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International rock stars meet to map the world

Between 12 and 16 March 2007 at the Old Ship Hotel, Brighton, England, the British Geological Survey will host a kick-off event for perhaps the largest, most extensive and ambitious mapping project ever contemplated known as OneGeology. Supported by UNESCO and six other global umbrella bodies, OneGeology will create dynamic digital geological map data across the surface of the Earth.

Leading scientists from more than 55 countries around the world are involved, from as far apart as Australia and Brazil, Canada and Russia, Namibia and Japan. Over the next two years, geologists will agree and plan the details of a global project that will ultimately see each nation provide data on the worldwide web about the rocks from their territory – effectively putting in place their piece of the biggest jigsaw puzzle ever.

The OneGeology project will see national Geological Surveys across the globe make a tangible contribution to the UN International Year of Planet Earth 2008 by developing the geological map data and converting it to a new international standard – a geological exchange language known as ‘GeoSciML’. Increased use of this new language will allow geological data to be shared and integrated across the planet. It will also transfer valuable know-how to the developing world, hence shortening the digital learning curve.

OneGeology has attracted the support of world famous authors Simon Winchester and Bill Bryson. "The idea of producing a digital map of our living planet's sinews and muscles - of the Earth's largely invisible structure, the support for all living creatures, humankind included - has a grand nobility and poetic elegance to it", says Simon Winchester, "History will judge this decade well if we manage to create a global cartographic venture of this scale and of such vision". Bill Bryson enthused: "OneGeology is an extremely important and exciting project; it will be a fantastic resource for people all over the world".

Ian Jackson, who is leading the project for the British Geological Survey says, "All geologists know well that geology and rocks don’t respect man-made political frontiers and nor do the environmental problems and natural resources that often go with them. With our changing climate, there is an even more urgent need for good quality and more complete data about our environment to be available for those who need it. By contributing to OneGeology each nation can do something locally to make a huge difference globally".

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