70Th Anniversary Science Review 2 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland Foreword by Marie Cowan, GSNI Director
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70th Anniversary Science Review 2 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland Foreword by Marie Cowan, GSNI Director Minerals and other natural Aggregates such as hard rock, for one kilometre of a 6-metre- and advises on associated resources are essential to support sand and gravel are needed wide single carriageway. planning considerations to a competitive, regionally balanced for the construction of homes support the economy and protect economy and a sustainable and roads. Industrial minerals Minerals are valuable, finite the environment. quality of life for everyone. It is including salt and potash are resources that can only be vital there is a sufficient supply used by manufacturing and extracted where they occur; this This year the GSNI celebrates 70 of raw and recycled materials agri-food industries, and new poses a challenge for society as years of public service since first for manufacturing, construction, technologies are heavily reliant the demand for minerals requires opening its offices in 1947. This power generation, transportation on high-value metals such as long-term, strategic, minerals special publication marks this and agri-food. In the UK, trade gold. Energy minerals include planning and safeguarding to milestone by encapsulating how in minerals and mineral-based coal, peat, lignite and oil and gas. be balanced with environmental GSNI scientists provide this service products makes up over 20 per protection, monitoring and and its impact for Northern cent of the total, with exports of The construction sector is worth management. Ireland’s economy, infrastructure, £66 billion and imports of £85 £2.5 billion to the NI economy environment, tourism, health billion in 2014. with 12 000 firms providing 60 000 The Geological Survey of and education in the past three jobs. Sixty tons of aggregates are Northern Ireland (GSNI), an financial years ending 2016/17. Subsurface mining in Northern required for an average house and office of the Department for the Ireland dates back to 1700 and ten thousand tons of aggregate, Economy, generates and provides Marie Cowan, Director, for planning purposes minerals three thousand tons of asphalt and information, data, research and Geological Survey of Northern fall into three distinct groups. 2000 m3 of concrete are required expertise on mineral resources Ireland (GSNI), Belfast Mr A F Fowler Mr J A Robbie Mr H E Wilson Mr A E Griffith Dr R A Bazley Mr M E YoungDr M T Cowan Mr J Arthurs Mr G Earls 1947 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2017 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland 3 Foreword by John Ludden CBE, BGS Executive Director The BGS has been surveying the without damaging the natural Programme for Government and The BGS, together with the UK’s geology since 1835; our environment and provide Industrial Strategy. GSNI, have been collaborating current role is still very similar to evidence on how competing with Geological Survey Ireland that when we were established underground activities may need This year the GSNI celebrates 70 formally since 2007 when the three during the industrial revolution. to be managed to ensure safety. years of providing this public surveys signed a Memorandum of Today we advance understanding service to Northern Ireland and Understanding to work together of the structure, properties and The BGS also leads geoscience this publication reflects on the on geoscience research in areas processes of the solid earth research of strategic importance last three years. In particular of mutual national interest. I am system through interdisciplinary to government; undertaking this it focuses on work for the delighted with our most recent surveys, monitoring and research work requires close association Department for the Economy award-winning collaboration: the for the benefit of society. with all stakeholders involved in (DfE), the Northern Ireland newly published 1:1 250 000 scale natural resource development Environment agency (NIEA) and geological map of the UK and We identify the UK’s resources including central and local councils, and its joint research Ireland. In 2016, our joint book and investigate whether they government, regulators, industry with universities and other with the Royal Irish Academy can be utilised sustainably in and other research institutes. organisations. Highlights include entitled Unearthed: Impacts of the national interest. To do this Northern Ireland being placed in the Tellus Surveys of the North of we map, measure, observe and We have offices in all four the global top ten for its policy Ireland published 30 papers with model the rocks and superficial devolved regions of the UK, perception index in relation to 28 authors and was launched at deposits from a depth of however the GSNI in Belfast is mineral exploration in the 2016 Parliament Buildings in Stormont. several kilometres all the way unique because it is an office Fraser Institute Survey of 2700 Six papers alone were published by to the surface. Providing data, of government and its staff companies, and the GSNI’s invited GSNI’s Chief Geologist and current knowledge and information on are government officials. This representation on UNESCO’s Visiting Research Professor at natural resources means that places BGS scientists central to first Global Geopark Council. Queen’s University Belfast. we identify the extent of the evidence-based policy making This reflects its expertise and resources, provide estimates and stakeholder consultation. commitment to geodiverity and John Ludden, Executive Director, on their volume, assess The GSNI is attuned to both the geotourism at home and on the British Geological Survey (BGS), whether they can be extracted Northern Ireland Executive’s international stage. Nottingham, UK 4 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright and database rights 2017. Produced using Copernicus data and information funded by the European Union — EU-DEM layers. Geological Survey of Northern Ireland 5 Contents Foreword 2 Introduction 6 Developing the economy 8 Research, data and innovation 12 Underpinning infrastructure 16 Monitoring the environment 20 Enhancing tourism 24 Protecting human and animal health 28 Supporting education 32 Inside the GSNI 36 6 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland Introduction The Geological Survey Our GSNI scientists provide also hold information on geology, of Northern Ireland data, information and advice engineering geology, minerals, (GSNI) is an office of to support the legislative borehole data and site records, responsibilities and strategic mines, quarries and pits, airborne the Department for priorities of DfE, other NI geophysics, soils and water the Economy (DfE) in government departments and geochemistry. Northern Ireland (NI) agencies, Northern Ireland staffed by scientists of Environment Agency (NIEA), The GSNI is an entirely the British Geological Invest NI and council authorities. outward-facing organisation Survey (BGS) who provide so we actively engage all research services to help We are based at Dundonald sectors of society including House in Belfast on the Stormont central and local government, develop NI’s economy and Estate, where we run an enquiry industry, academia, community protect its environment. service and shop. We also organisations, non- manage a core store and sample governmental organisations repository at Mallusk. (NGOs), schools and the general public. Our primary client is the We collaborate on research DfE and key partners are Invest projects with the BGS, Geological NI; Land and Property Services; Survey Ireland (GSI) and over Northern Ireland Environment 35 universities worldwide. Our Agency; Marble Arch Caves primary datasets are available on UNESCO Global Geopark; Quarry ©Tourism Northern Ireland ©Tourism Open Data NI and Spatial NI. We Products Association NI; Queen’s Geological Survey of Northern Ireland 7 University Belfast; Royal Irish In April 2015, the responsibility Academy; W5; Ulster Museum, for planning decisions transferred Digital media and UNESCO. from the NI Planning Service GeoBlogy to 11 newly created ‘super- Twitter (Since April 2014) 72 500 average Tweet We are unique within the BGS councils’. We embarked upon a impressions per month 34 277 Individual views for as we are a government office two-year-long programme of GSNI staff blogs 33 467 top Tweet 7090 Most read blog within the DfE and our scientists engagement with CEOs, chief (most impressions) 25 GeoBlogy posts are officials of government. We planners and council officials to 960 followers by GSNI are exclusively well placed to raise awareness of our data and advise and inform policymakers expertise, as well as providing on a range of issues including guidance and advice on the the supply of energy and raw likely risks and opportunities for materials. The GSNI contributes planning in each area. to, and advises the DfE Minerals and Petroleum Branch on, In the last three financial Facebook responses to DfE private and years, we have responded to 28 364 average monthly total press offices and Northern 100 planning consultations impressions Website Ireland Assembly business. In that varied from wind-farm 10 272 average monthly the last three financial years applications to quarry extensions, reach www.bgs.ac.uk/gsni/index.html 637 followers unique visitors we answered 75 Assembly and advised on a range of 14 000 per year questions for written answer potential impacts including (AQWs) with topics ranging abandoned mines, compressible from sand and gravel resources ground and hydrogeology.