British Geological Survey
@BritGeoSurvey
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Our vision is for a safer, more sustainable and prosperous planet and a future based on sound geoscientific solutions 🌎 RTs ≠ endorsement.
Nottingham HQ
Joined February 2009
Our lives are intrinsically linked with the Earth. Geology is the answer to many of the challenges we face in the UK and globally. We're proud to share our new video, which outlines BGS's commitment to delivering the crucial data and insights needed for a sustainable future.
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This is absolutely brilliant 🤩 Harry, your grandpa rocks!.
My grandpa who is 85 started making this rock map of Scotland in 1992.He collected rocks during amateur geology trips over 30 years. He says it had to be geologically correct and also aesthetically pleasing.He asked if I could share online as He wants to go viral so please share
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Just in: Event epicentre approx 20km NNE of Swansea, with 4.4 magnitude at a depth of 7.4km. Events of this magnitude only happen in the UK every 2-3 years.
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Quake it off! Seismometers around Edinburgh were triggered by the rapturous Taylor Swift crowds at Murrayfield Stadium over the weekend.
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Continuing our tour of the UK's best geology we come to Staffa Island, Inner Hebrides. Staffa is almost entirely formed of basalt, which erupted during the Paleogene, ~58/55m years ago, via intense volcanism during rifting associated with the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean
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The Norber Erratics on the slopes of Ingleborough are great examples of glacial erratic boulders. The lower rock unit is Lower Carboniferous limestone & is in place. On the 'pedestal' is a boulder of darker Silurian sandstone (~100M years older), deposited by melting ice sheets.
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William ‘Strata’ Smith died #OTD in 1839. Born in 1769, he published the first #geologicalmap of #Britain in 1815. While not the world's first geological map, Smith's was the first to cover such a large area in detail and is known as ‘The map that changed the World’.
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BGS SEISMIC INFORMATION: LEIGHTON BUZZARD, BEDFORDSHIRE 8 SEPTEMBER 2020 08:45 UTC 3.3 ML. DATE: 8 SEPTEMBER 2020.Time (UTC): 08:45:29.2.LAT / LONG: 51.940° North / 0.695° West.DEPTH (km): 10.MAG: 3.3ML.INTENSITY: 3 EMS.REGION: 3KM NW OF LEIGHTON BUZZARD, BEDS
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Continuing our tour of the UK's geology, here's Broad Haven on the Pembrokeshire coast. The cliffs here expose Upper Carboniferous sandstones & shales originally deposited 320–300M years ago. The compression on the rocks ~290Ma formed spectacular folds & faults, as seen here.
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Happy May 4th, geology fans! And may the force always be with you. Today we're going to give you a little geology of the most famous places in the Star Wars universe.
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Lulworth Cove is maybe one of the most-visited geological areas in the UK. The rocks provide a continuous sequence covering 80M years of Earth history from the Jurassic to Cretaceous Period. They include a variety of rock types & structures such as the contorted Lulworth Crumple.
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We've made geological maps in Minecraft! Download our 3D geology models as Minecraft worlds and learn how geology can influence the landscape. These maps have been recreated using real geological data and are free to download and play.
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If you felt the tremors in the SW we’d be grateful if you could fill out our questionnaire.
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This week's featured UK geosite is Suilven, one of the most distinct mountains in Scotland. This oblique aerial view shows the giant buttress of Caisteal Liath, the Lewisian-Torridonian unconformity and the inselberg nature of the mountain.
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BGS was founded in 1835 when colonialism was widespread. We carry & acknowledge that legacy. We're working hard with our global partners to decolonise geology & ensure our past doesn’t define our future. Racism in any form is never OK. We are listening. We strive to be better.
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Millook Haven is situated just to the north-east of Boscastle, in Cornwall. This site is famous amongst students of geology for its spectacularly deformed sediments of the Carboniferous aged Crackington Formation. Where was your favourite fieldtrip?
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🚨 We’re hiring!. Are you a geology grad, postgrad or professional looking for your next step? Do you want to use your knowledge of geology & the environment to help address societal challenges & work towards a sustainable future?. #GeologyTwitter #ScienceTwitter
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Last week's aurora was truly spectacular, with sightings of the display all over the UK. BGS geoscientists have confirmed that it was was one of the most extreme and long-lasting geomagnetic storms recorded in the last 155 years. Find out more:.
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This is the biggest event in the area since the 5.2 magnitude earthquake in 1906.
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Introducing the British Geological Survey's new visual identity and brand:
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We are in the process of analysing data for the felt report of a tremor in the SW of England. As soon as we know more we’ll let you know.
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BGS SEISMIC INFORMATION: WALSALL, WEST MIDLANDS 22:59 UTC 2.8 ML . DATE: 21 February 2022.ORIGIN TIME: 22:59 29.7s UTC.LAT/LON: 52.549° North / 1.972° West.GRID REF: 401.90 kmE / 294.61 kmN.DEPTH: 7 km.MAGNITUDE: 2.8 ML.INTENSITY: 3 EMS.LOCALITY: Walsall, West Midlands
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Happy #PancakeDay!🥞. These are the Punakaiki 'Pancake Rocks' in New Zealand, so called because they look like a stack of pancakes. Actually, they are limestone formations formed 30 million years ago from fragments of dead sea creatures, overlaid with layers of soft mud & clay.
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Did you know BGS uses #Minecraft to help make geology more accessible? . We've built 5 worlds to allow you to explore underground: we use real geological data to show what it's like under the surface. 🧵
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SEISMIC ALERT: CWMLLYNFELL, SOUTH WALES 17 FEBRARY 2018 14:31 UTC 4.4 ML. LAT/LONG : 51.776° North / 3.837° West.GRID REF : 273.3 kmE / 210.2 kmN.DEPTH : 7.4 km.MAGNITUDE : 4.4 ML.
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We're providing more open access to our data, and as part of that we've launched our updated BGS Maps Portal, which includes 10 000 and 1:10 560 scale maps for the first time. Take a look:.
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SEISMIC ALERT: NEWDIGATE, SURREY 4 MAY 2019 00:19 UTC 2.5 ML.
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We’re receiving reports of ‘tremors’ in the Yorkshire area. Our seismologists are looking into this and we’ll verify if this is an #earthquake as soon as we can. @BGSseismology.
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There are confirmed sightings of the aurora around the UK right now. If you have clear skies in your area then look up and you might just get a display of the Northern Lights to welcome in 2025!. Aurora activity update via:. 📷: @mgs_geog
Next 24 hrs - ACTIVE. The first (minor) geomagnetic storm of 2025 is happening!.We are experiencing minor storm conditions because the geomagnetic activity are enhanced due to Coronal Mass Ejections and the solar wind speed is elevated; NOT likely to lead to major storms.
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As part of our continuous effort to provide more open access to our data, BGS has launched the updated BGS Maps Portal, which includes 10 000 and 1:10 560 scale maps for the first time.
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This is Eocene amber from the Baltic, complete with a fossilised fly and a spider inside. Their bodies, limbs, wings and hairs have been perfectly preserved 🕷. Wait, isn’t there a dinosaur film that starts like this…? 😉. #FossilFriday
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Lessons that involve both geology AND cake are our favourite kind👍.
Rock mechanics and faulting lesson done by google hangouts using Angel cake, ran quite smoothly in the end. Hopefully see some good diagrams and pictures submitted tomorrow 👍😁#selfisolating #teachingfromhome
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It's International #GeodiversityDay! We are celebrating by highlighting some of the amazing geology that can be seen in the UNESCO Geoparks around the UK and Ireland.
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This stunning image for #TectonicTuesday was taken in Porth Dafarch, a small bay on the west coast of #Anglesey in North Wales. It shows folded schists in the Mona Complex, a name given to the complexly folded #metamorphicrocks that underlie much of the island.
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We are the British Geological Survey. Our vision is for a safer, more sustainable and prosperous planet and a future based on sound geoscientific solutions 🌍. Watch our new video in full:
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Our free colour-in geology map of the UK & Ireland helps you learn about the Eras of the Phanerozoic Eon & Late Proterozoic Eon. You can also use it to discover when the sedimentary rocks of the UK and Ireland were formed. #EarthScienceWeek. Download here:.
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Global groundwater resources are under unprecedented pressure. To mitigate threats we need an improved understanding of groundwater quality. We're developing novel approaches to assessing groundwater through geoinformatics, remote sensing & data science.
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Did you know that geologically speaking, the Stone of Destiny is upside down? . #Coronation
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The #WinterOlympics2018 kick off today in #PyongChang2018 Aside from our athletes, the biggest contribution the UK makes to the #WinterOlympics is the Palaeogene 'granite' from Ailsa Craig. Over 2/3 of world's curling stones come from the riebeckite granite found here! #GoTeamGB
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We’ve just launched a new set of 14 Regional Geological Visualisation Models revealing the #3Dgeology of the UK. You can use the range of interactive tools to navigate and explore, revealing the hidden structure of the world beneath us. #UK3D
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This photo is a beautiful example of folded striped psammite and pelite typical of the Glenfinnan Group. 📍 North of Loch Quoich
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We hear it's going to be a hot one today. ☀. If you have a garden, help your kids create their own colourful geological map of the garden while you're out in the sunshine! 🗺 . All you'll need is:. 🔸 Normal paper.🔸 Grease-proof paper.🔸 Colouring pencils.🔸 A spoon.🔸 A jar
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Today's best geology spot is High Force in the North Pennines, where the River Tees falls 21-22m over a vertical rock face into a plunge pool. High Force is formed of 2 distinct rock types: a dolerite igneous intrusion & a unit of interbedded fossiliferous limestones & mudstones
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We are getting reports of an earthquake in the Leighton Buzzard area this morning. We are currently investigating this and will update you as soon as we can.
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Today marks William Smith's 253rd birthday. His unique and pioneering geological map, published in 1815, helped to shape the economic and scientific development of Britain. #TheMapThatShapedTheWorld
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In relation to this afternoons event:. Around 3000 event of this size in the world every year. Biggest onshore UK event in 10 years, since 27 Feb 2008 Market Rasen eq 5.2 ml 16X bigger than todays event. Approx. 8 million times smaller than the magnitude 9.0 in Japan March 2011.
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Taylor Swift's Scottish crowds were so enthusiastic at the weekend that her concerts shook the earth!. Here is the BGS playlist of her most seismic hits:. ⚡ . Ready For It.☀️ Cruel Summer.🍾 champagne problems.💃 Shake It Off.💘 But Daddy I Love Him.🚘 Getaway Car.
Quake it off! Seismometers around Edinburgh were triggered by the rapturous Taylor Swift crowds at Murrayfield Stadium over the weekend.
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Do you or your kids love playing #Minecraft?. Download our 3D geology models as Minecraft worlds and learn how geology can influence the landscape! . Learn more:.
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It's #FibonacciDay! We want to see you Fibonacci sequences in nature: show us your best pics.
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Looking for something to do with the kids during the #SchoolHolidays?. We have geological models to print out and create, including Arthur's Seat in Scotland, Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland and the Soufrière Hills in Montserrat. #SummerLearning.
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It's time for us to show you another of our favourite UK geological destinations!. Cwm Idwal is a corrie at the head of a large glacial valley in Snowdonia, Wales. This spectacular feature was created by the glacial erosion of rocks of Ordovician age (485–444 Ma).
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As part of our continuous effort to provide more open access to our data, BGS has launched the updated BGS Maps Portal, which includes 10 000 and 1:10 560 scale maps for the first time. Learn more:.
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SEISMIC INFORMATION : WEM, SHROPSHIRE 30 MAY 2022 14;36 UTC 3.8 ML . DATE: 30 May 2022.ORIGIN TIME: 14:36 57.7s UTC.LAT/LON: 52.832° North / 2.614° West.GRID REF: 204.7 kmE / 624.4 kmN.DEPTH: 8 km.MAGNITUDE: 3.8 ML.INTENSITY: 4 EMS.LOCALITY: Wem, Shropshire
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BGS has just released the British Groundwater Model (BGWM): the first integrated groundwater model covering Britain to simulate transient groundwater dynamics and surface water/groundwater interactions at the national scale. More:.
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SEISMIC Alert: 5 December 2019. ORIGIN TIME: 22:49 18s UTC.LAT/LON: 51.109° North / 2.974 West.GRID REF: 331.8 kmE / 134.9 kmN.DEPTH: 5 km.MAGNITUDE: 3.2 ML.LOCALITY: Bridgwater, Somerset, UK
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It was once believed that there were no fossils older than the Cambrian Period, but the discovery of the fossil Charnia in @BradgatePark's rocks made the area famous for changing our understanding of early life on Earth. Learn about the park's geology:.
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As part of our continuous effort to provide more open access to our data, BGS has launched the updated BGS Maps Portal, which includes 10 000 and 1:10 560 scale maps. The portal provides access to over 45 000 BGS maps.
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"I look forward to joining such a world-renowned organisation and to leading it into its next stage.". We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Karen Hanghøj as new Director of BGS, taking up position in October 2019. Further information here:
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You may recognise this view from Bond film Skyfall. Glen Etive is a huge igneous complex found in the Scottish Highlands. The Etive Granite Complex is the largest in Britain, covering over 360km2 & is a sequence of intrusive igneous rocks inc granite, diorite & granodiorite.
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Just looking into reports of a possible Earthquake in the Leics / Rutland area. Watch this space!.
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How old is the Earth?.How long before we had plants?.How many millions of years between dinosaurs and humans?. BGS geologist @OlWakefield takes us on a quick whistle-stop tour through geological time, highlighting all the important events in the Earth's history 🌏
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We're proud of our international workforce, and are always striving to improve equality and diversity at BGS 🌏. This #MotherLanguageDay, asked our wonderfully international staff to tell us a bit about themselves in their mother tongue.
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The directions of true, grid and magnetic north will, for the first time, coincide at various locations in Great Britain between 2022 and 2026. #BGSHighlights
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Each Friday, we share our favourite geological spots in the UK. Today it's limestone cliff Malham Cove, in Yorkshire:. The limestone is of Early Carboniferous (~350–325 m years ago) but the cove formed much later, around the end of the last Ice Age, thanks to a vast waterfall.
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It's the #Easter holidays so if you're looking for something to entertain the kids (or yourself) then have a go at our colour in #geology map of the UK and Ireland. Download it FREE here @GeolSurvIE @GeoSurveyNI
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🗺 Survey Geologist Vacancies 🗺. Are you a geology graduate, postgraduate or professional looking for the next step in your career?. We are recruiting survey geologists to help deliver BGS’s National Geology programme of mapping & modelling for the UK.
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Have an appetite for science this weekend?. If you've got a Mars bar, you can easily demonstrate the different kinds of tectonic shifts in the Earth's plates 🌍🍫. Watch @Leannes_space below ⬇. (We don't think we need to tell you what to do with the chocolate when you're done!)
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‘You rock my world’. How about that for a corny #GeologyValentine Can any of you do any better for #ValentinesDay (pics would make it even better!).
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Lithium: a critical raw material for our journey to net zero. Understanding the geology and natural resources of lithium will be vital as demand is forecast to significantly increase. Read the blog here: . #NetZeroWeek
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Today's top UK geo spot is South Stack, a formation off Holy Island, Anglesey. This unit of low grade metamorphosed sedimentary rocks comprises grey/white sandstones with interbedded darker silty mudstones. There's a prominent anticline & individual beds also exhibit crumples.
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We are delighted to unveil our new strategy 2023 to 2028 - Understanding our Earth. The new strategy sets out our science priority areas & underlines our commitment to supporting the development of a diverse talent pipeline in geology and environmental science.
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It's not often that #geology gets included in #jokes so we just had to share this one by @comedyLeo that was voted the second funniest at the #Edinburgh @freefringefest
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Today is William Smith's 251st birthday! 🎉. Smith published the first large scale geological map in 1815. He traversed the country on foot and by horse and cart, hand drawing and painting the lay of the land. Smith's map is now freely available to view on our iGeology app 🗺📲
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A number of reports have been received from members of the public in Newdigate, Dorking, Horley and Charlwood, Surrey and from Crawley and Horsham, West Sussex. #earthquake.
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Map showing where the #southwalesearthquake earlier this afternoon was felt and the macroseismic intensities
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For billions of years volcanic activity was the main cause of climate change, but now it's humans. Tune into @BBCFOUR at 8PM for @seis_matters's @Ri_Science Christmas Lecture: Engine Earth 🌍.
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Congratulations to Dr Alison Monaghan, Science Lead for the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow, who has been recognised in the 2021 Queen’s New Year Honours List, for her outstanding contribution to geology. 👏👏👏.
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This week in Intro to Geology, it’s all about groundwater. Why is groundwater so important? Because every year each of us needs:. 💧 1,000 litres of water to drink .🛁 1,000,000 litres of water to wash and cook.🌱 1,000,000 litres of water to grow and produce food
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SEISMIC ACTIVTY UPDATE: The induced seismicity event.recorded at 07.30 near Blackpool today, has been revised from a magnitude of.2.6ML to 2.9ML. This was after further analysis by our seismology team on the.location of the event.
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Seismograms of the magnitude 3.9 Grimsby event on 09/06/18 at 22:14 UTC (23.14 BST).
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The event 9/6/18 at 22:14 UTC magnitude 3.9 is the largest in the area since the #MarketRasen event on 27/2/08 at magnitude 5.2, approx. 90 times larger this recent event. It was located approx. 30 km to the north-east of the Market Rasen earthquake.
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Palaeontologists have found the fossil of the earliest known animal predator, throwing into question when complex animal life began on Earth. BGS palaeontologist Dr Phil Wilby is one of the scientists who made the find. #AuroraluminaAttenboroughii.
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This 200-year-old document from 1824 reveals the pioneering work of early geologist William Buckland, as he describes the #Megalosaurus: the first scientifically recognized dinosaur 🦕. We at BGS are lucky enough to have a number of bones mentioned by Buckland in our collection.
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We've released a new app providing easy access to the subsurface of Britain. The BGS Geology Viewer has been designed to provide geology enthusiasts & the general public with bedrock & superficial geology maps of Great Britain. Learn more & try the app: .
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Everyone loves building worlds in Minecraft, which is why it's a perfect resource to teach geology! . Find out how a friend of BGS has been using Minecraft to create educational geological models during lockdown.
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Today is Garnet be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you 🎶
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Do you know your Gabbro from your Garnet? understand the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks? BGS are delighted to have teamed up with @NHM_London to produce a new FREE resource: 'Beginner's Guide to identifying UK rock types' 👇.
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It's BGS' favourite holiday spots!. Today it's Siccar Point, Scotland,which has an angular unconformity where nearly vertical Silurian grey sandstone is abruptly overlain by younger, Devonian, red sandstone. This was key to the formulation of Hutton’s theory of uniformitarianism.
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Here's a map using the first 200 felt reports (many more to log) #oakhamearthquake
http://t.co/MnId0rgzaE.
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After you've finished eating your Easter eggs, why not read our six 'eggs-tremely' tenuous links between Easter and geology, featuring plate tectonics, bunny ears and a part of the Scottish Highlands: .
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We can't travel the UK but each Friday we'll be showing you some of the best geological sites around the UK. Holy Island in Northumberland is a tidal island only accessible at low tide. The bedrock is Carboniferous limestone & sandstone with a superficial boulder clay overlay.
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💧 Did you know a third of our drinking water comes from underground?. We're back with some Jam Jar Geology, and this time we're talking aquifers - how do rocks store water?. (Be sure to check out PART 2 in the reply for a chocolatey experiment! 😋)
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Today we remember #MaryAnning - one of the most celebrated fossil hunters in the UK. Her pioneering work was undertaken around the #JurassicCoast in Dorset, where she found, amongst many others, ichthyosaur, pterosaur and plesiosaur fossils.
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Director of BGS, @k_hanghoj and volcanologist @samengwell have been recognised by the @GeolSoc for their contributions to geology. We'd like to congratulate both on their achievement. Read more here:.
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Inspire the children you teach to look at rocks in a different way with our rock kits for schools🪨. Each kit contains: .Rock samples.Hand lenses.Grain size cards.Rock info sheets.Teaching pack. For more info & to request a kit for your class click below:.
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As a child, volcanologist @samengwell always collected rocks. Today, she studies volcanic hazards around the globe, exploring everything from lava flows to ash in the atmosphere 🌋. Sam is also a recipient of the @GeolSoc William Smith Fund 2023:
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We have pebbles on our mind today. Can anyone tell us what this curious specimen might be? . It was found on St Audries Bay in Somerset. #PebbleSpotting #Somerset
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