British Geological Survey

IEA Geothermal Mine Water Energy Symposium 2025 May 7 13:00 - 17:00 UK (BST) time May 8 09:00 - 13:00 UK (BST) time We are pleased to announce an open call for contributions for the IEA Geothermal Mine Water Energy Symposium 2025. The symposium, returning after previous successful years, will be held over two days, 7 and 8 May and will be a free online event. Online presentations (10 - 15 minutes in length) covering all aspects of mine water geothermal energy are welcome. This year there will be a focus on case studies of mine water heating, cooling and storage schemes worldwide (exploration drilling, testing, operations) and on developers. The deadline for your proposed presentation (100 to 250 words maximum) is 16:00 Friday 28 February 2025, however we would welcome initial expressions of interest before that date. We welcome international presenters who can share their experience in mine water geothermal from around the world. Requests for more information and offers of presentations should be sent to minewaterthermal_iea@bgs.ac.uk The event is co-organised by the British Geological Survey, Mining Remediation Authority, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and IEA Geothermal.

I am delighted to announce the launch of the UK 2024 criticality assessment – the most comprehensive snapshot of the raw materials crucial for the UK’s economic prosperity, national security and ongoing technological development which also present a significant risk of supply disruption. Commissioned by the UK Department for Business and Trade, this work is intended to stimulate discussion and allow us as a country to continue to plan effectively for the future of our economy and its place within an increasingly sophisticated and interconnected global supply chain.   This is the result of countless hours of dedicated effort from across the team at the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre and the wider British Geological Survey – and I am grateful to all for their hard work. The quality of the outcome is a glowing testament to this commitment.   If you haven’t already, have a read - https://lnkd.in/eT7zw7m4. I would love to know your thoughts.

The UK 2024 Criticality Assessment is now live! The assessment, produced by the BGS-led UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, and commissioned by the UK Department for Business and Trade shows that growing diversification brings an increasing vulnerability in terms of disruption to supply. The assessment finds that 34 minerals out of the 82 candidate materials assessed are ‘critical’. This is an increase relative to the 2021 assessment, where only 26 candidate materials were assessed and 18 assessed as critical. Of the 18 minerals classed as critical on the 2021 list, 17 remain critical in this new assessment — palladium is now below the criticality threshold — whilst notable additions in 2024 include nickel, iron, germanium, aluminium and chromium (plus others). The new list reflects the increased scope of assessment and the advances in the methodology used. For more information and to access the full report, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eeWMKaRH #criticalminerals #minerals #criticalrawmaterials

BGS' Romesh Palamakumbura will be at the British Hydropower Association annual conference today, giving a talk on pumped storage hydropwer and the importance of geological characterisation for new pumped storage hydropower projects. Catch him in session 7 at 13:45.

We're at the British Hydropower Association annual conference in Glasgow today. Come and talk to us about how our team can deliver better geological understanding of baseline geology conditions to derisk unforseen geological hazards. We're also showcasing our ability to instrument dams with seismology and InSAR technology for longterm montioring. Come and visit us on stand 14. https://lnkd.in/eXpqGs32

Research briefing: Climate change and geohazards Our changing climate poses a major environmental problem to which our society will have to find ways to adapt. Consideration of how the physical environment might change across the UK, and the effect that these changes may have, will be instrumental in tackling these issues. As #COP29 draws to close, our research briefing highlights the breadth of BGS research and datasets available to support adaption or building resilience to geohazards under future climate change scenarios. From mitigating the impact of floods and droughts, to landslides and subsidence, visit our climate and geohazards webpage to find out more: https://lnkd.in/ebMDYtSJ

Check out this slice of Edinburgh’s history! This thin section shows Gullane Sandstone from Craigleith quarries, which supplied stone for Edinburgh Castle and New Town. Captured in polarised light, the blue highlights pore spaces filled with resin. This well-sorted quartz-arenite is 72% quartz, with traces of feldspar, mica, and tourmaline.

Rutland Water is one of the largest artificial reservoirs in Europe, located in the East Midlands. A key part of the site is the Rutland Water Nature Reserve, which is composed of woods, grassland and meadows as well as eight shallow water lagoons, covering around 1000 hectares. PhD student Christopher Bengt has been at the nature reserve to study how phosphorus levels and the PO43- oxygen values in lake sediments change over time. Learn more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/e2DXCMA8

Looking to take the next step in your geoscience career? We have two exciting roles on offer: 💻 Data scientist (Edinburgh or Nottingham) 🌱Subsurface geoscientist (Edinburgh) For more information, including how to apply, please visit 👇 https://lnkd.in/dz7ek4dD

BGS teams have been in the Philippines this week, working on projects including mine tailings and multi-hazard resilience. Yesterday the team met British Ambassador Laure Beaufils and Economic Advisor at the Embassy, Kempee Cruz to inform them about the breadth of BGS work in the country. #BGSInternational