BGS Informatics

Lead Research Organisation: British Geological Survey
Department Name: UNLISTED

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The Information Systems team have developed web applications, smartphone apps, data portals and interoperable web services that enable BGS to collect, ingest, manage, visualise and deliver BGS and NERC geoscience data and information. We have contributed to providing an integrated digital workflow from data capture to information visualisation.

Science-driven information systems such as our award winning UK Soil Observatory are provided to enable access to our vast corpus of data, text, images and mapping. Data access, visualisation and download systems are created for spatial, temporal and 3D information. Intuitive user interfaces are provided to enable users to interact with the data. Interoperable web services enable our data to be consumed by integrated systems in a whole systems approach to environmental research and problem solving. Legislative obligations for information delivery are met (e.g. the EU INSPIRE Directive). Open access systems are implemented (OpenGeoscience) as well as value-added commercial applications (Online shops).


The Data Science team has sought to streamline and centralise the digital data donation into the BGS and the data centre from the previous multitude of differing routes each with varying degrees of professional accession and ingestions or underpinning funding. The adoption of a professional centralised process of guidance and engagement, accession and ingestion via a holding store to community or national databases and data stores has led to efficiencies as well as enabling us to review the best practice this workflow process should encapsulate in order to maximise future benefits from the data and minimise risk to the data centre. Critically this has enabled us to review donation terms and conditions and licensing granted to the organisation to hold, use and disseminate the data- A vitally important area for the future as we seek to disseminate and integrate the data in order to facilitate science and the communication of the data to the public at large. The work in this area had been embedded into the online data donation portal which is presently used by commercial and NERC funded grant holders in order to donate their geoscience data. A formal launch of the portal was undertaken at the ASK Network workshop in Cardiff (late 2015) and Marine Industry workshop in London (early 2016).
The National Geological Repository (NGR) manages the "born-analogue" information within the BGS, and the increasing proportion of digital surrogates, including items traditionally managed by records, geological materials collections, archives and the library. "Information" types range from borehole cores to type fossil specimens, field notebooks to borehole logs, and library books and periodicals to maps and microfossils. Sources include:
• current and past outputs of the BGS
• hydrocarbons core, samples and data supplied to DECC and held by BGS
• analogue data resulting from NERC projects
• analogue data donated by numerous commercial and academic organisations, and individual UK researchers
The DECC onshore UK and UKCS hydrocarbon well cores, samples and data are regularly consulted by oil and gas company geologists. The information collected helps reduce risk and therefore cost, and hence assists in the exploitation of the UK's energy reserves, protecting jobs, the UK current account and the economy as a whole. The BGS core store was specifically mentioned in the BIS (Nov 2014) "Our Plan for Growth: Science and Innovation" as a good example of a facility used by commercial and academic geologists. Its estimated commercial income for 2015-16 is £94k, (down from over £195k in 2013-14 when oil prices and therefore exploration were significantly higher). The facility also provided "in-kind" support to the academic community of £146k.
The provision of a comprehensive set (> 130k) of high resolution online images of UKCS hydrocarbon well core has become a key resource used by most, if not all, UKCS operators. It has contributed to the improved efficiency of the geologists, and also more focussed work within the core store.
Other online digital surrogates include 3d digital models of type fossils, high resolution images of petrological thin sections, and scans of borehole logs. These, together with the main online databases, which provide discovery level information about many NGR items, are generally considered to be at the forefront of good practice. An estimated 2.5m borehole log scans are currently downloaded annually, mostly by the construction industry, where they form a requirement under BS5930 for geotechnical desk studies. This is a major contribution to the UK construction industry.
Exploitation Route The primary reason for working in this area is to maximise the value to UKPlc of NERC-Funded research. This includes the public, business, academics and policy makers.
Sectors Agriculture

Food and Drink

Communities and Social Services/Policy

Construction

Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Energy

Environment

Healthcare

Government

Democracy and Justice

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections

Transport

URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/services/ngdc/home.html?src=topNav
 
Description The Information Systems team have developed web applications, smartphone apps, data portals and interoperable web services that enable BGS to collect, ingest, manage, visualise and deliver BGS and NERC geoscience data and information. We have contributed to providing an integrated digital workflow from data capture to information visualisation. Science-driven information systems such as our award winning UK Soil Observatory are provided to enable access to our vast corpus of data, text, images and mapping. Data access, visualisation and download systems are created for spatial, temporal and 3D information. Intuitive user interfaces are provided to enable users to interact with the data. Interoperable web services enable our data to be consumed by integrated systems in a whole systems approach to environmental research and problem solving. Legislative obligations for information delivery are met (e.g. the EU INSPIRE Directive). Open access systems are implemented (OpenGeoscience) as well as value-added commercial applications (Online shops). With 25% of website visits being carried out from a smartphone or tablet, the Information Systems team have dedicated resources to increasing the range of data sets and services provided through our award winning mobile apps (iGeology, mySoil). Our web applications are also optimised for such devices. Increasing digital capture and ingestion of data is core to the BGS strategy. We have advanced our digital data collection system (SIGMA). Delivery and visualisation systems for information gathered in real time from sensor networks have been developed. We have created applications to harvest data directly from commercial companies such as site investigation information from the civil engineering industry. An engaged community is increasingly utilised through a range of citizen science projects to gather and validate data resources. 'Big data' mining, analysis and visualisation has been being investigated in order to obtain new intelligence from social media data and also from BGS data and application usage statistics. Through the adoption of semantic web technologies, canonical data representations, big data tools, scaleable computing infrastructure, brokered data processing and visualisation services, we have started building towards embedding ourselves within a global integrated, holistic environmental research and information dissemination infrastructure. Activities follow the BGS strategy: - develop systems to enable BGS to acquire, manage and enhance the UK geoscience knowledgebase. - Exploit the web to make the UK geoscience knowledgebase accessible to a worldwide audience. - Progress data and information interoperability and semantic publishing through GeoSciML and other industry standard data exchange formats. - provide systems that communicate BGS knowledge to decision makers e.g. via smartphones to planners. - utilise participative citizen science activities (GeoExposures, mySoil, myVolcano) to extend BGS data collection and validation capacity and build links with the wider geoscience community. - Enhance external partnerships (ESSP, UK Soil Observatory) to develop integrated systems in a whole systems approach to environmental research and problem solving. The Data Science team has sought to streamline and centralise the digital data donation into the BGS and the data centre from the previous multitude of differing routes each with varying degrees of professional accession and ingestions or underpinning funding. The adoption of a professional centralised process of guidance and engagement, accession and ingestion via a holding store to community or national databases and data stores has led to efficiencies as well as enabling us to review the best practice this workflow process should encapsulate in order to maximise future benefits from the data and minimise risk to the data centre. Critically this has enabled us to review donation terms and conditions and licensing granted to the organisation to hold, use and disseminate the data- A vitally important area for the future as we seek to disseminate and integrate the data in order to facilitate science and the communication of the data to the public at large. The work in this area had been embedded into the online data donation portal which is presently used by commercial and NERC funded grant holders in order to donate their geoscience data. A formal launch of the portal was undertaken at the ASK Network workshop in Cardiff (late 2015) and Marine Industry workshop in London (early 2016). Management of the current data stores holding the unique and nationally important geoscience data in a range of database and data stores with comprehensive metadata to aid their discovery and use. Recent work has included the investigation and trialling of differing data architectures that may be included in the multiple architecture model needed by the data centre/BGS as data types, complexity and volumes continue to grow, the wishes of science to rapidly interact with the data and the efficient use of staff drives our ambitions for data storage and delivery. The team consists of members of staff who hold expert data and information knowledge highly respected by the global community which has led to the engagement in a number of global expert groups such as GEO, EGU, RDA working and expert groups and the Belmont Forum. One member of the team, Helen Glaves was also awarded the Ian McHarg medal by the European Geological Union in 2016 for her contributions in the area of data and information management within the geosciences. "Data-driven geoscience" is a new research area for the team exploring the possibilities for deriving new geoscience from being able to analyse, mine or interrogate the wide breadth of the data held within the organisation. Given the wide variety of data, including types, complexity and age of the data from a long-established organisation this is a challenge and is necessitating us in gaining new skills as well as the adoption of new technology and tools. The network of contacts, external respect held within the community within the Informatics Directorate has led to our participation in four high profile Horizon 2020 projects which are all four year programmes that started in 2015/6. The collaborations will form the springboard to bringing a range of next generation Informatics skillsets as well as familiarity and access to UK and EU scale computing, storage and visualisation facilities for BGS staff. The National Geological Repository (NGR) manages the "born-analogue" information within the BGS, and the increasing proportion of digital surrogates, including items traditionally managed by records, geological materials collections, archives and the library. "Information" types range from borehole cores to type fossil specimens, field notebooks to borehole logs, and library books and periodicals to maps and microfossils. Sources include: • current and past outputs of the BGS • hydrocarbons core, samples and data supplied to DECC and held by BGS • analogue data resulting from NERC projects • analogue data donated by numerous commercial and academic organisations, and individual UK researchers The DECC onshore UK and UKCS hydrocarbon well cores, samples and data are regularly consulted by oil and gas company geologists. The information collected helps reduce risk and therefore cost, and hence assists in the exploitation of the UK's energy reserves, protecting jobs, the UK current account and the economy as a whole. The BGS core store was specifically mentioned in the BIS (Nov 2014) "Our Plan for Growth: Science and Innovation" as a good example of a facility used by commercial and academic geologists. Its estimated commercial income for 2015-16 is £94k, (down from over £195k in 2013-14 when oil prices and therefore exploration were significantly higher). The facility also provided "in-kind" support to the academic community of £146k. The provision of a comprehensive set (> 130k) of high resolution online images of UKCS hydrocarbon well core has become a key resource used by most, if not all, UKCS operators. It has contributed to the improved efficiency of the geologists, and also more focussed work within the core store. Other online digital surrogates include 3d digital models of type fossils, high resolution images of petrological thin sections, and scans of borehole logs. These, together with the main online databases, which provide discovery level information about many NGR items, are generally considered to be at the forefront of good practice. An estimated 2.5m borehole log scans are currently downloaded annually, mostly by the construction industry, where they form a requirement under BS5930 for geotechnical desk studies. This is a major contribution to the UK construction industry. The NGR provides access to information otherwise unobtainable, through cost, access or uniqueness, and it underpins a long history of cooperation between BGS, academia and industry.
First Year Of Impact 2013
Sector Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Construction,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Energy,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

Economic

Policy & public services

 
Description Cited in the BIS "Our Plan for Growth: Science and Innovation" Nov 2014
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact Increased awareness of the facilities provided by the NGR
URL https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/388015/14-1247-science-inn...
 
Description Influenced reform of PON9, consequent on Energy Act 2016
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
Impact Provided suggested text for discussion and possible inclusion in redrafting of PON9, as required by Energy Act 2016. Will provide for a more efficient way of depositing a wider range of hydrocarbon well samples, thereby reducing risk in hydrocarbons exploration. This will help maximise hydrocarbon recovery, and thereby improve the UK financial position.
 
Title AGS Validation Workbench 
Description The validation of geotechnical data to ensure quality and ability for re-use is essential in order to provide data with integrity for both research and the wider community. To achieve this a proportion of the validation rules as defined by the AGS technical group have been coded and encapsulated into a a series of workbenches to validate automatically the data received and approve or report errors encountered. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2017 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Driving better quality within the data providers and delivering a higher quality national open data set for use in research and by wider industry partners 
 
Title Audit, clean and relaunch of asbestos minerals collection 
Description The BGS National Geological Repository holds a collection of ca. 2000 asbestos minerals that have been inaccessible for twenty years through health and safety concerns. the collection has been cleaned, audited and double bagged, and is now available for study and research. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Within 48 hours of this being announced in the BGS Quarterly Report, a request for details was received from Environmental Geochemistry, Nottingham University. 
 
Title Core Scanning Facility 
Description Ran various workshops and demonstrations to draw up specifications for core scanning equipment. Conducted a successful tendering exercise = value £1.4m. Equipment now installed and undergoing commissioning. Four scanners purchased: X-Ray CT scanner Two scanners with full 2d mapping capability MSCL-S Multi sensor scanner. Data outputs include 2D xray images, 3D CT scans, p-wave velocity & amplitude, core diameter, gamma density, natural gamma, magnetic susceptibility, XRF elemental analysis, NIR mineralogy analysis, resistivity, linescan images, UV images. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This is still undergoing commissioning, so no impacts yet. Facility is already in demand and will change many research techniques. 
 
Title GTB Lab Database 
Description The conceptual data model has been physically implemented within the BGS corporate Oracle RDBMS to hold the geochemical tracer data from the NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory (NIGL). A supporting workflow and processes has been devised to export the metadata/data from the laboratory machines and load it into the GTF database at regular intervals. Future consideration of streaming new data from laboratory machines is being investigated along with enlarging the remit of the database to include other geoscience data analysis types. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Better integration of laboratory data with the corporate data holding from the rest of the BGS. Better understanding of the geoscience analysis types and supporting metadata created by the machinery held in the labs. 
 
Description AGI Gemini 2.3 Geospatial Metadata standard upgrade 
Organisation Association for Geographic Information
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Learned Society 
PI Contribution AGI Gemini 2.3 Geospatial Metadata standard upgrade including a validation schematron.
Collaborator Contribution Funding and national strategy leadership.
Impact This upgrade included all the latest updates requested by INSPIRE for data web services but contained within the UK focussed and long implemented Gemini metadata standard.
Start Year 2018
 
Description ASK Network 
Organisation British Geological Survey
Department Accessing Subsurface Knowledge Network
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Guidance upon the best practice needed to manage, validate and store AGS data held by the partners that form part of the ASK Network and utilise the data sets and products produced by the British Geological Survey.
Collaborator Contribution Discussions on the use and applicability of the AGS standard within their own organisations and the barriers to open data sharing. Ultimately the sharing of their 'open' data by some network member organisations.
Impact Agreements with Glasgow City Council and Scottish Water (others in the pipeline) to take open, validated AGS v3.1 GPEC data for storage by the data centre.
Start Year 2014
 
Description Access to Coal Authority scanned mine abandonment plans 
Organisation Coal Authority
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution This is part of a wider collaboration with the CA where we archive and provide access to a range of their historical geological data
Collaborator Contribution The CA has provided scanned copies of their Scottish mine abandonment plans, with English and Welsh to follow
Impact Online BGS access to Scottish mine abandonment plans.
 
Description Building a new multi-organisational radioactive minerals store - a UK centre of excellence 
Organisation Natural History Museum
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution BGS is providing a building for conversion, part finance, estates and technical expertise and a major radioactive minerals collection
Collaborator Contribution NHM is providing finance and technical expertise, plus a major radioactive minerals collection
Impact Planning documents Project plan Largely completed building
Start Year 2014
 
Description Collaboration betwen NGR and Geotek Ltd 
Organisation Geotek
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution We have provided cores for scanning and scientific expertise to improve the core scanning equipment, procedures and methodologies and workflows providd by Geotek. We have also provided expertise in the functioning of national geological repositories to underpin various collaborative projects.
Collaborator Contribution Geotek have provided upgraded core scanning equipment beyond the specifications purchased. They have provided expertise and product support beyond that specified, and they have provided international opportunities for collaborative consultancy.
Impact Improved product performance
Start Year 2018
 
Description Collaboration with NIGPAS, the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology 
Organisation Chinese Academy of Sciences
Department Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Country China 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution BGS provided office space and access to historical scientific records.
Collaborator Contribution NIGPAS placed a team of 4 of their staff in BS for 3 months to scan 1500 + historical biostratigraphy reports. Their staff in Nanjing then uploaded these into the Geobiodiversity Database for subsequent display, access and analysis.
Impact Web access to BGS palaeontological data on the GBDB database. Analysis using Big data techniques is planned for later this year.
Start Year 2017
 
Description Collaboration with OGA on the details of the new PON9, leading to: "Reporting & disclosure of Information and Samples Guidance" 
Organisation Oil & Gas UK
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Provided suggested text for discussion and possible inclusion in redrafting of PON9, as required by Energy Act 2016. Will provide for a more efficient way of depositing a wider range of hydrocarbon well samples, thereby reducing risk in hydrocarbons exploration. This will help maximise hydrocarbon recovery, and thereby improve the UK financial position.
Collaborator Contribution N/A
Impact Draft documents under mutual development
Start Year 2015
 
Description Deutsche Telekom 
Organisation Deutsche Telekom
Country Germany 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Demonstrator created by BGS for Deutsche Telekom showing how iGeology 3D technology (mobile app providing interactive visualisation of spatial data) can be used to present mobile signal strength data. Part of a push to demonstrate that the capability BGS has developed in iGeology 3D can provide immersive visualisation functionality for other (non Geology) domains.
Collaborator Contribution Testing of the app and analysis of its potential application in non-geoscience domains - in this case the telecoms industry.
Impact The potential applicability of the technology is still being analysed.
Start Year 2015
 
Description ESSP 
Organisation Meteorological Office UK
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Technical development on an API management platform providing a one-stop shop for environmental data served via APIs which 3rd parties can use to develop commercial value added products.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration on the development of the commercial platform
Impact A first version of an API platform has been produced that aims to widen the use of environmental data from the partners and other organisations in the future.
Start Year 2014
 
Description ESSP 
Organisation Ordnance Survey
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Technical development on an API management platform providing a one-stop shop for environmental data served via APIs which 3rd parties can use to develop commercial value added products.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration on the development of the commercial platform
Impact A first version of an API platform has been produced that aims to widen the use of environmental data from the partners and other organisations in the future.
Start Year 2014
 
Description ESSP 
Organisation UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Technical development on an API management platform providing a one-stop shop for environmental data served via APIs which 3rd parties can use to develop commercial value added products.
Collaborator Contribution Collaboration on the development of the commercial platform
Impact A first version of an API platform has been produced that aims to widen the use of environmental data from the partners and other organisations in the future.
Start Year 2014
 
Description GeoSciML 
Organisation Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI)
Country Global 
Sector Multiple 
PI Contribution Along with partners, developed GeoSciML, an XML-based data transfer standard for the exchange of digital geoscientific information. It accommodates the representation and description of features typically found on geological maps, as well as being extensible to other geoscience data such as drilling, sampling, and analytical data. It enables the integration of geological data from providers across the world, underpinning initiatives such as OneGeology.
Collaborator Contribution Co developers of the GeoSciML exchange language.
Impact The GeoSciML exchange language that is being used to integrate geological data from many national geological survey organisations and create an integrated geology map of the world in OneGeology.
 
Description GeoVault 
Organisation Bridgeporth Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Jointly set up the GeoVault Non-Seismic Geophysical Data Repository where users can search, manage and licence non-seismic geophysical data. BGS led on the technical development of the system.
Collaborator Contribution Jointly set up the GeoVault Non-Seismic Geophysical Data Repository where users can search, manage and licence non-seismic geophysical data. Bridgeporth led on data management and client management.
Impact An outcome of the partnership is the establishment of the GeoVault service as described above.
Start Year 2016
 
Description Global OGC initiative Borehole IE (Interoperability Experiment) to create a unified data model for Borehole Information 
Organisation Open Geospatial Consortium
Country United States 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution A harmonised model with ontology for boreholes drawing from the many existing and varied borehole models and use-cases from Geological Survey type organisations.
Collaborator Contribution As above in a joint collaborative venture.
Impact A harmonised model with ontology for boreholes drawing from the many existing and varied borehole models and use-cases from Geological Survey type organisations will be the ultimate outcome.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Historic Environment Scotland 
Organisation Government of Scotland
Department Historic Scotland
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Developed a customised version of SIGMA, our digital field data capture system, for use gathering information about historic monuments. Demonstrates the flexible use of our data workflow systems and their potential applicability to other domains.
Collaborator Contribution Requirements analysis and field testing of the developed system.
Impact A customised version of our digital field data capture system is in use by Historic Environment Scotland.
Start Year 2014
 
Description Hosting EPOS European solid earth research infrastructure 
Organisation Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
Country Denmark 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution EPOS is a European Research Infrastructure that combines solid Earth data and scientific expertise from 25 European nations into one integrated system. It has estimated construction costs of 500M euros and operational costs of 80M euros per year. Our partnership will host the core EPOS IT infrastructure with an initial agreement from 2017 to 2020. Our team led the development of the successful proposal and will act as Director of the consortium.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners jointly prepared the successful proposal. BRGM will take on the role of technical coordinator. GEUS will take the roles of Chief Strategist and lead on user liaison.
Impact No outputs have yet resulted from the partnership as it is still in the process of agreeing modus operandi with the European legal entities that will govern the collaboration.
Start Year 2016
 
Description Hosting EPOS European solid earth research infrastructure 
Organisation Geological and Mining Research Bureau
Country France 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution EPOS is a European Research Infrastructure that combines solid Earth data and scientific expertise from 25 European nations into one integrated system. It has estimated construction costs of 500M euros and operational costs of 80M euros per year. Our partnership will host the core EPOS IT infrastructure with an initial agreement from 2017 to 2020. Our team led the development of the successful proposal and will act as Director of the consortium.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners jointly prepared the successful proposal. BRGM will take on the role of technical coordinator. GEUS will take the roles of Chief Strategist and lead on user liaison.
Impact No outputs have yet resulted from the partnership as it is still in the process of agreeing modus operandi with the European legal entities that will govern the collaboration.
Start Year 2016
 
Description INSPIRE 
Organisation European Commission
Country European Union (EU) 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution BGS have played a central role in the development of the enabling standards and technical guidance behind the EU Directive INSPIRE for sharing environmental spatial data. This has included roles as chair, facilitator and technical expert in the writing of many underpinning guidance and standards.
Collaborator Contribution Partners have engaged with BGS in the provision of these guidance and standards.
Impact Technical guidance documents and data exchange standards to ensure the legislation behind the EU INSPIRE Directive can be delivered.
 
Description OneGeology Global GeoScience Network 
Organisation Geological and Mining Research Bureau
Country France 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution BGS has led this collaboration since 2007
Collaborator Contribution Collaborators have contributed data and expertise in standards development
Impact Global Data Portal Data Publication Workshops Conference Presentations
Start Year 2007
 
Description Scottish SDI 
Organisation Government of Scotland
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution BGS advises the Scottish Government on technical aspects of the implementation of their OneScotland national spatial data infrastructure,
Collaborator Contribution Implementation of their national spatial data infrastructure application in line with BGS advice to ensure compliance with national and EU legislation.
Impact The Scottish SDI enabling a central search for all Scottish Government spatial data is in place.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Semantic web 
Organisation Robert Gordon University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution BGS is part funding a PhD project (with Robert Gordon University) to investigate the use of semantic web technologies for smarter retrieval and interoperability of geosciences resources using geosciences ontologies. The student has produced a prototype search algorithm that uses BGS vocabularies published in Linked Data form (Lexicon, RCS and Chronostrat, see data.bgs.ac.uk) to provide a semantically aware search that returns more relevant results than a simple free text web search. The algorithm could potentially be used to suggest keyword terms for automated mark-up of text resources to enhance the richness of these information sources.
Collaborator Contribution The student is based at RGU. RGU are leading his supervision and integrating his work into their wider research in to semantic web technologies.
Impact Prototype enhanced search applications that improve the discoverability of BGS information resources and their ability to be combined with information from other resources via automated machine to machine communication.
Start Year 2014
 
Title Building Stone database for Scotland 
Description This web application aims to define and describe all of the building stones of Scotland and for each one provide details of associated quarries, built sites and samples. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early 
URL https://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/buildingStones/database.html
 
Title Data Donation Portal 
Description As part of the BGS strategy to create a common digital ingestion and accession system, an automated online data donation system has been developed that enables data donators (including NERC funded grant holders) to lodge their data with the National Geoscience Data Centre (hosted within BGS), also providing the necessary metadata to enable the information to be accessioned into the system. Critically the online system encapsulates the terms and conditions of the data deposit to ensure future re-use. Complementary search services also enable external users to find and download that same data, providing a professional, efficient and automated workflow for data data accession, management and delivery. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact Enhancing the efficiency of data accession and ingestion into the data centre, ensuring common best practice is followed and appropriate T&C's and metadata are adopted and documented. Solution enhances the efficiency and ease with which it can be discovered and accessed by third parties. 
URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/services/ngdc/guidelines.html
 
Title Donated Data Search Application 
Description Online search application providing both accession metadata and links to the downloadable files from open data donations received by the National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) from 2016 onwards. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact Online search tool access proving user communities and public with confirmation and easy re-access to the open data donated to the National Geoscience Data Centre. Encourages community collaboration and engagement in projects, programmes and open data sharing initiatives. 
URL http://webservices.bgs.ac.uk/accessions
 
Title Environmental Monitoring sensor data 
Description Real-time monitoring of environmental phenomena is a large and growing area of interest in the BGS and wider research communities. As an informatics department we are tasked with providing scalable, robust ways of managing high volume, highly varied data, generated by a range of scientific projects. We are collecting data from sensors located throughout the UK, and beyond, capturing information on properties such as groundwater temperature and levels, barometric air pressure and motion sensors. We have recently started collecting information related to the energy efficiency of buildings and have developed techniques for incorporating data from sensors operated by other institutions. We want to manage the sensor data we use in our research in a consistent, scalable manner, regardless of the type of sensor, where it is located or who set it up. We have developed an architecture for streaming sensor telemetry data into a central data store where it can be standardised, cleaned up and generally prepared for the many potential users that want to access that data. Our philosophy it to tailor data clients to meet the needs of the users without compromising the design of the central data store. This means that we may create web portals or mobile applications for a geographical area, a particular scientific discipline or a topic of public concern. The range of outputs produced include online graphing tools, publicly accessible web APIs, use of 3rd party libraries for graphing temporal data such as dygraphs.com, ingestion of non-telemetry data into the sensor data database. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early to say 
URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/Sensors/
 
Title Geochronology and Tracer Facility (GTF) database web portal 
Description The BGS Geochronology and Tracer Facility (GTF) has a database web portal that allows researchers to discover and download sample analysis data. It provides public access to non-confidential records. This is the first major BGS database to adopt the use of the international geo sample number (IGSN) numbering system. IGSN values are globally unique sample IDs that can be used to reference the sample unambiguously in academic papers. It can be used as the sample ID on its own or in addition to the one given by the collector. IGSN values are currently obtained via the SESAR organisation. The SESAR metadata catalogue has a publicly accessible, map-based search tool for researchers to find our samples and those collected by other earth science organisations around the orld. It will provide links within it from each GTF sample to the relevant web page on the GTF portal, where more information is available. The BGS has also now taken the significant decision to become the IGSN issuing agent for the UK, meaning that we will begin registering samples from BGS as well as other organisations. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early to say 
URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/opengeoscience
 
Title Geology of Britain map viewer 
Description We have released a 3D version of the popular Geology of Britain map viewer. You can view geology maps over the ground surface in 3D and dive beneath the ground and explore the geology beneath! The viewer also allows you to navigate through the subsurface to view geological cross-sections, earthquakes and boreholes. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early to say 
URL http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain3d/index.html
 
Title Geosemantics 
Description Prototype software to semantically markup BGS corpus of text providing fragments of text (paragraphs) from BGS publications identified as being associated with key geoscience and location based vocabularies. This has enabled outputs such as semantiv full text search applications including a spatial interface that provides access to text descriptions of the geology at identified locations. It also allows the interlinkage of geological maps and models and descriptive text relating to the same chronostratigraphical units leading to developing and using semantics/ontologies and tools to facilitate advanced searching and linkages between differing data assets, enabling better integration between text, map, 3D model and any other data resources held by BGS and third party organisations. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early to say 
 
Title Multi hazards citizen science platform 
Description A citizen science platform to collect information relating to geohazard monitoring focused initially in the Caribbean. It combines a mobile app for many operating systems, as well as a web platform. Functionality is provided for validation of submissions by approved third parties. A platform built using open source technologies to collect, manage and visualise locally collected hazard data to benefit local communities. It provides a flexible hazard collection model that allows simple observations through to multiple media/hazard observations with multiple questions. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early to say. 
 
Title Online database of thin section images 
Description Online access to unique database of over 150,000 high resolution petrological thin sections, imaged in both plain polarised and cross polarised light. Has been updated during 2013 - 2016 with English and Welsh and additional Scottish images. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2013 
Impact Intended as a discovery tool to improve research efficiency and effectiveness, this has been used for some original research (M. Holness, pers comm) 
URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/data/britrocks.html
 
Title Online high resolution UKCS hydrocarbon core images 
Description The online high resolution UKCS hydrocarbon core image database, an important business tool used by many UKCS hydrocarbon operators and service companies, has been updated with images of core delivered 2010 - 2015. 
Type Of Technology e-Business Platform 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact The original online images were launched in 2012 and are used by most UKCS hydrocarbon operators and service companies because of the quality and ease of use of the images. They are an important tool for improving models and therefore reducing risk. During 2015, the core photography facility was brought online at Keyworth and the backlog of unphotographed UKCS core eliminated. 
URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/data/offshoreWells/wells.cfc?method=searchWells
 
Title Online shop 
Description A new version of the BGS Online Shop which allows users to buy maps, books, geological assessment reports, customised maps focused on their area of interest, This new release updates the current version, providing improved functionality and usability, as well as advancing the technical infrastructure underpinning the service. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early to say 
URL http://shop.bgs.ac.uk
 
Title RealTime data 
Description An application to view and download near real-time sensor data has been developed. This is a generic system that can take and display and provide interaction capability with data from a wide range of sensors measuring a wide range of parameters. Its initial release displays sensor streams from groundwater monitoring in Lancashire and the Vale of Pickering resulting from the baseline monitoring around shale gas planning application sites. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact None as yet 
URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/sensors/
 
Title iGeology Crowdsourcing 
Description Latest version of the iGeology mobile app which provides access to street scale geology maps for the whole of the UK. Latest version of the iOS platform provides crowdsourcing functionality and enables you to share your geological observations with other iGeology users, submit photographs and descriptions of your favourite geological sites, identify outcrops and show us where our mapping needs revisiting. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact Too early to comment. 
URL http://www.bgs.ac.uk/igeology
 
Title iGeology3D 
Description iGeology 3D is is expected to be launched in March. This app for Android initially (soon to be followed by iOS) has the potential to be a game changer in the delivery of spatial information to mobile devices. It has already attracted interest for commercial organisations including those outside of the geology domain (Deutsche Telekom). The app provides interactive Google Earth style landscape explorer functionality with augmented reality to enable users to immerse themselves in their surroundings and overlay datasets on to their view of the landscape to augment their understanding of the environment. Whilst a previous version of iGeology 3D was available, this is essentially a completely new product. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact Revolutionise access to spatial data in the field. Applicable to many different domains outside of geoscience. 
 
Title mGeology 
Description iPhone/iPad app to deliver the digital geology mapping of the UAE. Replicates the functionality developed by BGS for its own digital mapping databases (iGeology which has received 250,000 downloads). 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact Potential to facilitate a culture of greater openness in terms of the dissemination of research outputs within the region. 
URL https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mgeology/id980253107?mt=8
 
Description Archives and Records Association Midlands meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation on digital preservation planning and implementation
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Article in the New Review of Information Networking 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A peer reviewed article: A case study: Management and exploitation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency Geoscience Data Archive
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description BGS Open Day visits to NGR 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Open day visits to core store
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Collaboration in the International GBDB worksop in Nanjing, including two keynote presentations and seminar at NIGPAS, the Nanjing Institute of Geology & Palaeontology 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Provide two keynote presentations on BGS data and collections to the International GBDB Database Workshop, and participated in various working groups. Provided a keynote seminar to the staff of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Data workshop at Leicester University 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact The workshop introduced MSc students to a variety of the online data resources provided by BGS.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description EGU General Assembly 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentations given on BGS?SIGMA and HES?SIGMA
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description EU Pilot Blue Cloud meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact ODIP II presentation to EU consulation group on creating a thematic Blue Cloud pilot for the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description European Commission DLM Forum Triennial meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A conference presentation: A case study: Management and exploitation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency Geoscience Data Archive
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Five hops to DevOps - Changing the culture around software deployment in the public sector 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Increased awareness within the software development industry of the application of industry trends within the research environment helping to shape discussion on necessary adaptations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description GEO - Data Management Principles Expert Group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact GEO is an intra-governmental group on Earth Observation with the aim of: "a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information." Underpinning this is a number of expert groups that internationally develop policy and guidance for consideration and adoption by member countries. BGS via Garry Baker the UK member upon the Data Management Principles Expert Group, this group have developed a comprehensive suite of best practice in the field of 'data management'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015,2016
 
Description GIG/PESGB Workshop in London - Preserving and Protecting Your Data and Information Assets 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Preserving and Protecting Your Data and Information Assets - workshop for community practitioners managing geological/geoscience/environmental data assets both digital and analogue at a time of limited funding. A suite of presentations and discussion sessions raising awareness of recent work, best practice and guidance to help others in the community.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Geological Curators Group digital imaging workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Two day hands-on workshop on digital object photography and post-processing and 3-d digital object capture through laser scanning and photogrammetry. Intended as general capacity building within the collections sector, two of the delegates intended to use their knowledge to design a £250k digitisation project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description ICSU-CODATA Inter-Union Workshop on 21st Century Scientific and Technical Data: Developing a roadmap for data integration 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact ICSU-CODATA Commission on Data Standards for Science convened the first Inter-Union Workshop on 21st Century Scientific and Technical Data in Paris, France on 19-21 June 2017. An invitation only meeting bringing together relevant experts to seek a consensus about how unions and disciplinary groups can best work together in establishing a global network of scientific research data that is FAIR - i.e., Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description IRMS Bulletin 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article on career development in Information Management at BGS
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description IRMS Conference talk 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation on digital preservation planning and implementation
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description IRMS Executive meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Contribution to the strategic planning of a national professional organisation
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description International collaboration in Nanjing China relating to machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance the GeoBiodiversity database through collaboration on geosemantic utilities 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact International collaboration in Nanjing China relating to machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance the GeoBiodiversity database through collaboration on geosemantic utilities. BGS have been able to enhance core natural language processing software for the geoscience community as a result of this knowledge sharing collaboration.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description International collaboration on semantic text mining of geoscience resources with GeoDeepDive initiative 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Knowledge sharing relation to applying algorithmic approaches to knowledge and data discovery and aggregation from published documents in the Geosciences through the GeoDeepDive initiative.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Marine Institute Lunchtime Lecture series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Lunchtime lecture to staff at Marine Insitutue, Galway Ireland by Helen Glaves titled: Marine data management: a European perspective
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Ocean Data Interoperability Platform (ODIP) workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Final project workshop led by Helen Glaves (BGS) and hosted at the Marine Insitute in Galway, Ireland. Participants included project partners from Europe, Australia, USA and Canada, as well as international experts in geoinformatics.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description OneGeology Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Held a series of workshops to promote the publication of geological data with representatives currently not engaged in OneGeology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015,2016
 
Description Presentation on "Getting Legacy BGS Stratigraphic Data Ready for the Big Data Revolution" to the Geological Society of London meeting on Big Data, 27th Feb - 1st March 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentation on "Getting Legacy BGS Stratigraphic Data Ready for the Big Data Revolution" to the Big Data meeting. Argued that the BGS National Geological Repository geoscience collections, although the largest such UK collections, and mostly with online indexes, had not yet been studied using "big data" techniques. The strategy was aggregation to international databases, and work with the Chinese Geobiodiversity Database should allow analysis of biostratigraphic data using the CONOP multidimensional graphical correlation technique' leading to improved accuracy. The talk sparked some useful interest and discussion and various leads are being followed up.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL http://www.geobiodiversity.com/
 
Description Records Management Journal 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article on digital preservation planning and implementation
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Science Data Pubication Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Science Data Publication Workshop - a workshop to explain to scientists the benefits of unique person identification systems (ORCID), digital object identifiers (DOIs), data publication as well as journal paper publication and the effect upon H indexes. An open discussion between scientists, ORCID, British Library, journal editors and informatics developers. Attended by approximately 50 BGS staff, some students, external organisations and journals.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Scottish Natural Heritage and CAMERAS event on Sharing Good Practices. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Talks provided on data capture, ingestion and delivery by Garry Baker, Nikki Smith, Diego Diaz Doce and Ali Fernie
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Talk to Information and Records Management Society 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation on the move of BGS Murchison House records by Ali Fernie to other information management professinals.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Talk to North Staffordshire Branch, Geologists' Association 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Evening talk on the BGS Geoscience Collections: Modern Collections with a 200 year history
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Talk to Russell Society AGM 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Talk by Mike Howe at the Russell Society Annual Meeting in Leicester. Discussed the history and scope of the BGS mineral collections.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Television interview to promote a BGS-NEMO workshop in St Vincent to discuss the myHAZ System developed as part of the ODA Global Hazards stream 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Interview with St Vincent TV station SVG-TV to promote the work undertaken by BGS to co-design (with NEMO and UWI-SRC) the myHAZ System for crowdsourcing multiple hazards. Increased awareness of the BGS-NEMO-UISRC co-designed myHAZ system and how the authorities in St Vincent (NEMO) and taking practical steps to improve the way they manage and respond to the multiple hazards that affect St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Workshop at NEMO (St Vincent) with representatives of government and private bodies to discuss the myHAZ System developed as part of the ODA Global Hazards stream 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Workshop hosted at NEMO to present the latest iteration of the myHAZ System which has been co-designed by BGS, NEMO and UWI-SRC. We reported back to key stakeholders (official representatives of various industry sectors and government departments) on how their feedback at a workshop in 2017 has directly influenced the development of the myHAZ system. BGS facilitated breakout sessions were used to discuss the system and provide targeted feedback on the next stages of development and planned deployment. Positive validation that the myHAZ system is fit-for-purpose and satisfies the requirements of stakeholders. NEMO are keen to progress with the system and start planning for deployment in 2019.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018