Contact us
About BGS
Contact BGS Enquiries
Please see our frequently asked questions where many questions concerning wells, boreholes, maps, geology viewers and earthquake monitoring have already been answered.
If you can’t find what you are looking for, BGS Enquiries (enquiries@bgs.ac.uk) is the main point of contact and will be happy to help with your request. We will spend up to 30 minutes free of charge on an enquiry and, for any request that will take longer than 30 minutes to answer, we will prepare a quote to cover the cost of providing a more detailed scientific response.
All personal data provided to BGS in connection with your enquiry will be processed in accordance with current UK data protection legislation. Further information on how we use personal data, and how you can exercise your rights as a data subject, can be found in our privacy notice.
Address
Enquiries
British Geological Survey
Keyworth
Nottingham
NG12 5GG
UK
Email BGS Enquiries (enquiries@bgs.ac.uk)
Telephone: 0115 9363100
Office hours 08:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays)
Quick links
We have a wide range of datasets and want to increase access to these by publishing as many as possible under OpenGeoscience.
OpenGeoscience is a free service where you can view maps, download data, scans, photos and other information. The services available under OpenGeoscience include:
- view geology data through the Geology of Britain map viewer and as web map service (WMS)
- search and download photos from the GeoScenic geological photo archive
- view our published paper maps and sections from 1832 to 2014 and publications from 1835 to the present
We have a wide selection of maps, reports and other products available.
More information:
Find out more about licensing BGS data and data resellers.
We welcome feedback, good or bad, from customers and stakeholders on the quality of the products and services that we offer. Tell us what you think.
The BGS, as part of UKRI, is committed to meeting its obligations under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004, both of which came into operation in January 2005.
Find out more about contacting enquiries with FOI and EIR requests.
Frequently asked questions
The National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) collects and preserves geoscientific data and information, making them available for the long-term to a wide range of users and communities.
- What is a geological map?
- Who uses a geology map?
- What is the geology under my house?
- What are the different colours on the map for?
- Where can I purchase paper maps?
- Where can I get digital data?
- I don’t have a GIS. Can I still view the data?
- Why does the geology sometimes not ‘match’ across sheet boundaries in the 1:50 000-scale digital data?
- Why does the BGS Geology 50k data not contain fault ticks or dip/strike data?
- Why are there mapping discrepancies between the 1:10 000 and 1:50 000 layers?
- Why are there differences between the hard-copy maps and the geological data shown on the online viewers? Which one should I use?
- Why are there different rock descriptions used on the digital and paper maps?
- Which online viewer is best for me to use?
- Why is the coverage of the 10k and 25k data not complete?
- How often do you update the geological maps?
- I think the geology map might be wrong. What can I do?
- Retirement of iGeology and Geology of Britain
- Was there an earthquake in my area? My house/monitor/bed just shook
- I think I felt an earthquake, but there is nothing listed on the website
- Are there any easy ways of looking at the data coming from specific stations?
- Where can I find lists of past earthquakes (natural or induced by human activity such as fracking)?
- Where are the seismic stations and what are they like?
- I’ve developed a new way of predicting earthquakes: can you help?
- I’m worried that traffic or quarry activity is damaging my property: can you help?
- Why are there gaps in the data at a particular monitoring station?
- I’ve seen a large signal on a helicorder; why are you not reporting an earthquake?
- Do you detect all earthquakes?
- What’s the smallest earthquake that people can feel?
- I was looking at your website and the magnitude of an earthquake changed: why?
- Your earthquake reports are different to those reported by USGS or EMSC. How is that possible?
- Why is iGeology being retired?
- Is there a replacement for iGeology?
- How do I install the new app?
- What happened to BGSiD accounts and any submitted data?
- Why does feature X from iGeology not exist in the new application?
- Where can I view your borehole data?
- How do I access in-app reports (natural subsidence or radon risk)?
- Who can I contact about this change?
- What was iGeology?
Further information about contacting BGS
Offices and locations
Find out more about our offices and facilities located across the UK.
BGS Geology Shop
BGS operates a Geology Shop in Keyworth which sells a range of minerals, fossils, jewellery, educational items and field equipment.
BGS Intellectual Property Rights
Our intention is to balance the safe retention and control of national geoscience databases and geological information, with the need to release information openly.
BGS Press Office
The BGS Press Office handles all aspects of press, public engagement and external affairs at BGS.
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Offices and locations
Find out more about our offices and facilities located across the UK.