British Geological Survey

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British Geological Survey

Logo and wordmark of the British Geological Survey
Abbreviation BGS
Formation

1835

by Henry De la Beche
Legal status Government Organisation
Purpose/focus

Geoscience

Carry out scientific research to understand the structure, properties and processes of
the solid earth system
Headquarters Kingsley Dunham Centre
Location

Nicker Hill
Keyworth
Nottingham

NG12 5GG
Region served United Kingdom United Kingdom
Executive Director Dr. John Ludden
Parent organization Natural Environment Research Council
Budget

£52m

around 50% from NERC
Website www.bgs.uk

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS headquarters are in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, but other centres are located in Edinburgh, Wallingford, Cardiff and London. The current motto of the BGS is: Applied Geoscience for our changing earth.

History and previous names

The Geological Survey was founded in 1835 as the Ordnance Geological Survey, under Henry De la Beche. This was the world's first national geological survey. It remained a branch of the Ordnance Survey for many years. In 1965, it was merged with the Geological Museum and Overseas Geological Surveys, under the name of "Institute of Geological Sciences". On 1 January 1984, the institute was renamed the British Geological Survey (and often referred to as the BGS), a name still carried today.

Competences

The BGS advises the British government on all aspects of geoscience, as well as providing impartial advice on geological matters to the public, academics and industry. BGS is a component body of the UK Natural Environment Research Council which is the UK's leading body for fundamental, strategic and applied research and monitoring in the environmental sciences. The core outputs of the BGS include geological, geophysical, geochemical and hydrogeological maps, descriptions and related digital databases. Scientists at the BGS produced the first comprehensive map of African groundwater reserves.[1] One of the key strategic aims for the next decade is to complete the transition from 2-D mapping to a 3-D modelling culture. The BGS has an annual budget of £57M, about half of which comes from the government's Science Budget, with the remainder coming from commissioned research from the public and private sectors.

BGS Seal

See also

  • Systems Geology

External links

References

  1. ↑ Scholl, Adam. "Map Room: Hidden Waters". World Policy Journal. Retrieved 19 December 2012. 
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