BGS Maps Database: Over 130,000 Geological Maps and Scans Since the 1830s

Great Britain is the primary region covered by this index of over 130,000 geological maps and field slips, with over 240,000 associated scans. The British Geological Survey (BGS) maintains this database, which records metadata for all geological maps produced by the BGS and its predecessors since systematic mapping began in the 1830s. The database was last updated on 2026-04 09.

Use Cases

• Historical trend analysis in geological mapping based on survey and revision year metadata.
• Geospatial querying and visualization based on the recorded spatial extent of each map sheet.
• Digitization and archival studies based on the high-resolution JPEG2000 scans and digital master formats.
• Cataloguing and metadata research based on transcribed map attributes like title, theme, and publication years.

Strengths

• Contains metadata for over 130,000 maps and over 240,000 associated scans.
• Covers a long temporal range, with records dating from the commencement of systematic mapping in the 1830s.
• Includes a variety of map series, such as geophysical, geochemical, hydrogeological, and thematic maps.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• For a small number of maps, no scan exists, limiting digital access.
• The maps may differ significantly from the latest BGS digital vector mapping, as noted in the description.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Metadata transcription from the maps themselves, with cataloguer-supplied information indicated in square brackets.

Time Range

1830s to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-09 08:29:20.508538; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Primarily Great Britain, but also includes Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, and various overseas regions.