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UK Compiled Topsoil (UKTS) raster dataset

The UK Compiled Topsoil Dataset (UKTS) is the most extensive topsoil geochemistry dataset for the UK available at the time of release (August 2024). The dataset consists of 82 georeferenced TIFF raster images (GeoTIFF format) with a cell size of 500 x 500 m, displaying the predicted concentrations for 41 chemical elements in UK topsoil and their respective standard error. The dataset is based on the geochemical analyses of 57,966 topsoil samples collected between 1978 and 2014 and analysed by X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The UKTS was brought together by combining data from the following sources: i. the British Geological Survey’s (BGS) Geochemical Baseline Survey of the Environment (G-BASE) rural and urban topsoil dataset (which accounts for 76.4% of the topsoil samples included in the UKTS) ii. the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) TellusNI rural and urban topsoil geochemical survey dataset (13.8% of the UKTS samples) iii. the BGS-Rothamsted Research X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) rural soil dataset (RR-BGS XRF), based on sub-samples held at Rothamsted Research from the National Soil Inventory (NSI) of England and Wales sample archive, National Soil Resources Institute, Cranfield University (9.8% of the UKTS samples). An atlas of the compiled topsoil concentrations for the UK is available to download (https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/535963) and all maps are available to view within the UK Soil Observatory website (https://www.ukso.org). The dataset covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Clyde Basin in Scotland. The GeoTIFF raster image maps were produced from the interpolation by ordinary kriging of the concentration values in the source data points, using the geostatistical wizard in the geostatistical analyst toolbox of ESRI ArcGIS 10.8.

Simple

Date (Creation)
2023-03-20
Identifier
http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13608069
Distributor
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South , EDINBURGH , LOTHIAN , EH14 4AP , United Kingdom
0115 936 3142
0115 936 3276
Originator
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South , EDINBURGH , LOTHIAN , EH14 4AP , United Kingdom
0115 936 3142
0115 936 3276
Distributor
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
Environmental Science Centre, Nicker Hill, Keyworth , NOTTINGHAM , NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , NG12 5GG , United Kingdom
0115 936 3143
0115 936 3276
Originator
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
Environmental Science Centre, Nicker Hill, Keyworth , NOTTINGHAM , NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , NG12 5GG , United Kingdom
0115 936 3143
0115 936 3276
Principal investigator
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
Environmental Science Centre, Nicker Hill, Keyworth , NOTTINGHAM , NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , NG12 5GG , United Kingdom
0115 936 3143
0115 936 3276
Distributor
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
Point of contact
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
Maintenance and update frequency
notPlanned Not planned
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
  • Geology
BGS Thesaurus of Geosciences
  • Geochemical data
  • X ray fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Geochemistry
  • Spatial data
  • Kriging
  • Variograms
  • UK Location (INSPIRE)
  • Top soil
dataCentre
  • UK Location (INSPIRE)
Keywords
  • NERC_DDC
Access constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
no limitations
Other constraints
The dataset is made freely available for access, e.g. via the Internet. Either no third party data / information is contained in the dataset or BGS has secured written permission from the owner(s) of any third party data / information contained in the dataset to make the dataset freely accessible.
Use constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, via the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Manager. Use by customers of information provided by the BGS, is at the customer's own risk. In view of the disparate sources of information at BGS's disposal, including such material donated to BGS, that BGS accepts in good faith as being accurate, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the quality or accuracy of the information supplied, or to the information's suitability for any use. NERC/BGS accepts no liability whatever in respect of loss, damage, injury or other occurence however caused.
Other constraints
Available under the Open Government Licence subject to the following acknowledgement accompanying the reproduced NERC materials "Contains NERC materials ©NERC [year]"
Spatial representation type
grid Grid
Denominator
1000000
Denominator
2500000
Metadata language
EnglishEnglish
Topic category
  • Geoscientific information
Geographic identifier
GB

Date (Revision)
2009

Geographic identifier
UK [id=139300]

Date (Creation)
1979

Geographic identifier
UKM

Date (Revision)
2009

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S
E
W
thumbnail


Begin date
1978
End date
2023-03
Unique resource identifier
OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG::27700)
Unique resource identifier
WGS 84 (EPSG::4326)
Distribution format
  • GeoTIFF image (.tif, .tiff) ()

Distributor
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
The Lyell Centre, Research Avenue South , EDINBURGH , LOTHIAN , EH14 4AP , United Kingdom
0115 936 3142
0115 936 3276
Distributor
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
Environmental Science Centre, Nicker Hill, Keyworth , NOTTINGHAM , NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , NG12 5GG , United Kingdom
0115 936 3143
0115 936 3276
Distributor
  British Geological Survey - Enquiries
OnLine resource
Map data downloads BGS Data – OpenGeoscience Homepage
OnLine resource
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
OnLine resource
UKSO - UK Soil Observatory Homepage ( WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link )
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Other
dataset

Conformance result

Date (Publication)
2011
Explanation
See the referenced specification
Pass
No

Conformance result

Date (Publication)
2010-12-08
Explanation
See http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:323:0011:0102:EN:PDF
Pass
No
Statement
The 57,966 topsoil data points of the source data are a combination of data from three main sources, namely the BGS G-BASE rural and urban topsoil data, the GSNI TellusNI rural and urban topsoil data and the RR-BGS XRF, accounting for 76.4%, 13.8% and 9.8% of the source data points respectively. Source data points are unevenly distributed, varying from 1 sample per 25 km2 in the RR-BGS XRF to 4 samples per 1 km2 in urban centres sampled by the G-BASE and TellusNI projects. The predicted concentration maps reflect this uneven sampling density with less 'smooth' geochemical features in areas of the map where sampling density is higher, given the options made during the ordinary kriging.
File identifier
fada8b3f-e509-6298-e053-0937940a8488 XML
Metadata language
EnglishEnglish
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Date stamp
2025-11-13
Metadata standard name
UK GEMINI
Metadata standard version
2.3
Point of contact
  British Geological Survey
Environmental Science Centre,Keyworth , NOTTINGHAM , NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , NG12 5GG , United Kingdom
+44 115 936 3100
Dataset URI
http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13608069
 
 

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