This is the collection of cores and samples held by BGS for the sea areas around the UK. It includes material collected by BGS during its mapping projects and material donated to BGS by other organisations. The main core and sample types are grab samples (sea-bed), gravity cores, vibrocores and rock-drill cores (up to 6m in length), and borehole cores (up to 274m in length). The sea-bed grab samples are Holocene sediments present at the sea-bed and are stored in plastic jars. Where possible, sub-sample material has been retained after analysis. The bulk of the cores consist of Holocene and Pleistocene material. The rest are of bedrock ranging in age from Neogene to Pre-Cambrian. A lot of the core was collected in plastic liner tubing and the unlithified cores have been split vertically. The bulk of the material was collected in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and early 1990's with ongoing additions of new sample and cores each year. The distribution is very variable, but, in general, there are grab samples and/or shallow cores spaced about every 5 - 10km across the entire UK Continental Shelf. In some localised areas the sampling density is much higher. The samples and cores are applicable to a wide range of uses including environmental, geotechnical and geological studies.

A new monthly long term average (climatology) of Leaf Area Index (LAI) has been developed for use as ancillary data with the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) Land Surface Model and the UK Met Office Unified Model. It is derived from an improved version of long time series of LAI from the original Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS) products (http://www.glass.umd.edu/LAI/MODIS/0.05D/). The GLASS data consists of a time series of LAI from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface-reflectance data for the period 2000-2014. The MODIS data was provided in a spatial resolution of 1km in a sinusoidal projection and is interpolated into 0.5deg on a geographic latitude/longitude projection in this dataset. The total LAI from MODIS is segregated into five different Plant Functional Types (PFTs) using the fractional coverage of each PFT from the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Land Cover data. For this reason this new LAI climatology should be used in combination with the CCI PFT data, which is also provided here. Two variables are provided with the dataset containing LAI, each covering the same spatial and time extent. The PFT data provided with this dataset covers a time span of only one year, 2010. - Leaf Area Index (LAI) - LAI is an important parameter in land-surface models, influencing the surface roughness, transpiration rate and the soil water content and temperature. Numerous outputs of vegetation models such as net primary productivity (NPP), evapotranspiration (ET), light absorption by plants (FAPAR), nutrient dynamics etc., are influenced by LAI where it is a key variable in energy and water balance calculations. - Vegetation Canopy Height (H) - H plays an important role in the interface between the atmosphere and land surface and it impacts weather and climate at local to global scales by modulating aerodynamic conductance and vegetation dynamics. Therefore, H is fundamentally needed for the calculation of turbulent exchanges of energy and mass between the atmosphere and the terrestrial ecosystem. One variable is provided with the dataset containing CCI PFTs: - Fractional coverage of 5 PFTS or vegetation classes and 4 land use classes – The 5 PFTs are Broad Leaf, Needle Leaf, C3 Grass, C4 Grass and Shrub. The 4 land use classes are Urban area, Inland Water, Bare Soil and Snow/Ice. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/6d07d60a-4cb9-44e4-be39-89ea40365236

The European Monitoring and Evaluation Program Unified Model for the UK (EMEP4UK) simulates the year 2001 to 2014 UK daily average atmospheric composition at a horizontal resolution of 5 x 5 km2. The species included in this dataset are surface daily average concentrations of: nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), ammonia (NH3), nitric acid (HNO3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), sulphate (SO42-), PM2.5 organic matter, and ground level ozone (O3). The EMEP4UK model framework consists of an atmospheric chemistry transport model (ACTM) which simulates hourly to annual average atmospheric composition and deposition of various pollutants and the weather research and forecast model (WRF). Pollutants simulated include fine particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), secondary organic aerosols (SOA), elemental carbon (EC), secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ground level ozone (O3). Dry and wet deposition of pollutants are also generated by the EMEP4UK. WRF is used to calculate the required meteorological input data for the ACTM. The version of EMEP4UK used to model the 2001-2014 dataset available here is based on the EMEP Meteorological Synthesizing Centre West (MSC-W) model version rv4.4. A more recent version of this dataset, calculated using the EMEP model version rv4.17 and the WRF model version 3.7.1 is available at https://doi.org/10.5285/b0545f67-e47c-4077-bf3c-c5ffcd6b72c8. Notes: Only the simulations for the years between 2002-2012 include data for from forest fire. The emissions used for simulating the years 2013 and 2014 are the same as the year 2012 (updated date will be made available as soon as 2013 and 2014 national emission inventory data have been processed). The calculated year 2001-2012 use a different version of the WRF model, moreover for the year 2013 and 2014 the WRF model setup was changed as the specific Humidity is no longer nudged with re-analysis in the WRF simulation. Acknowledgements required (third-party datasets used to drive the model): The WRF model calculated meteorology uses the dataset from NCEP FNL Operational Model Global Tropospheric Analyses, continuing from July 1999. (http://www.wrf-model.org/). National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Weather Service/NOAA/U.S. Department of Commerce. 2000, updated daily. NCEP FNL Operational Model Global Tropospheric Analyses, continuing from July 1999. Research Data Archive at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Computational and Information Systems Laboratory. (http://doi.org/10.5065/D6M043C6). Emissions data from the EMEP emissions center (www.emep.int), and NAEI web site (http://naei.defra.gov.uk).

[THIS DATASET HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN]. 5km gridded Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) data for Great Britain, which is a drought index based on the probability of precipitation for a given accumulation period as defined by McKee et al. [1]. SPI is calculated for different accumulation periods: 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months. Each of these is in turn calculated for each of the twelve calendar months. Note that values in monthly (and for longer accumulation periods also annual) time series of the data therefore are likely to be autocorrelated. The standard period which was used to fit the gamma distribution is 1961-2010. The dataset covers the period from 1862 to 2015. NOTE: the difference between this dataset with the previously published dataset 'Gridded Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) using gamma distribution with standard period 1961-2010 for Great Britain [SPIgamma61-10]" (Tanguy et al., 2015 [2]), apart from the temporal and spatial extent, is the underlying rainfall data from which SPI was calculated. In the previously published dataset, CEH-GEAR (Keller et al., 2015 [3], Tanguy et al., 2014 [4]) was used, whereas in this version, Met Office 5km rainfall grids were used (see supporting information for more details). The methodology to calculate SPI is the same in the two datasets. [1] McKee, T. B., Doesken, N. J., Kleist, J. (1993). The Relationship of Drought Frequency and Duration to Time Scales. Eighth Conference on Applied Climatology, 17-22 January 1993, Anaheim, California. [2] Tanguy, M.; Hannaford, J.; Barker, L.; Svensson, C.; Kral, F.; Fry, M. (2015). Gridded Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) using gamma distribution with standard period 1961-2010 for Great Britain [SPIgamma61-10]. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/94c9eaa3-a178-4de4-8905-dbfab03b69a0 [3] Keller, V. D. J., Tanguy, M., Prosdocimi, I., Terry, J. A., Hitt, O., Cole, S. J., Fry, M., Morris, D. G., and Dixon, H. (2015). CEH-GEAR: 1 km resolution daily and monthly areal rainfall estimates for the UK for hydrological use, Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., 8, 83-112, doi:10.5194/essdd-8-83-2015. [4] Tanguy, M.; Dixon, H.; Prosdocimi, I.; Morris, D. G.; Keller, V. D. J. (2014). Gridded estimates of daily and monthly areal rainfall for the United Kingdom (1890-2012) [CEH-GEAR]. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/5dc179dc-f692-49ba-9326-a6893a503f6e Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/ed7444fc-8c2a-473e-98cd-e68d3cffa2b0

This dataset contains 90 source footprints of nitrogen and sulphur deposition across the UK. Emission data from UK sources of nitrogen and sulphur for the year 2012 has been modelled using the FRAME (Fine Resolution Atmospheric Multi-Pollutant Exchange) atmospheric dispersion model on a 5 x 5 km grid. The data are split by into both wet and dry deposition, oxidised and reduced, as well as local vs long-range components. Habitat-specific deposition data are provided also for (i) forest, (i) moorland (short semi-natural vegetation), and (iii) grid average (average of arable, grassland, urban, forest and moorland land cover types). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/e5bfac9b-0642-4b5b-a780-e5801b2dab8b

These datasets provide Concentration Based Estimated Deposition (CBED) values of sulphur and nitrogen atmospheric deposition for 5x5 kilometre (km) grid squares of the UK averaged over the years 2013 to 2015. The data consist of deposition values for sulphur, oxidised nitrogen and reduced nitrogen, and base cations. Total deposition is the sum of four components calculated separately: wet deposition, dry deposition of gases, dry deposition of particulate matter and cloud droplet deposition. Habitat-specific data are provided for (i) moorland/short vegetation everywhere, and (ii) forest everywhere. Additionally, the grid square average over multiple land cover types (i.e. arable, grassland, forest, moorland, urban) is also calculated. The habitat-specific data are recommended for use with critical loads for the calculation of critical load exceedances. The work in generating and compiling the dataset has been funded by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and various Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) contracts. This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE programme delivering National Capability. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/fd8151e9-0ee2-4dfa-a254-470c9bb9bc1e

This dataset provides deposition values of sulphur and nitrogen deposition and concentration values for ammonia (NH3), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) on the UK nature conservation protected sites, averaged over the years 2013 to 2015. The dataset also includes calculated minimum, maximum and gridded average values for each site. Protected nature sites covered are: (i) Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) (ii) Special Protection Areas (SPA) (iii) Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The data consist of values of nitrogen and acid deposition, and concentrations of ammonia (NH3) based on the Concentration Based Estimated Deposition (CBED), and concentrations of NOX and SO2 using the Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) model. Nitrogen and acid deposition data is also given for specific habitat types including: (i) moorland/short vegetation everywhere, (ii) forest everywhere, and (iii) the grid square average over multiple land cover types (i.e. arable, grassland, forest, moorland, urban) These habitat-specific data are recommended for use with critical loads for the calculation of critical load exceedances using the relevant deposition/habitat type. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/487b9d48-ec67-4b4e-a758-093a52d2d73b

This set of data includes records of vegetation species and characteristics, soil quality metrics and aspects of farm management relating to a single field on each sampled farm. Data were collected in 2018, from farms across Great Britain belonging to the Pasture Fed Livestock Association (PFLA). The data were collected by the UK Centre of Ecology & Hydrology, during a project funded by the BBSRC, seeking to evidence the impacts of pasture fed livestock approaches on grassland parameters, in particular, sward composition and associated soil qualities. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/78ca9a01-107b-4f33-8561-9c3e64db7e02

This set of data includes records of vegetation species and characteristics, soil quality metrics and aspects of management relating to a single field on each sampled farm. Data were collected in 2019, from farms across Great Britain belonging to the Pasture Fed Livestock Association (PFLA). The data were collected by the UK Centre of Ecology & Hydrology, during a project funded by the BBSRC, seeking to evidence the impacts of pasture fed livestock approaches on grassland parameters, in particular, sward composition and associated soil qualities. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/e46dc740-2dc7-4f9f-b2b6-24748d86759a

This dataset record provides deposition values of sulphur and nitrogen deposition and concentration values for ammonia (NH3), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) on the UK nature conservation protected sites, averaged over the years 2014 to 2016. The set also includes calculated minimum, maximum and gridded average values for each site. Protected nature sites covered are: (i) Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) (ii) Special Protection Areas (SPA) (iii) Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The data consist of values of nitrogen and acid deposition, and concentrations of ammonia (NH3) based on the Concentration Based Estimated Deposition (CBED), and concentrations of NOx and SO2 using the Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) model. Nitrogen and acid deposition data is also given for specific habitat types including: (i) moorland/short vegetation everywhere, (ii) forest everywhere, and (iii) the grid square average over multiple land cover types (i.e. arable, grassland, forest, moorland, urban) These habitat-specific data are recommended for use with critical loads and levels for the calculation of critical load/level exceedances using the relevant habitat type. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/735dd995-333c-4b02-8fb1-287b7b2cefdf