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Geoscience data have long been used by experts to understand and identify hazardous ground conditions. Experts then use this information to advise society on how to avoid or mitigate geohazards. In the digital age society demands that such information be readily available in an easily understood format. GIS is enabling BGS to make geoscience data available to a wider audience. Interaction with the British public and business is helping us to present this information so that geohazards are understood and associated problems managed.
To provide information that can be understood and used by a wide group including house owners, environmental consultants, builders, land developrs and council officials BGS has had to overcome two obstacles. The first is the translation of geological data into information depicted and described using simple images and plain language. The second is making that information available in a variety of media suited to different users: paper reports, web downloads, digital data, and via a number of outlets, not only from the BGS.
Building on the 1:50,000 scale digital geological map data, geochemical sample analyses, borehole data and topological interpretations for Great Britain, BGS has generated national classifications for six ground stability hazards, groundwater and surface flooding potential, and radon and arsenic potential. These datasets are made available both as digital output and report format directly from the BGS and are included in reports, downloads and datasets sold by commercial data providers. Simple and complex reports are generated for different audiences, the data is used by scientists to give detailed analyses of sites and is provided to other customers to be input to their decision support systems, for example for planning officers and insurance assessors.
By reaching a wider audience geoscience data is informing both experts and the general public and enabling them to make better decisions in regard to hazard assessments and where to invest their time and money. Geohazard information improves the ability of developers to chose suitable sites and where necessary to mitigate hazards and empowers the British public to make informed decisions about where they live.
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