dataset · United Kingdom
Geochemical Baseline Survey of the Environment (G-BASE) for UK Soils in urban areas
Soil samples collected in urban areas throughout the UK are analysed for their major and trace element geochemistry, their pH and organic matter content. Samples are collected at two depths; 0-15cm and 35-45cm at sites selected using a stratified, random design. The data can be used to identify and prioritize contaminated sites. In 1993, the Geochemical Baseline Survey Of The Environm (G-BASE) rural geochemical mapping programme was extended to include sampling in urban areas and to date around
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Licence: ["The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in an
Evidence quality: 36.1
Listed in data.gov.uk public catalogue API on 2026-10-16; relevance/value screened (haiku).
Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z
What's in it
- Data offered docs-verified
- major and trace element geochemistry · soil pH · soil organic matter content · inorganic contaminants Cr, Cu, Cd, Ni, As, Pb, Zn, Sn, Sb
- Coverage docs-verified
- UK urban areas (around 22 urban centres sampled to date) · from 1993
- Update frequency docs-verified
- irregular
- Access docs-verified
- Viewable on data.gov.uk with no access fee stated; reuse restricted by BGS/NERC copyright, which requires prior permission for reproduction. The page also states Open Government Licence v3.0 for content otherwise stated, so reuse terms need checking with BGS.
Useful for
- Use cases llm-inferred
- Urban soil metal background levels for contaminated land desk studies (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Cd, Ni) · Screening brownfield and redevelopment sites to prioritise further investigation · Comparing site soil results against urban geochemical baseline ranges in GIS
- Audience llm-inferred
- contaminated land consultants · environmental consultants · geotechnical engineers · GIS analysts · planners
Limitations
- Constraints docs-verified
- Covers only around 22 sampled urban centres, not all UK urban areas · Page says urban sampling continues until the rural programme completes in 2015, which conflicts with the 2026 update date · Irregular update frequency · Reuse restricted by BGS/NERC copyright and access constraints · No warranty of quality or accuracy given by NERC/BGS · Listed as a dataset only, with no API or tools
Evidence
- https://www.bgs.ac.uk/geology-projects/applied-geochemistry/g-base/
- https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/e04467e2-3c5b-4856-b805-1666f379d103/geochemical-baseline-survey-of-the-environment-g-base-for-uk-soils-in-urban-areas1
Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.