The need for improved management of the subsurface

The subsurface is used intensively to support economic stability and growth. Human interaction with the shallow subsurface ranges from exploitation of resources, accommodation of utilities, harnessing of energy (ground source heat pumps) and storage of waste. Current practice of managing these shallow subsurface zones is far from ideal. Many subsurface interventions are preceded by feasibility studies, predictive models or investigative measures to mitigate risks or predict the impacts of the work. However, the complex interactions between the anthropogenic structures and natural processes mean that a holistic impact assessment is often not achievable. By integrating these subsurface infrastructures within three dimensional framework models, a comprehensive assessment of the potential hazards in these shallow subsurface environments may be made. Some Geological Survey Organizations (GSOs) are currently developing subsurface management systems that will aid decision making in the shallow subsurface [1]. The British Geological Survey (BGS) is developing an open Environmental Modeling Platform [2] to provide the data standards and applications to link models, numerical simulations and ultimately socio-economic models so as to generate predictive responses to questions concerning sustainable us of the subsurface

The capture and dissemination of integrated 3D geospatial knowledge at the British Geological Survey using GSI3D software and methodology

The Geological Surveying and Investigation in 3 Dimensions (GSI3D) software tool and methodology has been developed over the last 15 years. Since 2001 this has been in cooperation with the British Geological Survey (BGS). To-date over a hundred BGS geologists have learned to use the software that is now routinely deployed in building systematic and commercial 3D geological models. The success of the GSI3D methodology and software is based on its intuitive design and the fact that it utilises exactly the same data and methods, albeit in digital forms, that geologists have been using for two centuries in order to make geological maps and cross-sections. The geologist constructs models based on a career of observation of geological phenomena, thereby incorporating tacit knowledge into the model. This knowledge capture is a key element to the GSI3D approach. In BGS GSI3D is part of a much wider set of systems and work processes that together make up the cyberinfrastructure of a modern geological survey. The GSI3D software is not yet designed to cope with bedrock structures in which individual stratigraphic surfaces are repeated or inverted, but the software is currently being extended by BGS to encompass these more complex geological scenarios. A further challenge for BGS is to enable its 3D geological models to become part of the semantic Web using GML application schema like GeoSciML. The biggest benefits of widely available systematic geological models will be an enhanced public understanding of the sub-surface in 3D, and the teaching of geoscience students

Building on geological models : the vision of an environmental modelling platform

Geological Survey Organisations (GSOs) were originally founded to produce an inventory of the earth’s resources to inform governments and support construction and primary industries. Therefore, their initial emphasis was on finding construction material, metalliferous minerals and hydrocarbons. Throughout the 20th century the focus shifted towards aggregates, water and more recently to environmental concerns such as waste, reuse of post-industrial contaminated land, climate change and biodiversity. Although the external drivers for their existence have changed, the fundamental purpose has not, and this is unlikely to change in the future. Price (1992) summarises the mission of a GSO to “maintain the national geoscience knowledgebase” in order to “ensure the availability of the geoscience information and expertise to promote the wise use of the nation’s natural resources and the safety, health and well being of its people” However as many countries move towards knowledge and service driven economies faced with global environmental challenges ,GSOs of the 21st century will have to continue to evolve, adapt and in particular change the ways they operate. This is especially true against a background of rapidly advancing geospatial technology. The GSO’s agenda must be to confirm themselves as the natural custodians of the subsurface, not focussed on one particular industry or science area, but assisting governments, industry and the general public to manage the subsurface in an integrated, holistic and sustainable manner. They must then engage with other organisation to link the understanding of the subsurface with the wider environment, to understand the interaction of the subsurface with the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere (see Figure 1) Last but not least they have a duty to make their knowledge and information accessible and understandable to the people on behalf of whom the governments act and to whom they are accountable. Taking the British Geological Survey (BGS) as an example, this paper will outline the next stage in the evolution of a GSO, which will see the opening up of their information and the transdisciplinary integration of their geological, groundwater and other geoscience models within the wider “modelling” community including the social and economic disciplines. A main part of this mission is the development and deployment of an open Environmental Modelling Platform (EMP) providing ready access to data and knowledge as well as geospatial, conceptual and numerical models through a subsurface management system akin to Geographic Information Systems in use today. The urgency of this task as well as the size of the cultural and technical challenges that need to be accomplished demand the close co-operation of GSOs amongst themselves as well as strong collaboration with partners in science, industry and government