OneGeology-Europe WP3 Meeting

OneGeology-Europe (1G-E) is making geological spatial data held by the Geological Surveys of Europe more easily discoverable and accessible via the internet.

Geological spatial data is e.g. essential for the prediction and mitigation of landslides, subsidence, earthquakes, flooding and pollution. These issues are global in nature and their profile has also been raised by the OneGeology global initiative for the International Year of Planet Earth 2008. ‘Geology’ is also a key dataset in the EC INSPIRE Directive (Annex II); and fundamental to the Annex III Themes of natural risk zones, energy and mineral resources.

Rich geological data sets exist in the geological survey of each individual EC Member State, but for those outside the geological surveys they are difficult to discover, to obtain and to understand. In addition the datasets from different Geological Surveys differ considerably with respect to their contents, description and geometry and are therefore not interoperable.

Participating countries in OneGeology-Europe

The 1G-E project is delivering a web-accessible, interoperable geological spatial dataset for the whole of onshore Europe at 1:1 million scale based on existing data held by the European Geological Surveys (specifically composition and structure of the surface geology).

To make these data interoperable is a considerable task and 1G-E Work Package 3 (WP3) is delivering the essential basis for that endeavour: The 1G-E Geology Data Specification.

The Berlin Meeting of WP3 is the concluding meeting for the workpackage, and the results are being presented and discussed.