BGS Geology - 625k (DiGMapGB-625) Superficial Deposits for Great Britain

Onshore coverage is provided for all of England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. The data identify landscape areas as polygons attributed with geological names and rock type descriptions for superficial deposits formed during the Quaternary period, extending back about 2.58 million years. It is a simplified interpretation at a 1:625,000 scale, created by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and delivered as vector data under the Open Government Licence.

Use Cases

• Regional geological mapping based on polygon features attributed with deposit type.
• Studying Quaternary period landscape evolution based on deposits classified by mode of origin (e.g., glacial, river terrace).
• Assessing surface material composition for land-use planning based on rock type descriptions like gravel, sand, silt, clay, or peat.

Strengths

• Covers the entire onshore area of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Provides a simplified geological interpretation at a consistent 1:625,000 scale.
• Attributes deposits using the formal BGS Lexicon and Rock Classification Scheme.

Limitations

• The description notes the data should not be relied on for local geology due to its simplified, regional-scale nature.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific analytical tasks.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Likely digitized and interpreted from geological survey maps and field data.

Time Range

Covers deposits from the Quaternary period, extending back about 2.58 million years.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-28 14:04:19.398474; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Onshore England, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, and Northern Ireland.