The British Geological Survey (BGS) and the Dig-To-Share Project have launched the Big Borehole Dig – a citizen science initiative to help improve the availability and accessibility of borehole data for all, and are looking for anyone with an interest in boreholes or geology to get involved.
The BGS holds a database of over 1.4 million borehole records, each containing a range of information. It is looking for help to convert these records into usable digital data that can help inform the future understanding of the subsurface. The digital scans of these open borehole records can be accessed through the BGS GeoIndex viewer. Despite being held in digital format (usually PDF), the information within these documents is not yet standardised and often requires translating before being able to be used.
The BGS believes it is essential that future generations have access to historical borehole data as Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) file format. It wants to enlist the help of the public to convert its records into AGS format, to improve the availability and accessibility of borehole information to a wider audience. This in turn will enable users to build better models, save costs on construction projects and reduce the amount of time lost due to unforeseen ground conditions.
More information can be found on the BGS website.