UK Quaternary : mapping and modelling the Quaternary - meeting our stakeholder needs

Abstract

• This report provides an assessment of the strategic significance of Quaternary geology relative to the British Geological Survey (BGS) and its range of UK stakeholders. The report examines the type of information, data and knowledge that is required by our stakeholders and proposes a vision for how BGS will the tackle the Quaternary to deliver this. •The Quaternary – the last 2.588 Ma of geological time – is one of the most critical parts of the UK geological record. The Quaternary coincides with the geology that occurs in much of the shallow sub-surface. It reflects the part of the geological record most frequently interacted with and utilised by humans, but also the part of the geological record most impacted (buried, eroded and deformed) by the wide range of geological processes that operated during the Quaternary. • The geological record of the Quaternary is marked by a distinctive variability and heterogeneity that poses significant challenges and risks for BGS stakeholders. Improving our data, knowledge and understanding of this critical part of the geological record is important to help our stakeholders understand and mitigate against geological risks and to inform better planning and decision making. • BGS has a proven track record of characterising the Quaternary, but our approaches need to evolve to meet the demands provided by: (1) new geological knowledge and understanding; (2) the improved access to increasingly better-quality digital data; (3) the availability of new analytical techniques that enable us to characterise the geology and uncertainty more effectively and quantitatively; and (4) our stakeholder need for quality information, data and guidance at multiple spatial scales. • In this report we make several strategic recommendations for how our approach to the Quaternary can evolve and how this can be communicated to stakeholders most effectively. We consider that this should occur through the modernisation of the Quaternary Domains dataset; the development of new approaches to classifying and characterising the Quaternary; and the requirement for a spatial dataset or data matrix for storing and managing corporate data and information