Great Britain's national geological survey

Great Britain's national geological survey (there is a separate Geological Survey of Northern Ireland) was established in 1835 as the Geological Survey of Great Britain, renamed in 1965 as the Institute of Geological Sciences, and renamed again in 1984 as the British Geological Survey. Applied, economic and environmental geology have always been important parts of the Survey's work.

The Survey has published very large numbers of geological maps, serial publications under a variety of titles, other materials, and what are known as Memoirs. Although first published, in the 1830s, as a numbered serial publication containing a variety of papers in each volume, from about Volume IV this practice was abandoned, and the Survey has used the term Memoir, ever since, as a general overall title for its mainstream stand-alone publications and for some series. The best-known are the One-inch Sheet Memoirs, each descriptive of the geology of a single published one inch to one mile geological map. However, many other memoirs, containing much of specific local interest, have also been published, including economic geology memoirs, water supply memoirs, and memoirs relating to specific geological periods such as the Jurassic and the Cretaceous. These are less well known resources for local studies than they should be.

I. Stand-alone books and pamphlets

DOWNING, R.A., 1998, Groundwater: our hidden asset. BGS: 60pp [ISBN 0-85-272304-0]

MORRIS, Margaret O., 1952, Classified geological photographs selected from the collections of the Geological Survey and Museum. DSIR: [i] + iv + 125 pages [A reference list of selected record photographs classified by geological process, rocks and structures, economic geology, archaeology and early history, etc; this volume contains no photographic reproductions]

II. Serial publications

British Geological Survey Annual Reports

Annual Report 1997 - 98, 70pp.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BOARD, 1947, Report of the Geological Survey Board for the year 1945 with a note on the work of the Geological Survey and Museum during the years 1939 - 44. HMSO: DSIR: 18pp

Institute of Geological Sciences Annual Reports

IGS Annual Report 1965 Part I. Summary of progress of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and the Museum of Practical Geology. IGS: vii + 114pp + viii plates.

Technical Reports

KLINCK, B.A., P.M. HOPSON, M.A. LEWIS, D.M.J. MACDONALD, S.D.J. INGLETHORPE, D.C. ENTWISLE, J.F. HARRINGTON and C. WILLIAMS, 1998, The hydrogeological behaviour of the clay-with-flints in southern England. BGS Technical Report WE/97/5 / Environment Agency Research & Development Technical Report W30: ii + 28pp.

LOVELL, J.H., 1999, The Dr. A.T.J. Dollar papers held in the National Seismological Archive. BGS Technical Report WL/99/15: i + 3 + 17pp.

MOORLOCK, B.S.P., D.E. HIGHLEY, et al., 1991, An appraisal of fuller's earth resources in England and Wales. BGS Technical Report WA/91/75 Onshore Geology Series: v + 87pp + 3 folded maps.

SHEARER, T.R., 1997, Adits in Chalk wells. BGS Technical Report (Hydrogeology Series) WD/97/9: ii + ii + 17pp [CNHSS]

Water Supply Papers Research Reports

Research Report 3, 1967, Ground-water levels in England during 1963. iv + 28pp + 8pp maps / diagrams.

British Regional Geology Series

EAST ANGLIA

CHATWIN, C.P., 1954, East Anglia and adjoining areas. 3^rd edn. v + 100pp + viii plates.

LONDON AND THE THAMES VALLEY

SHERLOCK, R.L., R. CASEY, S.C.A. HOLMES, and V. WILSON, 1960, London and the Thames Valley. 3^rd edn. v + 62pp + v plates.

SUMBLER, M.G., 1996, London and the Thames valley. 4^th edn. x + 173pp.

HAMPSHIRE BASIN

CHATWIN, C.P., 1960, The Hampshire Basin and adjoining areas. 3^rd edn. iv + 100pp + viii plates.

THE WEALDEN DISTRICT

EDMUNDS, F.H., 1935, The Wealden district. 1^st edn. vii + 85pp + xviii plates.

GALLOIS, R.W., and F.H. EDMUNDS, 1965, The Wealden district. 4^th edn. xii + 104pp + xiii plates.

Bulletin

REPORT SERIES

Water Supply Papers of the Geological Survey of Great Britain

Well Catalogue Series

CURTIS, Margery B., et al., 1965, Records of wells in the area of New Series One-Inch (Geological) Dartford (271) Sheet. GSGB: iii + 102 pages.

Well Inventory Series [Metric Units]

FLATT, Arthur G., P.G. HEARSUM, et al., 1977, Records of wells in the area around Aldershot. Inventory for one-inch geological sheet 285, new series. IGS: v + 123 pages.

REPORTS

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BOARD, 1947, Report of the Geological Survey Board for the year 1945 with a note on the work of the Geological Survey and Museum during the years 1939 - 44. HMSO: 17pp.

SUMMARY OF PROGRESS

OPEN FILE REPORTS

YOUNG, B., D.E. HIGHLEY and D.J. MORGAN, 1979, Calcium montmorillonite (fuller's earth) deposits in the Lower Greensand of the Tillington area, West Sussex. IGS Open File Report 1979/1: 11pp + 6pp figs.

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Last updated April 17^th 2003
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