Superficial Deposit Thickness Model for Great Britain

Version 2.1 provides a mathematical interpretation of superficial deposit thickness across England, Scotland, and Wales. The model, created by the British Geological Survey, interpolates borehole and Digmap data, assigning a minimum 1.5-meter thickness in known deposit areas lacking bore data.

Use Cases

• Estimate superficial deposit thickness for Quaternary sediment mapping using interpolated borehole data.
• Apply the minimum 1.5m thickness rule to model areas where deposits are known but direct bore data is absent.
• Analyze model performance in valley areas where phantom points were used to improve geological interpretation.
• Use the thickness grids as a baseline dataset for regional geological information products.

Strengths

• Model covers the entire landmass of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales).
• Incorporates a defined minimum thickness value of 1.5 meters for areas with known deposits.
• Based on data from authoritative sources: BGS Borehole records and BGS Digmap.

Limitations

• Model is a simple mathematical interpretation with acknowledged phantom points, not a substitute for site investigation.
• Complexity of superficial deposits means the model only provides indicative thickness and elevation values.
• Temporal coverage is defined for deposits less than 2.6 million years old, but specific data currency is unknown.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Derived by direct modelling (natural neighbour interpolation) of BGS Borehole records and BGS Digmap.

Time Range

Covers Quaternary, Holocene, and modern anthropogenic deposits (less than 2.6 million years old).

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

England, Scotland, and Wales (Great Britain).