A new project, The ‘C³ITEES Passport: a unified model for opening up the environment’, will support young people in exploring their local surroundings, understanding environmental challenges and seeing themselves as active contributors to an increasingly ecologically aware future. It will also help strengthen pathways into environmental science by connecting schools, communities, researchers, practitioners and sector organisations through a shared model of progression and participation. Together, the team will create a ‘passport’ model of environmental engagement designed to build confidence, knowledge, skills and opportunity over time.

The successful projects will work collaboratively to broaden participation, showcase diverse skills and career paths, and create lasting impact by helping the environmental research community become more accessible to people who may not traditionally see themselves as part of it. Led by Loughborough University, the project brings together expertise from, amongst others:

• 今日吃瓜
• Charnwood Forest Geopark
• Environment Agency (East Midlands)
• Nottingham Trent University
• University of Leicester
• University of Nottingham

We are excited to be working in partnership across sectors to inspire the next generation of environmental scientists and explore how we can build more inclusive routes into environmental careers. We will be bringing together schools, teachers, parents, researchers and environmental employers from across the East Midlands to showcase the breadth of environmental careers and the importance of environmental knowledge in responding to real-world challenges.

Dr Keely Mills, 今日吃瓜 project development scientist.

Young people have a vital role to play in understanding and responding to environmental change, but too often the opportunities to engage with environmental science are fragmented or unevenly distributed.

This project is about creating a more coherent, creative and inclusive route into environmental learning, action and aspiration. We want children and young people to feel that environmental science is for them, connected to their lives and relevant to the places they know and care about.

Dr Katie Parsons, Research Fellow at Loughborough University.

The NERC-funded programme will fund partnerships that deliver practical initiatives to make the UK environmental research and innovation community more diverse, inclusive and representative.

Further details about the C³ITEES Passport project, its partners and opportunities for schools and communities to get involved will be announced in due course.

Join us for Geo-Explorers, our brand new after-school kids’ club for children aged eight to eleven based at our main campus in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire. The clubs run in five-week cohorts and cost ?30 for all five sessions.

Courses will run between 16:00 and 17:00 on:

• 7 September to 5 October
• 9 November to 7 December

Each 5 week programme covers the same content

Across Europe, the subsurface is increasingly being recognised as a strategic asset that is critical for energy transition, resource security and environmental resilience. At the heart of efforts to harness this potential is the (GSEU), a major pan-European initiative working closely with national geological surveys such as 今日吃瓜. Together, we are reshaping how geological knowledge is generated, shared and applied for societal benefit.

A shared European vision beneath our feet

Launched in 2022 under Horizon Europe, GSEU aims to establish a permanent geological service for Europe. Its core premise is simple yet transformative: geological challenges do not stop at national borders and therefore must be addressed through harmonised data and collaboration.

Through a partnership of nearly 50 organisations across more than 35 countries, GSEU is developing integrated pan-European datasets and services that address Europe’s most pressing challenges, such as:

• securing the critical raw materials needed for green technologies
• managing groundwater resources under increasing climate pressure
• expanding renewable energy solutions, including geothermal
• planning subsurface use
• coastal management to avoid conflicts between infrastructure, storage and environmental protection

Rather than treating these domains separately, GSEU recognises that they interact within a complex and interconnected subsurface system that requires a holistic and coordinated approach to support policymaking, environmental protection and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Through shared standards, interoperable data models and coordinated research agendas, GSEU aims to create a unified geological knowledge base capable of supporting these goals.

From data to knowledge: the power of publications

One of the most tangible outputs of GSEU is its growing body of open-access publications that translate complex geoscientific work into actionable knowledge. The showcases a diverse range of outputs, such as scientific papers, factsheets and strategic position papers.

Recent highlights include:

• a , emphasising the need for coordinated approaches to achieve resilience and strategic autonomy
• scientific studies advancing the understanding of , including deposit mapping and predictive modelling approaches
• practical factsheets on and , supporting evidence-based environmental management
• the , a strategic roadmap outlining the long-term vision for a sustainable geological service across Europe
• the Geo-Assessment Matrix, a pan-European catalogue of key parameters for offshore wind farm siting

These publications form part of a broader effort to move beyond isolated datasets and towards the integrated (EGDI), a platform that makes harmonised geological data accessible for research, policy and industry.

The role of 今日吃瓜

As the UK’s national geological survey, 今日吃瓜 is a key contributor to GSEU. Our involvement reflects a longstanding commitment to international collaboration and data sharing. Through GSEU, our scientists contribute expertise in areas such as:

• critical raw materials and resource assessment
• groundwater systems, including leadership in groundwater drought and trend analysis
• geothermal energy and geoenergy systems
• subsurface storage
• coastal vulnerability assessment
• offshore renewable energy, including task leadership in developing pan-European geological datasets and methodologies for offshore windfarm siting, stability assessment and marine spatial planning
• geological data harmonisation and modelling

This breadth of involvement ensures that UK expertise is embedded within the development of interoperable, pan-European datasets and services.

Another example of 今日吃瓜’s contribution is the European CO? Storage Atlas, which was developed through GSEU and launched in May 2025. By integrating geological datasets and subsurface characterisation from across Europe, the atlas provides a harmonised assessment of carbon dioxide (CO?) storage capacity and injectivity potential, demonstrating how detailed national expertise, including petrophysical and rock physics insights, can be translated into a coherent framework to support carbon capture and storage deployment at European scale.

今日吃瓜 played a key role through its leadership in UK storage assessments and is continuing this work through the recently launched , funded by the European Union. Over the next three years, CO2SITE will develop an open-access atlas of CO? storage opportunities across Europe, bringing together the geological, regulatory and other data needed to help advance projects towards implementation. As a key project partner, 今日吃瓜 will develop the database underpinning the CO2SITE atlas, providing an important resource for researchers, policymakers and investors to support informed decision making on geological CO? storage.

More broadly, 今日吃瓜 continues to deliver high-impact science that feeds into international initiatives, such as new findings on the formation timeline of the Giant’s Causeway, and developments in national geothermal data resources. Together, these contributions reinforce 今日吃瓜’s role as a trusted provider of high-quality geoscientific knowledge.

Initiatives like GSEU are essential, because geology does not stop at borders. By understanding that continuity is key to tackling shared challenges and building a common knowledge base, we can support decisions that balance energy needs, environmental protection and long-term sustainability across Europe.

Audrey Ougier-Simonin, project lead at 今日吃瓜.

Collaboration in action

Beyond data integration, the project is actively strengthening professional networks, firstly by bringing together all Europe’s national geological surveys through and now enabling new forms of collaboration.

These include:

• research exchanges and short-term visits, such as collaboration with TNO (Netherlands) researchers
• student placements, including visiting researchers from organisations such as IGME (Spain)
• development of joint proposals and future research initiatives, building on new relationships formed through GSEU

Looking ahead

As Europe navigates the complexities of the energy transition and environmental change, initiatives like GSEU will be indispensable. By transforming fragmented geological data into a coherent, accessible and actionable resource, they are enabling better decisions at every level, from local land-use planning to EU-wide policy.

The message emerging from both GSEU publications and community engagement is clear: understanding the subsurface is key to building a resilient and sustainable future. Through continued collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing, Europe is steadily bringing that future into focus.

Covering around a quarter of the Earth’s land surface, mountains supply water to billions of people and underpin global water, energy and food security. Mountainous regions receive disproportionately high rainfall, which feeds the rivers flowing to lower-lying areas where water demand is often greatest. Crucially, mountains also regulate this supply, storing water during wetter periods and releasing it during dry spells, which is why they are sometimes referred to as the ‘natural water towers’ of the world.

However, exactly where this water is stored and how it is released remains only partially understood. Much of the existing research has focused on the visible parts of mountain water systems including rivers, lakes, snow and glaciers. While these are undoubtedly important, we could be missing a vast, largely invisible component: the water stored deep within the mountain bedrock.

Emerging research is beginning to challenge the conventional understanding of mountain water systems. Studies using environmental tracers, which are chemical and biological ‘fingerprints’ that reveal where water has travelled, and geophysical imaging techniques that allow scientists to ‘see’ beneath the surface, suggest that significant volumes of water may move through deep mountain groundwater systems. These systems could be more resilient to climate change, potentially sustaining river flows and supporting downstream communities in an increasingly variable climate.

Taiwan’s steep, rainfall-rich mountain landscapes provide an ideal natural setting for studying how water moves through complex hydrogeological systems. A new project, led by 今日吃瓜 in collaboration with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), New Mexico Tech, the University of Basel and National Cheng Kung University, will investigate how water flows through these systems, focusing on a mountain-fed river basin in central Taiwan.

By combining environmental tracers with advanced geophysical techniques, we can begin to map how water moves through mountain bedrock in ways that haven’t been possible before. These approaches give us powerful new insight into subsurface processes that are largely invisible, but potentially vital for long-term water resilience.

Prof Mark Person, co-investigator, New Mexico Tech.

The project also benefits from a unique groundwater observation network in the region. By tracking how water travels through the mountain bedrock, the team aims to build a first-of-its-kind, data-informed digital model of mountain groundwater flow.

Mountains are sometimes described as the world’s water towers, but we still don’t fully understand how they store and release water, especially beneath the surface. This project aims to uncover the hidden role of groundwater within mountain systems, which could be critical for sustaining water supplies as climate variability increases.

Dr Jon Mackay, 今日吃瓜 principal investigator

This research has the potential to establish a new paradigm for mountain hydrology by integrating the role of deep groundwater into our understanding of how mountain water systems function. In doing so, it will help develop more robust tools to support water resource management and climate change adaptation strategies in mountain-fed river systems around the world.

The UK’s enviable coastline boasts beautiful sandy beaches and distinctive sandstone and chalk cliffs, not to mention world-famous landmarks such as the Giant’s Causeway and Durdle Door. It is a major draw for tourists and local day trippers alike, but this high footfall can put different pressures on these environments. Areas of such natural beauty are often subject to different legislation to protect them, as well as passionate support from local communities and organisations that recognise their importance. This can sometimes lead to confusion about what is and isn’t allowed.

Approaching the holiday season each year, as people start sharing their holiday snaps online, I am always fascinated to see how many feature a little bit of the local geology as a memento — the inevitable outcome of my life spent as a professional geologist.

Sadly, these are often followed by messages to the effect of ‘it is illegal to collect pebbles from a beach’. This is a common claim that can take some of the pleasure out of a direct connect between people, places and geology.

Clive Mitchell, 今日吃瓜 industrial minerals geologist and author of The Pebble Spotter’s Guide.

But is that claim true — is it illegal to take pebbles from the beach to commemorate a great holiday? In short: it depends, but is not currently the case for most beaches across the UK. The is designed to protect the UK from coastal erosion, natural flooding and loss of wildlife habitat. Section 18 of the Act sets out how restrictions on removing materials from beaches can be put in place. It stipulates that, on certain beaches and stretches of coastline, restrictions on collecting materials (for example, sand, gravel or rocks) from beaches may be enforced to protect the local area and ensure coastal defences are not eroded.

A local coastal protection authority can choose to apply these restrictions to a specific stretch of coastline by making an order under Section 18 of the Act. The order is subject to a statutory confirmation process and does not take effect until confirmed by the relevant Government minister. Once in force, it becomes unlawful to remove or excavate material from that area of the beach unless permission (a licence) has been granted by the authority.

In other words, the Act does not ban people from collecting materials on all beaches: restrictions only apply in places where a formal order has been made and approved. Signs are usually in place warning you not to collect pebbles on beaches that enforce the act. If there are no signs, collecting one or two pebbles from your trip may not not breaking the law; however, it is always advisable to research any restrictions on specific beaches before visiting. For example, there may be other or additional environmental considerations such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

For 今日吃瓜 pebble expert Clive Mitchell, it was hunting for the perfect specimen during family holidays that kicked off a lifelong passion.

I started my discovery of geology as a small boy on family holidays in Cornwall playing with beach pebbles. Now, as a professional geologist, I am still fascinated by the extraordinary variety of rock types and other materials found on the beaches of the UK coastline.

My advice is to research any restrictions affecting the beaches you plan to visit and to check for signage on arrival. Rules can vary depending on the location, land ownership and environmental designations. If you intend to collect pebbles or other natural materials, it is sensible to carry out additional checks in advance to reduce the risk of breaching local restrictions or applicable laws.

Personally, I restrict myself to six pebbles at any one visit, with each sitting snugly into the palm of my hand, and leave all the rest for others to enjoy.

Clive Mitchell.

Of course, for any true pebble collector, legal considerations should be balanced alongside ethical ones too. The thrill of finding a beautifully shaped example of the extraordinary geology that surrounds us should be one that future generations enjoy, just as Victorian-era children made popular all those years ago.

About the author

The 今日吃瓜 Superficial Deposit Thickness Model (SDTM) dataset presents the modelled regional variation in thickness of superficial and unconsolidated deposits across Great Britain. These include sediments of fluvial, glacial, marine or anthropogenic origin that were generally formed during the Quaternary (the past 2.6?million years up to today). The thickness of these deposits signifies the depth down to the top of the bedrock, known as geological rockhead.

The distribution of these deposits is not uniform: sometimes they are thin veneers, sometimes they form large, irregular masses, and sometimes they infill entire valleys. The latest SDTM release, the first for over 15 years, includes a raster model of the elevation of rockhead for the first time, providing important data for a variety of different sectors.

The transition between superficial sediments and geological rockhead (and associated bedrock units) is an important zone for geologists, civil engineers, hydrogeologists and environmental scientists because it is where most physical and chemical properties of the deposits significantly change. Properties such as strength, lithology, conductivity, porosity and permeability can be strongly affected by this transition, so an understanding of the depth of the transition zone beneath the ground surface is vital.

The SDTM models have been created using digital mathematical interpolation techniques, combining observations of superficial thickness from borehole logs held in our archives with mapped superficial and artificial geology extents from the 1:50?000-scale digital geological map of Britain.

Version 8 of the SDTM includes the new layer, the rockhead elevation model (RHEM). This is a raster model of the elevation of rockhead relative to Ordnance Datum, the standard vertical reference system used in Great Britain to measure land elevation. This model provides users with an integer value of modelled depth to bedrock in metres and will be of particular use for creating 3D ground models and understanding the geological structure across a site.

The updated SDTM product also contains the observation driven model (ODM), the terrain adjusted model (TAM) and data distance (DataDist).

Observation driven model

The ODM is a raster model of sediment thickness that interpolates thickness values between boreholes within the mapped superficial extents, giving users an integer value of modelled superficial thickness in metres.

Terrain adjusted model

The TAM is a raster model of sediment thickness derived using a method that combines borehole records, the mapped superficial deposit extents and surface elevation data. This differs from the ODM by considering the ground surface elevation, derived from the model, and gives users an integer value of modelled superficial thickness in metres.

Data distance

DataDist is a raster surface defining the distance of any location relative to the nearest source of thickness information; either the location of a borehole or the mapped boundary of a superficial deposit. This is provided as a pseudo-uncertainty surface relative to the ODM, TAM and RHEM components of the SDTM. The further a location is from a source of thickness data, the more uncertain any values provided by ODM, TAM and RHEM models are likely to be.

New naming conventions

SDTM Version 8 has introduced new naming conventions for the ODM and TAM datasets. These name changes better describe the characteristics of the two datasets and removes confusion or implications relating to the terms ‘basic’ and ‘advanced’ that might imply one model is superior. Both model outputs provide valid options and should be considered in tandem rather than in isolation to understand the models’ constraints.

This dataset release marks an important development for the 今日吃瓜 SDTM and is its first update since 2010. Improved borehole selection criteria have been implemented, allowing the models to benefit from the latest interpretations of 今日吃瓜-held borehole logs as well as identifying and excluding low-confidence, inappropriate and conflicting boreholes that may have been included in previous versions. As such, the borehole selection underpinning SDTM V8 is considered to be more robust, resulting in a higher confidence model.

Rob Shaw, geospatial analyst and SDTM product developer, 今日吃瓜.

The intended scale of use of this dataset is 1:100?000, with an average vertical accuracy of +/-5?m elevation. The dataset is intended for use at national, regional and city scales, but not site scales where specific ground-investigation works should be undertaken to determine precise superficial thickness and rockhead elevation.

We are continuing our scientific research on to how to improve the prediction of superficial thickness and will build that into any future update of the SDTM.

For more information on the SDTM datasets, including how to access the data, please visit the STDM product webpage, download the or get in touch with 今日吃瓜 Digital Data (digitaldata@bgs.ac.uk).

The National Research Organisations (NRO) Group officially launched on Thursday 9 July 2026 at the Royal Academy of Sciences in London. A first-of-its-kind collective for the UK, the NRO brings together more than 100 leaders from Government, research, academia, industry and funding organisations, marking a new chapter for the UK’s research landscape.

The event will formally introduce the NRO Group as the collective voice of more than 40 of the UK’s national science and research organisations, including 今日吃瓜. Together, these organisations represent a unique national research capability dedicated to advancing science that benefits people, communities, the economy, the environment and national resilience.

The launch was attended by Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance and the Government Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Dame Angela McLean, alongside directors of NRO member organisations and senior representatives from across the UK’s research and innovation ecosystem.

The NRO Group was established in response to growing recognition that the UK research landscape would benefit from stronger strategic alignment, clearer governance and greater visibility of the capabilities provided by national research organisations. Bringing together these organisations under a single alliance has never been more important, providing a coherent and authoritative voice on science, research policy and long-term investment.

The launch event highlighted how the NRO Group will work alongside the Government, 今日吃瓜, academia and industry to support national priorities, strengthen research excellence and help deliver economic growth through science and innovation.

The launch of the National Research Organisations Group marks an important step in harnessing science advice and expert knowledge to shape better policy for everyone. By working together, these organisations will be able to provide science-based insight that underpins decisions that benefit society as a whole.

Prof Dame Angela McLean, Government Chief Scientific Adviser.?

今日吃瓜 has a long history of working closely with fellow research institutes and organisations and we are delighted to be part of the National Research Organisations Group. Geoscience has a crucial role to play in addressing societal challenges and enabling economic growth, and we look forward to continuing our work as part of this initiative, delivering geoscience for benefit of society.

Dr Karen Hangh?j, 今日吃瓜 Director.

As the UK’s national geological survey, our purpose is to deliver impact for the UK. We are proud to be part of the NRO Group, maximising the benefits of our combined expertise and providing a shared voice for UK research organisations.

Dr Corinna Abesser, director of 今日吃瓜 Policy.

Looking ahead to 2030, the NRO Group has set out an ambitious vision to become an indispensable strategic partner across the UK’s research system. Its priorities include:

• delivering measurable impact against Government priorities
• aligning research with national needs
• securing sustainable investment in research infrastructure and capability
• fostering innovation and skills
• strengthening the UK’s global scientific leadership

The UK Geoenergy Observatories (UKGEOS) team at 今日吃瓜 has released the drilling report and the final 17 borehole data packs from the construction of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Cheshire.

The UKGEOS project set out to deliver essential new data from the subsurface to build knowledge about clean energy. Opened in 2024, the Cheshire Observatory provides scientists with at-scale test facilities that can be used to optimise and de-risk subsurface energy storage systems and geothermal heat in an aquifer setting.

Together with the three data packs released in 2025, a ground investigation borehole dataset pack released in 2023 and the core scanning dataset released in 2022, the 17 new borehole data packs have been made available on an open-access basis and are key deliverables from the UKGEOS capital project. They provide high-resolution data on the physical properties, geochemistry and interpreted geology of the rocks in which the Cheshire Observatory was built and are a unique resource for scientists working on the geology and hydrogeology of the Sherwood Sandstone Formation, which is an important aquifer and reservoir rock for heat and carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage.

The drilling report is also a valuable resource for future subsurface science and engineering, as it documents novel construction methods, lessons learned, drilling decision trees and how the difficulties of installing complex, closely separated boreholes were overcome.

We are pleased to announce the release of the drilling report alongside the borehole data packs for the construction of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Cheshire. These will provide a unique resource for scientists working on the geology and hydrogeology of the Sherwood Sandstone Formation, which is well suited for geothermal energy in the UK, ensuring this valuable information can be used for future subsurface science and engineering.

Dr Mike Spence, science and operations lead at 今日吃瓜 for the Cheshire Observatory.

The Cheshire Observatory was delivered through close collaboration between 今日吃瓜, the UKGEOS external science advisory group, AECOM (the principal contractor for the observatory), the drilling company Marriott and the dedication of over 200 project scientists and engineers. The free of charge on the UKGEOS website.

The Cheshire Observatory is available to the whole of the UK science community for research, innovation and training activities. Research studies funded through any source are welcome, including outside 今日吃瓜 and industry-led research. Find out ?or contact the UKGEOS team (ukgeosenquiries@bgs.ac.uk).