As part of our continued commitment to putting more information out for open access, the BGS has released a number of its scanned collections on OpenGeoscience. These include over one million borehole log scans and images of our small- and medium-scale maps.
Terms of use
Data assets are delivered under the Open Government Licence, subject to the following acknowledgement accompanying the reproduced BGS materials: “Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI [year]“.
Irish historical geological maps are delivered free for non-commercial use; use this material for private study, research and educational activities. See individual websites for specific terms and conditions.
Browse our scanned records
![BGS Maps Portal](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/scanmapsicon_feature.jpg)
BGS maps portal
High-resolution viewing of images of almost all the small- and medium-scale geological maps produced by the BGS since mapping started in 1832.
![borehole records](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/feature_borehole_scans.jpg)
Geoindex boreholes
The BGS Geoindex borehole layer, offers direct, online access to the National Geoscience Data Centre collection of onshore scanned boreholes, shafts and well records.
![BGS library cards](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/feature_library.jpg)
Library services: online card catalogue
The card catalogue records items added to the BGS Library service from 1970 to the mid 1980s, when the computerised catalogue ENVIROLIB began
![Magnetogram Eskdalemuir 1909](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/feature_Magnetogram_Eskdalemuir_1909.jpg)
Magnetograms
BGS scanned collection of historical magnetograms – original recordings of the variations in the strength and direction of the Earth’s magnetic field.
![feature_miningplans](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/feature_miningplans.jpg)
Non-coal mining plans
A range of mine plans from a variety of sources including the Health and Safety Executive mine abandonment plans, published mine plans and plans of mine workings.
![irish_maps](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/irish_maps.jpg)
Irish historical geological maps
A range of historical geological maps, sections and memoirs of Ireland, mostly 19th century.
![BGS Publications viewer](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/feature_publication_viewer.jpg)
Publications viewer
Access to formal BGS print publications and the recent Research Reports/Open Reports series.
![Minerals online sample Specimen Card for the pegmatite deposits of Virginia, USA.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/MineralIndexOnlineSpecimenCard-960x602.jpg)
BGS Mineral Index card catalogue
The BGS Mineral Index is card catalogue of mineral intelligence references covering the years 1917–1980.
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![Quarter-inch geological map of England and Wales](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/scanicon.png)
Data collections
Scans, photos and publications that are stored and managed by the BGS
![old mining plans](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/feature_miningplans.jpg)
Information hub
Data collections, publications, scanned records and other data gathered by BGS and provided by external organisations.