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  • Photos and videos collected during earthquake damage surveys of the village of Amatrice, central Italy. The earthquake struck on the 24th of August 2016 at 3:36 am local time, a Mw 6.2 earthquake struck a mountainous region of central Italy on the borders between Umbria, Marche, Lazio and Abruzzo. The Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) mission ran from the 4th to the 15th of October 2016. The three main aspects investigated were the ground surface effects caused by the earthquake, the structural damage of masonry buildings and bridges and the effects of the earthquake on reinforced concrete structures and infrastructure.

  • The BGS Geological Indicators of Flooding (GIF) dataset is a digital map based on the BGS Digital Geological Map of Great Britain at the 1:50,000 scale (DiGMapGB-50, BGS, 2009). Current coverage includes England, Wales and Scotland. It characterises Superficial Deposits on DiGMapGB-50 in terms of their likely susceptibility to flooding, either from coastal inundation or fluvial (inland) water flow. These Superficial Deposits are considered 'recent' in geological terms, most having been formed within the last few tens of thousands of years. Typically they have been laid down by processes of erosion and deposition and they have produced subtle topographical features, resulting in low-lying landforms we call floodplains. The mapping of these landforms, in conjunction with characterisation of deposits that underlie them allows us to determine the extent of the coastal and inland flooding that created them.

  • The joint PHE-GSNI-BGS digital Radon Potential Dataset for Northern Ireland provides the current definitive map of radon Affected Areas in Northern Ireland. The Radon Potential map for Northern Ireland shows the estimated percentage of homes in an area exceeding the radon Action Level. This is the basic information to assigning the level of protection required for new buildings and extensions, as described in the Building Research Establishment guidance BR-413 Radon: Guidance on protective measures for new dwellings in Northern Ireland (2004). The Radon Potential map for Northern Ireland is based on PHE indoor radon measurements and 1:10 000 or 1: 250 000 scale digital geology information provided by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI). The indoor radon data is used with the agreement of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and PHE. Confidentiality of measurement locations is maintained through data management practices. Access to the data is restricted. Radon is a natural radioactive gas, which enters buildings from the ground. Exposure to high concentrations increases the risk of lung cancer. Public Health England (PHE) recommends that radon levels should be reduced in homes where the annual average exceed 200 becquerels per cubic metre (200 Bq m-3), the Action Level. PHE defines radon Affected Areas as those with 1% chance or more of a house having a radon concentration at or above the Action Level. Further information on radon can be obtained from www.ukradon.org

  • The GeoSure data sets and reports from the British Geological Survey provide information about potential ground movement or subsidence in a helpful and user-friendly format. The reports can help inform planning decisions and indicate causes of subsidence. Complete Great Britain national coverage is available. GeoSure Basic is a single, combined GeoSure model, containing only the highest score of all the GeoSure layers. The model has been re-classified to negligible - very low, low and moderate - high. The methodology is based on the 6 GeoSure individual hazard Assessments. The storage formats of the data are ESRI and MapInfo but other formats can be supplied.

  • The 5km Hex GS Soluble Rocks dataset shows a generalised view of the GeoSure Soluble Rocks v8 dataset to a hexagonal grid resolution of 64.95km coverage area (side length of 5km). This dataset indicates areas of potential ground movement in a helpful and user-friendly format. The rating is based on a highest level of susceptibility identified within that Hex area: Low (1), Moderate (2), Significant (3). Areas of localised significant rating are also indicated. The summarising process via spatial statistics at this scale may lead to under or over estimation of the extent of a hazard. The supporting GeoSure reports can help inform planning decisions and indicate causes of subsidence. The Soluble Rocks methodology is based on the BGS Digital Map (DiGMapGB-50) and expert knowledge of the behaviour of the formations so defined. This dataset provides an assessment of the potential for dissolution within a geological deposit. Ground dissolution occurs when certain types of rock contain layers of material that may dissolve if they get wet. This can cause underground cavities to develop. These cavities reduce support to the ground above and can lead to a collapse of overlying rocks. Dissolution of soluble rocks produces landforms and features collectively known as 'karst'. Britain has four main types of soluble or 'karstic' rocks; limestone, chalk, gypsum and salt, each with a different character and associated potential hazards. Engineering problems associated with these karstic rocks include subsidence, sinkhole formation, uneven rock-head and reduced rock-mass strength. Sinkhole formation and subsidence has the potential to cause damage to buildings and infrastructure. Complete Great Britain national coverage is available.

  • The 5km Hex GS Compressible Ground dataset shows a generalised view of the GeoSure Compressible Ground v8 dataset to a hexagonal grid resolution of 64.95km coverage area (side length of 5km). This dataset indicates areas of potential ground movement in a helpful and user-friendly format. The rating is based on a highest level of susceptibility identified within that Hex area: Low (1), Moderate (2), Significant (3). Areas of localised significant rating are also indicated. The summarising process via spatial statistics at this scale may lead to under or over estimation of the extent of a hazard. The supporting GeoSure reports can help inform planning decisions and indicate causes of subsidence. The methodology is based on the BGS Digital Map (DiGMapGB-50) and expert knowledge of the behaviour of the formations so defined. This dataset provides an assessment of the potential for a geological deposit to compress under an applied load, a characteristic usually of superficial deposits such as peat or alluvium. Some types of ground may contain layers of very soft materials like clay or peat. These may compress if loaded by overlying structures, or if the groundwater level changes, potentially resulting in depression of the ground and disturbance of foundations. Complete Great Britain national coverage is available.

  • The 5km Hex GS Running Sand dataset shows a generalised view of the GeoSure Running Sand v8 dataset to a hexagonal grid resolution of 64.95km coverage area (side length of 5km). This dataset indicates areas of potential ground movement in a helpful and user-friendly format. The rating is based on a highest level of susceptibility identified within that Hex area: Low (1), Moderate (2), Significant (3). Areas of localised significant rating are also indicated. The summarising process via spatial statistics at this scale may lead to under or over estimation of the extent of a hazard. The supporting GeoSure reports can help inform planning decisions and indicate causes of subsidence. The Running Sand methodology is based on the BGS Digital Map (DiGMapGB-50) and expert knowledge of the behaviour of the formations so defined. This dataset provides an assessment of the potential for a geological deposit to show running sand behaviour under the action of flowing water, a characteristic usually of saturated sand and silt grade material. Complete Great Britain national coverage is available.

  • This dataset provides an assessment of the potential for a geological deposit to compress under an applied load, a characteristic usually of superficial deposits such as peat or alluvium. Some types of ground may contain layers of very soft materials like clay or peat. These may compress if loaded by overlying structures, or if the groundwater level changes, potentially resulting in depression of the ground and disturbance of foundations. Complete Great Britain national coverage is available. The storage formats of the data are ESRI Shapefiles and MapInfo but other formats can be supplied. The GeoSure data sets and reports from the British Geological Survey provide information about potential ground movement or subsidence in a helpful and user-friendly format. The reports can help inform planning decisions and indicate causes of subsidence. The methodology is based on 'BGS Geology' (Digital Map) and expert knowledge of the behaviour of the formations so defined.

  • The 5km Hex GS Shrink Swell dataset shows a generalised view of the GeoSure Shrink Swell v8 dataset to a hexagonal grid resolution of 64.95km coverage area (side length of 5km). This dataset indicates areas of potential ground movement in a helpful and user-friendly format. The rating is based on a highest level of susceptibility identified within that Hex area: Low (1), Moderate (2), Significant (3). Areas of localised significant rating are also indicated. The summarising process via spatial statistics at this scale may lead to under or over estimation of the extent of a hazard. The supporting GeoSure reports can help inform planning decisions and indicate causes of subsidence. The Shrink Swell methodology is based on the BGS Digital Map (DiGMapGB-50) and expert knowledge of the behaviour of the formations so defined. This dataset provides an assessment of the potential for a geological deposit to shrink and swell. Many soils contain clay minerals that absorb water when wet (making them swell), and lose water as they dry (making them shrink). This shrink-swell behaviour is controlled by the type and amount of clay in the soil, and by seasonal changes in the soil moisture content (related to rainfall and local drainage). The rock formations most susceptible to shrink-swell behaviour are found mainly in the south-east of Britain. Clay rocks elsewhere in the country are older and have been hardened by burial deep in the earth and are less able to absorb water. The BGS has carried out detailed geotechnical and mineralogical investigations into rock types known to shrink, and are modelling their properties across the near surface. This research underpins guidance contained in the national GeoSure dataset, and is the basis for our responses to local authorities, companies and members of the public who require specific information on the hazard in their areas. The BGS is undertaking a wide-ranging research programme to investigate this phenomenon by identifying those areas most at risk and developing sustainable management solutions. Complete Great Britain national coverage is available.

  • **No longer exists - now part of GeoSure**An assessment of the potential for an area to be affected by geological deposits that have suffered or are suffering dissolution through natural processes. A characteristic usually of deposits such as evaporites (rock salt, gypsum), chalk or limestone. The methodology is based on BGS digital stratigraphic linework and expert knowledge of the behaviour of the formations so defined in three dimensions.