BGS launches new Geology Viewer

New British Geological Survey app provides easy access to the geology of the subsurface of Britain

A NEW app providing easy access to the subsurface of Britain has been released by the British Geological Survey (BGS).

The BGS Geology Viewer has been designed to provide geology enthusiasts and the public with bedrock and superficial geology maps of Great Britain. Anyone with a browser-enabled device – including mobiles, tablets, and laptops – can use the free application.

The GPS-enabled viewer allows users to zoom to their location and tap the 3D map for information on each geology layer and how they were formed. The dynamic map legend updates to display only the visible rock formations, and users can access further information with links to additional records in the BGS Lexicon. The viewer is also customizable with a range of different base maps to choose from.

The application has been designed as a streamlined successor to some of BGS’ existing viewers. The mobile-first design is intended to make the new viewer available to a much wider range of users across different devices. It will not be found in the Apple or Google App stores; instead, users can access he viewer through the BGS website.

Mobile users can also choose to add the app to their home screen and launch it like a native app. Initially launched in beta, further development is planned over the coming years to provide exciting new functionality to meet the evolving needs of BGS data users.

Following the launch, two older BGS applications, iGeology and the Geology of Britain viewer, will be retired on 1 August, whilst for professional users who need to access BGS data as part of their business requirements, BGS GeoIndex is also available, containing borehole records and a comprehensive BGS data catalogue.