British Geochemical Deep Soil Samples from National Survey

Deep soil samples collected across Great Britain by the British Geological Survey's G-BASE program. Samples were taken from depths of 35-50 cm at densities of 1 per two square kilometres in rural areas and 4 per square kilometre in urban areas. The project began in the late 1960s and final samples were collected in 2014.

Use Cases

• Analyze concentrations of elements like As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in deep soil to assess baseline contamination levels.
• Map geochemical distributions of elements such as Cu, Ni, and Cr across Great Britain for mineral exploration studies.
• Compare archived deep soil sample chemistry with analyzed shallow soil samples collected from the same sites since 2003.
• Investigate urban-rural geochemical gradients using samples collected at different densities (4/km² vs. 1/2km²).

Strengths

• Systematic national survey covering the entirety of Great Britain.
• Samples analyzed for a wide suite of over 40 elements, including Ag, As, Ba, Bi, and others.
• Defined sampling protocol with specified depths (35-50 cm) and spatial densities.

Limitations

• No analytical results for deep soil samples collected after 2003, as only shallow soils were analyzed.
• Sample availability and analytical data require direct contact with the archive (BGS Enquiries).
• Temporal coverage ends in 2014, limiting analysis of recent environmental changes.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Deep soil samples collected, sieved to 150 microns, and analyzed by XRF for a suite of elements.

Time Range

Late 1960s to 2014

Freshness

null

Geography

Great Britain