Rocky Revelations Online

Geologists make it easy to see the world beneath our feet

The Mendip caving community has discovered a multitude of caves over the years. And they’re hunting for more – a mission aided by the host of maps, photos and other data available from OpenGeoscience. This groundbreaking web service has beendeveloped by the British Geological Survey’s Knowledge Exchange Programme, drawing on a range of work across the organisation including the LWEC-accredited Geoscience Technologies Programme.

“OpenGeoscience doesn’t just give us clues where to look for caves,” says caving enthusiast Bill Chadwick. “By improving our understanding of the rocks around us, it enhances our enjoyment of the whole caving experience.”

OpenGeoscience incorporates street-scale geological maps of the entire UK. Never before have such detailed maps been available via the internet. Simply by typing in their location, a user can find out what kind of rocks are beneath them and how they were formed. They can also access photos of similar rocks around the world and, in some cases, videos of the same type of rock actually being formed. The geology maps on OpenGeoscience are now also available on the award-winning smartphone 'app', iGeology.

Not surprisingly, it’s the field of education where OpenGeoscience is having the biggest impact.

“It’s the next best thing to a ‘hands on’ experience,” says Chris King, Professor of Earth Science Education at Keele University.

For example, a conical hill formed out of horizontal rocks may be a hard concept for a student to grasp. But accessing a map of Brent Knoll, a 450-foot high Jurassic hill in Somerset, will instantly enlighten them.“We’re even harnessing OpenGeoscience to develop a suite of ‘Earthlearning’ ideas that all teachers of Earth Science can utilise“, adds Professor King.