dataset · United Kingdom
National Superficial Deposits Thickness Model (SDTM)
A series of tiled models of superficial thickness covering the UK. The models are derived by direct modelling (natural neighbour interpolation) of BGS borehole records and BGS DiGMapGB-50. For the purposes of modelling, superficial deposits include sediments deposited during the Quaternary, subsequent Holocene rivers and coastal systems and also modern anthropogenic material, i.e. deposits that are less than 2.6 million years old. The 50 m x 50 m grids are overprinted with a minimum value so tha
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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: 41.7
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
- superficial deposit thickness (ASTM, indirectly derived model) · superficial deposit thickness (BSTM, directly derived from borehole records) · distance to nearest source data point (DBUFF)
- Coverage docs-verified
- United Kingdom
- Resolution docs-verified
- 50 m x 50 m grid
- Update frequency docs-verified
- Not planned
- Formats llm-inferred
- raster grid (format not stated)
- Access docs-verified
- No reproduction or transmission without prior permission of the NERC/BGS copyright holder (access constraints); data.gov.uk licence field is 'Not set'
Useful for
- Use cases llm-inferred
- Indicative drift thickness for a desk-study ground model before site investigation · Screening superficial deposit thickness across a catchment for FRA or drainage design context · Checking the DBUFF distance layer to judge how far a modelled thickness is from measured borehole data
- Audience llm-inferred
- geotechnical engineers · civil engineers · hydrologists · GIS analysts · planners
Limitations
- Constraints docs-verified
- Models give indicative thickness and elevation only · Not a substitute for thorough site investigation · Version 5 (this dataset) was superseded by version 8 in July 2026; the linked v8 holding should be used for current data · Areas with no borehole data but known drift are given a minimum 1.5 m thickness, which is not a measured value · Reference dates are 2001 (creation) and 2008-08 (revision); no update is planned · Reproduction restricted by NERC/BGS access constraints
Evidence
- https://www.bgs.ac.uk/datasets/superficial-thickness-model/
- https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/09c92f49-1cbc-4329-b7c0-6dc3c324ec04/national-superficial-deposits-thickness-model-sdtm
Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.