out the Tromino kit.

BGS to help further carbon dioxide monitoring research at Sutton Bonington
03/08/2021
BGS is part of a research project that will consider the feasibility of using quantum gravity sensors to monitor carbon capture and storage sites.