British Geological Survey

@bgs

A world-leading independent research organisation providing objective, expert geoscientific data, information and knowledge 🌎

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British Geological Survey@bgs· 15d

BGS SEISMIC INFORMATION - KYUSHU, JAPAN 28 JULY 2026 07:27 UTC 6.8 MW DATE: 28 July 2025 ORIGIN TIME: 07:27 15s UTC LAT/LON: 32.682° North / 130.722° East DEPTH: 10 km MAGNITUDE: 6.8 Mw LOCALITY: Kyushu Japan (approximately 5 km west of Uto and 900 km WSW of Tokyo, Japan)

British Geological Survey@bgs· 15d

BGS SEISMIC INFORMATION: SPEAN BRIDGE, HIGHLAND 28 JULY 2026 03:09 UTC 2.5 ML The following preliminary information is available for this earthquake: LAT/LON : 56.870° North / 4.894° West GRID REF : 223.6 kmE / 779.1 kmN DEPTH : 5 km MAGNITUDE : 2.5 ML

BGS Seismogram - Spean Bridge, Highlands - 28/7/26

British Geological Survey@bgs· 19d

Nottingham! Nottingham! Join us in from September for Geo-Explorers, our after-school kids’ club for children 8 to 11 based at our main campus in Nottinghamshire. The clubs run in 5-week cohorts and it's £30 for all five sessions. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/geo-explor...

Some children and a member of BGS staff crowd around a tin tray with what appears to be jelly inside are placed on two upturned buckets. Two of the children are wearing high vis vests and one is in safety goggles.

British Geological Survey@bgs· 19d

Recently, BGS joined colleagues from @ukceh.bsky.social in Norfolk for the first field campaign of the #UKGravelBarriers project. The project will help us better understand how gravel barriers respond to storms & rising sea levels, helping to improve future coastal management & climate resilience.

A BGS staff member pushes scientific equipment across a pebbly beach. The equipment is taking readings. The sea is to the left of the image. What looks like a red tent is to the far right.

Two staff members using TEM backpacks on the pebbly beach. Attached to the backpacks are what look like small floatation devices in bright yellow. Coming up from the backpacks are rods with scientific apparatus at the top.

British Geological Survey@bgs· 21d

Across Europe, the subsurface is increasingly being recognised as a strategic asset. BGS & partners are reshaping how geological knowledge is generated and strengthening collaboration across borders to tackle shared subsurface challenges across the continent. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/buildin...

European CO₂ Storage Atlas launch event in Brussels, May 2025, with BGS Ceri Vincent as panellist on the far right alongside four colleagues to the left and a speaker standing at a podium. There is a collection of audience members sitting on seats at the bottom of the image.

British Geological Survey@bgs· 24d

The UK coastline will be inundated with keen holidaymakers this summer, many of whom will take a memento of their trip home in the shape of a pebble or two — but is taking pebbles home legal? Find out in our blog: www.bgs.ac.uk/news/collect...

A pebbly beach at Sidmouth with cliffs in the background. The sea is to the left of the image.

British Geological Survey@bgs· 26d

BGS' Superficial Deposit Thickness Model now includes an elevation model of geological rockhead for the first time, providing important data for civil engineers, geoscientists and environmental scientists. Learn more: www.bgs.ac.uk/news/updated...

Map extract of the BGS SDTM observation driven model showing modelled superficial deposit thickness. The colours range from light lime green to dark purple the thicker the deposit gets.

British Geological Survey@bgs· 27d

Emerging research is beginning to challenge the conventional understanding of mountain water systems. A new BGS-led project is using new methods to understand how water moves from mountains to the lowlands, helping to improve water security for billions of people. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/delving...

The project team of a recent visit to the study basin in central Taiwan. The team stand around an open borehole casing on a grassy area. In the background is a building with trees growing against it. The team (14 people) look towards the camera and smile.

Looking upstream from the outskirts of Dongpu village toward Yushan mountain, the highest peak in Taiwan, standing at nearly 4000 m. There are crops growing in a field in the foreground and building and a small water tower to the right of the image. In front and to the sides is the mountain range and on each side of the photo are low-lying clouds.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jul 13

BGS geologists have started a 4 year project that will enhance knowledge of ground conditions and undertake flood-pattern investigations around the River Tweed. This survey will provide crucial geological data those involved in local land-management initiatives. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/new-geo...

Two geologists in a field mapping groundwater levels. They are in PPE and it looks to be very wet, so they are wearing waterproof covers over their backpacks.

The River Tweed running through a valley.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jul 9

The Cheshire Geoenergy Observatory has released new datasets which will provide a unique resource for scientists working on the Sherwood Sandstone Formation - an important aquifer and reservoir rock for heat and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/cheshir...

Aerial view of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Cheshire. BGS © UKRI.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jul 8

New geological mapping underway to help manage flooding along the River Tweed. Scientists are surveying the Tweed catchment for the first time in over 100 years to enhance understanding of localised groundwater and improve flood forecasting. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/new-geo...

Relief map and location of the Tweed catchment and its location in the UK. Contains OS Data © Crown Copyright and dataset right 2025. Contains data from OS Zoomstack. BGS © UKRI.

Measuring the thickness of peat deposits on Coldburn Hill, Cheviots. The long, thin peat probe easily penetrates through the soft, fibrous peat deposit, stopping when it reaches stiffer, underlying sediments or bedrock. Peat deposits absorb and then slowly release rain water, so they are important for preventing rapid runoff and reducing flood risk further downstream. BGS © UKRI.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jul 6

Geological research in North Sea is helping to safeguard subsea cables from ship anchors, fishing activity and natural hazards. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/geologi...

Illustration of subsea cable lying along the sea floor. © imaginima / iStockPhoto.com

Hall anchor being dragged through undrained, very loose sand. Modelled using the material point method. © Durham University.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jul 5

This specimen is Siphonodendron junceum, a colonial coral from the Carboniferous of Ecclefechan, southern Scotland. Rugose corals first evolved during the Ordovician and became extinct in the mass extinction at the end of the Permian. Access our image library: bgs.assetbank.app/assetbank-bg...

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jul 3

STEM students: are you passionate about climate change, the environment, sustainability & science communication? Join the free one-day science communication training workshop on Tuesday 14 July. www.geolsoc.org.uk/science-and-... Deadline: Mon 6 July

An image of the Green Man main stage, with festival goers looking towards the act playing. To the left is a large GREEN MAN sign. In the background are rolling hills. The sky is very blue.

The BGS team at their stand at Green Man festival in Wales. It is a very sunny day. The stand has white awning above it, garlanded in leaves and beige pennants. There are rock samples on the stand's table. On the floor is a large plastic sheet which says 'climate through time' and some floor cushions shaped and coloured like pebbles.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 27

Cliffs might seem strong and safe but they can provide many hazards. Heatwaves, storms, prolonged periods of wet weather and cold snaps can trigger landslides. Do you know the risks? Check the image below to see if you can spot the cliff-based hazards. Answers here: www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-...

A hand-drawn image of a beach scene with cliffs to the right and a beach and small village to the left. There are various hazards to spot including a landslide and someone standing too close to the cliff edge.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 26

Mineral Exploration & Investment Grants Act 1972 (MEIGA) reports have been released in collaboration with the UK Critical Minerals Centre, containing a rich variety of geological info relevant for identifying critical and precious metal resource potential in the UK. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/histori...

A quote graphic, which has a picture of Alison Steven, Data Operations and Governance Lead at the NGDC at BGS, who the quote is attributed to. The quote reads: The renewed impact of the MEIGA archive demonstrates exactly why long term stewardship of geoscience data matters. Funding the systematic scanning of these legacy collections is essential not only to safeguard the record, but also to ensure that insights captured decades ago can actively inform modern exploration, reduce duplication of effort and unlock new scientific and economic opportunities. The BGS and UKRI logos are top left of the image.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 17

A new report from the BGS-led UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre reveals insufficient end-of-life material stocks present a supply risk over the coming decade, but offer significant long-term potential to meet critical mineral demand through recycling. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/shortag...

Two stacks of photovoltaic panels on crates.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 16

An updated version of the UK geothermal catalogue has been released. The new version includes the addition of nearly 14000 more data points derived from 1800 sites to inform geothermal assessments. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/uk-geot...

Distribution of sites in the second digital release of the geothermal catalogue. The added sites are in pink; sites previously released in version 1 are in blue. Contains OS and OSNI data © Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains BGS data © BGS, UKRI (2026) all rights reserved.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 15

A new discovery in the history of the Giant’s Causeway🌋 New research has changed our understanding of Northern Ireland’s volcanic past, revealing that the volcanic rocks of the region formed in just 5.5 million years – 8 million less than previous estimates. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/scienti...

A picture of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.

A close up of the basalt columns which make up the Giant's Causeway

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 11

Shrink–swell, or subsidence, is one of the most damaging geohazards in the UK today. Our new GeoClimate Shrink–Swell dataset combines 1:50 000-scale geological maps with high-res climate change data from @ukceh.bsky.social. Read more in @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 10

Ukraine and the UK have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on geological science & resource development. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/ukraine...

BGS' Maggy Heintz gives a speech to delegates at the signing. Behind her is a large portrait, to the right the UK and Ukraine flags.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 7

Join us at our HQ in Keyworth, Nottingham on 2 July for an in-person CPD session aimed at primary teachers. Geologists from BGS will guide you through all you need to know about geology for KS2 topics. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/primary-sc...

A graphic which says 'primary teacher CPD, plate tectonics, volacanoes and earthquakes with the British Geological Survey'. To the right are images of a volcano, a broken road, a plate boundary and a seismic wave graph.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 7

We're at #RedcarKiteFest this weekend, talking to the public about rocks, natural hazards, critical materials and more. If you're at the event, come and say hello!

The team at Redcar Kite Festival chatting to the public. There is a large dinosaur in the background, and a map attached tot he floor. Green vines hang over the scene.

A selection of rocks and accompanying explanation cards on a table. These have been brought to the festival by BGS for people to handle.

The team standing at the desk holding rocks and looking to camera. Below the rocks, on a black cloth covered table is a poster of the periodic table and some bunting. Behind the team is a dinosaur, which looks like it may attack at any moment! Vines hang from the ceiling.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 6

More than 700 geological samples from the vicinity of a former mine in Scotland is now available to scientists. The specimens will be of interest for a range of further studies including critical mineral potential and the Ediacaran Period of the Precambrian. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/newly-r...

A pair of hands hold a sample from Foss mine. Further bagged samples lie in a cardboard box below.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 4

Join us to celebrate 300 years of Deep Time at the Scottish Geology Trust's annual Scottish Geology Festival. 📅 8 June: Guided Arthur's Seat Walk 📅 12 June: Scotland's Fossil Story 📅 17 June: Volcanoes of the Seven Hills Get your tickets here: www.scottishgeologytrust.org/events/

A graphic which says 'Scottish Geology Festival 2026'. To the left is a picture of Edinburgh castle. It shows three events: a guided walk: Arthur's Seat on 8 June, 1 to 3:30PM at Holyrood Park / Scotland's Fossil Story 12 June, 12 to 5PM at BGS offices, the Lyell Centre / Volcanoes of the Seven Hills, 17 June 2 to 5PM, BGS offices, the Lyell Centre. The background is blue.

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 3

In 1788, James Hutton sailed past Siccar Point, and discovered a gap in the rock record spanning around 60 million years. It was here that the study of geology took off. Today is Hutton's 300th birthday, and in his honour BGS baker Steve has baked an unconformi-cake. Happy birthday, James 🎂

British Geological Survey@bgs· Jun 3

Keep your eyes to the sky 👀 A geomagnetic storm is anticipated over the next couple of days, due to the anticipated arrival of up to three coronal mass ejections that left the Sun on 3 June.

British Geological Survey@bgs· May 31

One of the most prominent features of Lindisfarne’s geology is the Holy Island Dyke, part of the famous Whin Sill suite. The second image shows a ropy flow structure on the floor of a large, flattened gas bubble (vesicle) located near the top of the dyke. Explore GeoScenic: bgs.assetbank.app

British Geological Survey@bgs· May 29

BGS has just released a new enhanced version of GeoIndex, featuring: 🗺️ 45 geological data layers 🗺️ Tools to measure distance, area and perimeter 🗺️ Upgraded layer filtering and card interface 🗺️ Fully responsive mobile experience geoindex.bgs.ac.uk

British Geological Survey@bgs· May 27

The latest edition of World Mineral Production is now available and features updated statistics on the global production of over 70 commodities between 2020 and 2024. www.bgs.ac.uk/news/latest-...