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The Foundation Industries (FIs) (chemical, cement, ceramic, glass, metal, and paper sectors) are worth GBP 52 billion to the UK economy and produce 75% of its materials and 10% of its total CO2 emissions. The UK extractive industry annually supplies millions of tonnes of mineral products used in FI manufacturing processes. It is estimated that mineral extraction results in upwards of 50 million tonnes of mineral waste every year. In 2021, the British Geological Survey embarked on a series of visits to UK mineral operations to improve the understanding of mineral waste production, composition, and its potential for use. This has enabled the sharing of data and information on poorly understood stocks and flows of waste materials between different industries and led to potential new applications for use of mineral wastes in novel polymer coatings and investment casting.

Rapidly increasing demand for sand in many countries, combined with little or no governance, has resulted in sand mining causing wide ranging negative environmental and economic impacts. This is driven by the increasing demand for concrete due to urban growth and the need for good-quality housing and infrastructure in many parts of the world. BGS is working on geoscience-led solutions to this problem as part of the International Geoscience Research and Development (IGRD) project. To enable the public, researchers, geological surveys, regulators, industry and consumers to understand the issues around sand mining, the BGS project team worked with Sarah Hannis, a freelance illustrator, to create images that capture the current situation and potential solutions. These aim to show how geoscience data and information can be used for the monitoring and management of sand resources.

We report the results of a structured expert elicitation to identify the most likely types of potential food system disruption scenarios for the UK, focusing on routes to civil unrest. We take a backcasting approach by defining as an end-point a societal event in which 1 in 2000 people have been injured in the UK, which 40% of experts rated as “Possible (20–50%)”, “More likely than not (50–80%)” or “Very likely (>80%)” over the coming decade. Over a timeframe of 50 years, this increased to 80% of experts. The experts considered two food system scenarios and ranked their plausibility of contributing to the given societal scenario. For a timescale of 10 years, the majority identified a food distribution problem as the most likely. Over a timescale of 50 years, the experts were more evenly split between the two scenarios, but over half thought the most likely route to civil unrest would be a lack of total food in the UK. However, the experts stressed that the various causes of food system disruption are interconnected and can create cascading risks, highlighting the importance of a systems approach. We encourage food system stakeholders to use these results in their risk planning and recommend future work to support prevention, preparedness, response and recovery planning.

About nine million Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) workers in Africa and people living near ASGM activities are highly exposed to geogenic and anthropogenic potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Despite the hazards and risks posed by ASGM being well characterized, coordinated multidisciplinary environmental characterization with combined public health studies are limited, with often piecemeal and snapshot studies reported, as highlighted by this review. Furthermore, studies are often not connected with efforts to minimize hazards holistically. Given this, we systematically reviewed the scientific literature on human health hazards associated with ASGM in Africa through Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Pubmed databases. One hundred and seventy-three peer-reviewed papers published between 1996 and June 2023 from 30 African countries were identified. Toxicological environmental hazards were reported in 102 peer-reviewed papers, notably As, Cd, CN, Cr, Hg, Pb, respirable SiO2-laden dust, and radionuclides. Exposure to PTEs in human biomonitoring matrices and associated health impacts were documented in 71 papers. Hg was the most reported hazard. Gaps in research robustness, regulation and policy framework, technology, risk detection, surveillance, and management were found. Despite international and in-country mitigation efforts, ASGM-related hazards in Africa are worsening. This review paper highlights the need for coordinated action and multidisciplinary collaborative research to connect dispersed isolated studies to better characterize the associated disease burden associated with ASGM in Africa and sustainably maximize the wider benefits of ASGM whilst protecting public health and the environment.

Presentation on graphite for the Geological Society of Malaysia.

Brick clay is the term used to describe ‘clay, shale, mudstone and other such materials’ used in the manufacture of structural clay products, such as facing and engineering bricks, pavers, clay tiles for roofing and cladding, and vitrified clay pipes. Brick manufacture is by far the largest tonnage use and as such the indicative extraction tonnages and reserve and resource figures presented in this factsheet are based on statistics provided by the brick manufacturing sector. Some clay, shale, and mudstone is used for engineering purposes, such as lining and capping landfill sites, lining canals and ponds and for general construction purposes (fill). This factsheet provides an overview of brick clay supply in the UK. It is one of a series on economically important minerals that are extracted in Britain and is primarily intended to inform the land-use planning process. It is not a statement of planning policy or guidance; nor does it imply Government approval of any existing or potential planning application in the UK administration.

This factsheet provides an overview of brick clay supply in the UK. It is one of a series on economically important minerals that are extracted in Britain and is primarily intended to inform the land-use planning process. It is not a statement of planning policy or guidance; nor does it imply Government approval of any existing or potential planning application in the UK administration.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a subsistence level livelihood for many rural communities across the world. In Kenya, it provides work for an estimated 40,000 people and produces 5 metric tons of gold per year (Barreto et al. 2018). The impact of ASGM is double-edged with the economic benefits offset by damage to the environment and the health of mining communities, particularly due to the widespread use of mercury to recover gold. As a signatory to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (UNEP 2017), Kenya has agreed to eliminate the use of mercury, formalize the ASGM sector, introduce good practice, and protect the health of mining communities.

Hidden in plain sight along every shoreline is the beauty of a smooth pebble. These amazing consequences of wind, sea and time all tell stories of our landscapes. In this spirited guide to pebbles, richly illustrated throughout, passionate geologist and pebble spotter Clive J. Mitchell gives practical advice on how to identify 40 pebbles and where to find them, making a trip to the beach or riverbank all the more interesting. From the humble flint, to feldspar veins, spotted slates, serpentinite, granite ovoids and the holy grail of pebble hunting, the rare rhomb porphyry (with distinctive diamond-shaped crystals nestled in dark-brown rock). The book includes a space to ruminate on your own findings, taking note of the treasures that you pick up along the way. The Pebble Spotter’s Guide is the perfect introduction to everything you didn’t know there was to know about the mindful pleasure of pebble spotting. Simply sit on a beach or next to a stream for 10 minutes and find amazing treasures at your feet; there is much to find. Clive Mitchell is the classic British geologist with check shirt and beard, a beer drinker and passionate about rocks. Born in Bristol, he grew up in the village of Congresbury on the northern edge of the Mendips in North Somerset. Family holidays in Cornwall and Devon were spent collecting pebbles on the beach, his first introduction to geology. Scroll forward fifty years, Clive lives with his family in Nottingham and is an industrial minerals geologist at the British Geological Survey. He has been lucky enough to travel all over the planet especially Africa and the Middle East working on mineral resources. Clive is an enthusiastic geoscience communicator and can often be found online, especially on twitter, helping to identify rocks for keen amateur geologists.

Decarbonisation of energy and transport, to meet global net zero ambitions, will require significantly increased amounts of the raw materials used to manufacture batteries and other green technologies. This report focuses specifically on graphite, one of the major battery raw materials, for which demand is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decades. Graphite supply chains are complex and commonly global in their extent, with steps that include exploration, mining, processing, manufacturing, use and recycling. The continent of Africa has significant graphite resources, which may provide an opportunity for many African countries to contribute to meeting increased demand whilst also supporting economic growth. This report reviews known resources of graphite and engagement in the battery supply chain across key African countries. Many African countries (most notably Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania and Namibia) have significant graphite resources and some operating graphite mines. However, there is much less engagement in critical stages further along the supply chain. Currently, Africa has no capacity for the production of specialist products such as spherical graphite or manufacture of battery components. This leads to a typical situation where mineral concentrate is exported; value is added outside Africa; and products using graphite are then imported. There is clear potential for Africa’s graphite resources to make a greater economic contribution, but this should be placed in the context of the wider supply chain; in particular, the potential for regional cooperation on the production of spherical graphite deserves further consideration. There is currently limited data on the specific socio-economic and environmental impacts of graphite mining. Development of new graphite mines across Africa will be most successful if good governance, human rights, and minimising environmental impacts are all considered as priorities.

Nations aspiring to achieve sustainable development of their mineral resources focus on mining laws and regulations with the establishment of clear legal, environmental, social and technical boundaries. However, where there is no precedence for mineral resource development, how does a mining industry develop from scratch? This is where the role of government mining departments and geological surveys come into their own. In this presentation, I present my three-point plan for mineral resource development, based on 32 years working with mining departments and geological surveys across the world as an industrial minerals geologist for the British Geological Survey (BGS). 1. Geological Baselines. A good example of a geological baseline is the 10-year programme carried out in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with geological mapping, geophysical surveys including aeromagnetic, gravity and seismic, metallic mineral assessment, industrial mineral assessment (construction, aggregate, limestone and dimension stone), geohazard assessments, seismic monitoring and 3D modelling. In the UK, geological information published by the British Geological Survey (BGS) is available via the OpenGeoscience portal including maps and cross-sections, data, scans, photos, borehole records and other information. One of the most useful is the GeoIndex map viewer www.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/. 2. Demand-led resource assessment. A-Z inventory of resources was the mineral resource strategy of national Governments for years. More targeted mineral resource assessments employ a ‘minerals for markets’ approach informed by local, regional & international market demand/ trade statistics. Experienced minerals geologists, technical specialists & GIS experts engage with industry to get to know their processes and specifications, carry out regional reconnaissance surveys to identify high-purity resources with potential as industrial raw materials and create Minerals Occurrence Databases (MOD) linked to a Geographical

In an ever changing world with a growing population there is a constant pressure to build new houses and infrastructure – this requires land to be built on and resources to be extracted. The risk to our geological heritage is always present. There is also a new and growing demand for geological tourism. This is an aspect of Geotourism which is defined as “tourism that sustains or enhances the identity of a territory, taking into consideration its geology, environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.” Geological tourism focuses on the geology or geomorphology of a location In the UK, environmental designations exist to protect sensitive landscapes from development. These include National Parks, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (AONBs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Regionally Important Geological (and Geomorphological or Geodiversity) Sites (RIGS) are locally designated sites for local, national or regional importance for geology. They are recognised for their rocks, fossils, minerals, or other geological or geomorphological features of interest. They are protected from development by the UK planning system. The sites are typically conserved and protected by volunteer groups. Other designations include; Limestone Pavement Orders to protect this environment from removal or damage; Special Landscape Areas which are defined by local authorities in development plans with a view to safeguarding areas of regional or local landscape importance from development; and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Global Geoparks which are internationally-recognised areas encompassing one or more sites of scientific importance in which the geological heritage is safeguarded and sustainably managed, with strong local involvement. UNESCO Global Geoparks are defined as “Single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holisti

The British Geological Survey (BGS) website is a treasure trove of geological data spanning the last 200 years. However, unearthing the gems of information and data you desire amongst the 5000 pages of web content is a quest that would have even Jack Sparrow trembling at the prospect. In this paper BGS industrial minerals geologist Clive Mitchell, navigates a path through the BGS website. The starting point is OpenGeoscience which is a free service that acts as the portal where visitors can view maps, download data, scans, photos and other information. Geological maps are available through a series of online map viewers. The most popular being the Geology of Britain viewer, this is based on BGS Geology (formerly DigMapGB) which is the basis for all BGS geological maps for the UK. BGS Geology was initially created by the digitisation of BGS paper maps and is now maintained by straight to digital geological mapping. This viewer is a seamless and scalable map that can be queried to give a summary of the geological units being displayed. Further detailed geological data for these rock units is accessed via the BGS Lexicon. This is essentially the bible for UK geology covering all of the named rock units that appear on BGS maps and publications. The viewer and the lexicon are two of the top four most visited web pages on the BGS website. Other geological map viewers include onshore and offshore GeoIndex datasets for mineral resources, groundwater, soil properties and environmental baseline monitoring for shale gas sites. Fans of paper maps can access the entire archive of over 6000 maps published by the BGS from 1832 to 2015 via the BGS maps portal. The starting point for onshore BGS geological data is the GeoIndex Onshore. This is a map-based index to onshore datasets collected by BGS or obtained from other sources. There are 156 available dataset layers that can be added covering: geology, boreholes, collections, hazards, geochemistry, geophysics, products, photographs

Mineral investment opportunities in the UAE (presentation) This presentation was given at the 2017 Mining Show in Dubai, UAE. The focus of the conference, and associated exhibition, was the mining sector in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and South Asia. The delegates were from government ministries and departments, the mining industry and associated support companies, academia and private consultancies. The theme of the presentation was an assessment of the potential for the production and commercialisation of the mineral resources of the UAE. The potential impact is the development of the mineral resources furthering the economic diversification of the UAE economy. The potential mineral opportunities include: High-purity calcium carbonate (limestone) and dolomite; Dimension stone; Hard-rock resources (construction aggregate); Gypsum; Chromite; and Silica sand. Other minerals with little or no potential include: Asbestos, Barytes, Celestite, Clay, Copper, Feldspar, Magnesite, Manganese, Mica and Platinum Group Elements (PGEs).

Geology has come a long way since the advent of the first national-scale geological map produced by pioneering British geologist William Smith in 1815. The traditional image of 19th and 20th Century geologists is with hammer in hand traversing geological boundaries, annotating paper maps and recording observations in a trusty field notebook. The 21st Century counterpart carries a web-enabled ruggedised tablet computer with line work and observations entered directly onto a GPS-located digital map capable of incorporating detailed metadata, photographs and other geological information. The capture, management and delivery of data is at the heart of the modern British Geological Survey (BGS). Data captured by geologists during survey programmes is used to continually update the understanding of the geology of the UK. BGS maps are wholly digital with a seamless geological map of the UK that is scalable from the national 1:1 million scale to the local 1:10,000 scale. The revolution in spatial data over the last 20 years has enabled a move from 2-dimensional flat plan view geological maps to the 3-dimensional geological models of the subsurface. Visualisation technology enables geologists to carry out virtual field excursions before leaving the office. In addition, the policy of Open Data has seen a surge in freely available geological information largely accessed through web map viewers and data portals. More recently mobile applications such as iGeology in the UK and mGeology in the United Arab Emirates enable access to geological information via smart phones and tablets. This presentation will look at how the digital revolution has transformed the delivery of geological data to the world. It will cover the advances made by the British Geological Survey in delivering geological maps to your smart phone, 3D subsurface modelling and 3D visualisation of data in a ‘virtual field laboratory’.

The Emirate of Fujairah in the north east of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) covers approximately 1.5% (1,166 km2) of the land area of the UAE, is almost totally mountainous and is relatively well endowed with mineral resources. Geologically it is dominated by the rocks of the Oman-UAE ophiolite and associated metamorphic rocks of the Dibba and Hatta Zones. The north-western part of the emirate overlaps onto the southern edge of the carbonate rocks of the Hajar Mountains. The mineral resources of Fujairah include copper and chromite (which have been worked in the past), construction aggregate, limestone, and dimension stone. Fujairah Emirate has a relatively well developed local minerals industry. The ophiolite is the source of the gabbro and other igneous rocks that are used to produce construction aggregate as well as in the manufacturing of rock wool and building stone. The carbonate rocks are the source of the limestone used to produce cement. Local ‘shales’ are used for the production of ceramics. As part of the mineral resource investigation carried out by the British Geological Survey from 2009 to 2012, the limestone and dimension stone potential of Fujairah Emirates was assessed. Limestone samples were collected in Fujairah Emirate from the Dhera Limestone, Dibba, Mayhah, Muti and Sid’r Chert formations to assess their potential as high purity limestone. Hard rock samples were collected in Fujairah Emirate including limestone (Dhera Limestone, Mayhah and Ausaq Conglomerate formations), gabbro (Fujairah and Kalba) and harzburgite to assess their potential as dimension stone. This presentation will detail the findings of the mineral resources assessment of the limestone and dimension stone resources that occur in the Emirate of Fujairah. It will also propose how these resources can be developed and promoted to potential investors based on the experiences and practice of the British Geological Survey.

Sand is sand isn’t it? Sand gets everywhere but rather than a nuisance it is a valuable, high-purity raw material. Clive Mitchell, Industrial Minerals Specialist at the British Geological Survey (BGS), talks us through what sand is, what it can be used for and how to find it. His exploration of sand takes us from the deserts of Arabia to the damp sand pits of Mansfield!

Mineral waste is largely an unavoidable by-product of the extraction, processing and production of mineral-based products. The UK is well-endowed with mineral resources which have been worked for thousands of years resulting in millions of tonnes of mineral waste across the country. The most significant mineral resource worked was coal with more than 26,000 million tonnes of coal produced and 3600 million tonnes of waste rock. Other significant volumes of mineral waste were derived from metal mining including tin, copper, lead and iron ore. Also a considerable volume was derived from the production of industrial and construction minerals such as brick clay, building stone, china clay, salt and slate. Currently the largest volumes of mineral waste produced in the UK are those associated with the production of construction aggregate from hard rock quarries and sand and gravel operations. The amount of mineral waste produced in the UK is currently not known in detail. Any figures for mineral waste are usually based on calculations that rely on the amount of saleable products recorded in the Annual Minerals Raised inquiry. Legislation in the UK is primarily concerned with the safe disposal of waste. It was not until the introduction of the Landfill Tax in 1996 and the Aggregates Levy in 2002 that concerted effort was made by the UK minerals industry to reduce, reuse or recycle mineral waste. A significant amount of research has been carried out since then to identify new uses for mineral waste, much of it funded in the 1990s and 2000s by the taxes raised. This presentation will give a summary of the research carried out in the UK on mineral waste. It will focus on efforts to reduce the amount of waste produced, enable the reuse of mineral-based products and find uses for mineral waste.

Sustainability is not just about environmental protection it also concerns biodiversity, community relations, competence, employment, geodiversity, health and safety, resource efficiency, restoration and stakeholder accountability. The UK construction minerals industry aims to supply essential materials in a sustainable manner that is economically viable and socially and environmentally responsible. It was seriously affected by the economic downturn with a significant reduction in sales over the 2008 to 2012 period. The recovery of the construction sector in the UK started in 2013 and is expected to continue through 2015. Over this period resource efficiency has improved alongside an increase in recycled and secondary materials and a reduction in mineral waste. In response to concerns about climate change, the construction minerals industry is working to reduce its carbon footprint. The manufacture of cement and lime are the most energy intensive processes in the industry. Over the period 2008 to 2012 the industry reduced emissions significantly, although there is a limit as 60% of the CO2 comes from the thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate. The supply of minerals to market is dominated by road transport however there is an increasing focus on rail and marine alternatives which can deliver larger volumes, help reduce freight costs and environmental impact. The UK Aggregates Carbon Reduction Portal provides advice and guidance on reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption. The construction minerals industry plays its part in preserving the biodiversity and geodiversity of its operating sites. Best practice is underpinned by the UK Government Biodiversity 2020 strategy, supported by schemes such as Nature After Minerals and recognised by the high profile annual Restoration & Biodiversity Awards. Local heritage is preserved through archaeological investigations that follow the industry Code of Practice. The UK construction minerals industry employs 35,000 w

Construction aggregate is a fundamental raw material for all countries. However, the testing and specification of aggregate is often overlooked or not considered. This has serious implications for the life and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure which can cost a lot of money in the future to repair or replace and at worst lead to structural failure and risk to human lives. Geological materials have been used in construction since the dawn of time. This is still the case with construction raw materials accounting for the largest volumes of any known production process on the planet. Natural aggregate is the most ubiquitous construction material and is used in buildings, civil engineering projects and transport infrastructure such as roads, railways and airport runways. The suitability of naturally occurring rock for the production of construction aggregate relies on its testing against national and international standards. Construction aggregate broadly comes in two main categories. Hard rock aggregate is typically sourced from igneous rocks such as granite, dolerite and gabbro, sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone, and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and marble. These are extracted in quarries by drilling, blasting and crushing. Sand and gravel aggregate is typically sourced from unconsolidated sediments of fluvial, lacustrine or marine origin. These are extracted in quarries by mechanical excavators. Both types of aggregate are washed and screened to create the required construction aggregate products. The testing of aggregate not only ensures its suitability for different construction applications it is also the basis for consumer specifications and enables the ongoing assurance that it continues to meet the required properties. This presentation will consider the properties required for construction aggregate, the standards, its suitability for the different applications and the laboratory testing required.

Social media guidance for British Geological Survey staff Social media is a great way to communicate BGS science, activities, achievements and services. This guidance is for BGS staff using social media as a way to communicate BGS science and technology. It is based on the Social Media Guidance for Civil Servants (Cabinet Office, 2012) the NERC Electronic Communications Policy (NERC, 2013) and the NERC Code of Conduct. This guidance was first published in Broadcasting the science stories of the BGS: The British Geological Survey Communication strategy (Mitchell et al, 2014).

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a world leading geological survey that focuses on public-good science for government, and research to understand earth and environmental processes. Prior to November 2006, the communications culture of the BGS had been largely driven by reaction to news events and managing media requests as they emerged. Since 2007, when greater emphasis was placed on more proactive communications, the public profile of the BGS was successfully raised. In 2014, the BGS released its new science strategy, Gateway to the Earth: Science for the next decade. This has the vision of BGS becoming a global geological survey with a focus on new technologies, responsible use of natural resources, management of environmental change and resilience to environment hazards. This has informed the development of a new communications strategy for the BGS, which is outlined in this report. The main audiences for BGS science and technology are the public, government and other decision makers, industry and private business, academia, BGS staff and the wider NERC community and the media. Communication with these audiences is largely through the broadcast media and the internet, with additional communication through the print media, and the public engagement activities of the BGS. The UK Governments communications plan for 2014-15 has as its vision ‘exceptional communications’, and the Government’s Digital Strategy aims to put more data into the public domain. The key messages in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills policy paper ‘Engaging the public in science and engineering’ are that new audiences need to be targeted outside those already interested in science and that engagement needs to be ‘where people naturally congregate, rather than expecting them to come to us’. The communication trends that have influenced the development of the new BGS communications strategy have included: mobile went mainstream; transparency and trust; social media; science

Although still just a glimmer in the gas man’s eye, the prospect of shale gas development in the UK has many companies thinking about the industrial minerals it will require. Chief amongst these is silica sand which is used as a ‘proppant’ in the hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’, of shales to help release the gas. The UK has large resources of sand and sandstone, of which only a small proportion have the necessary technical properties that classify them as ‘silica sand’. Silica sand is high purity quartz sand that is used for glass production, as foundry sand, in horticulture, leisure and other industrial uses. When used as a proppant to enhance oil and gas recovery it is commonly known as ‘frac sand’. The UK is virtually self-sufficient in meeting its silica sand needs and extracts approximately 4 million tonnes per year from 40 quarries. The resources are varied but most production comes from Carboniferous age sandstones in central Scotland, early Cretaceous marine sands in Norfolk and glaciofluvial sands in Cheshire. As there is currently no production of frac sand in the UK, and the prospect of shale gas recovery becoming a real possibility, it is timely to consider where ‘frac sand’ could be produced in the UK. Will the supply of silica sand meet demand? Will it compete with other applications for silica sand? This presentation will consider those silica sand resources in the UK that may be suitable for ‘frac sand’ production. It will draw parallels with other industrial applications, notably foundry sand, which shares some common technical requirements such as particle shape and size distribution.

Minerals, Markets and Open Access Clive Mitchell, Industrial Minerals Specialist, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, UK Email: cjmi@bgs.ac.uk The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a world-leading geological survey that focuses on public-good science for government and research to understand earth and environmental processes. The BGS is the UK provider of spatial and statistical minerals information, in addition it carries out research in areas such as metallogenesis, land-use impacts of mineral extraction and geomaterials such as building stones. The traditional ‘A to Z’ inventory of mineral resources is no longer sufficient for the UK minerals industry and its stakeholders. In its place is a ‘minerals for markets’ approach, whereby emphasis is placed on minerals that are in demand by indigenous industries and those that may be exported. As a consequence, BGS minerals geologists require a detailed understanding of the extraction, processing, end use specifications, consumers, producers, markets and trade for minerals. Modern day BGS minerals information is founded on the contiguous digital geological map coverage of the UK. Knowledge of the geology of mineral resources is used to populate a Minerals Information Database (MOD) and to create Geographical Information System (GIS) based mineral resource maps. This spatial information is used by planners, decision makers and producers to identify areas where mineral extraction may take place that does not conflict with other land-uses and environmental designations. All minerals information reports produced by the BGS are provided free of charge via its Centre for Sustainable Mineral Development web portal, www.MineralsUK.com. This website has a wealth of information on mineral resources, mineral planning, policy and legislation, sustainable development, statistics and exploration. This is made freely available in the spirit of Open Access. Such information is used by Government, industry and the wider BGS stakehold

High-purity limestone in the UAE Clive Mitchell, Industrial Minerals Specialist, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, UK Email: cjmi@bgs.ac.uk High-purity limestone can be defined as carbonate rock that contains greater than 97% calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Limestone is thought to have the largest number of commercial uses of all industrial minerals; including as construction material, mineral fillers (paper, paint, plastic, rubber and pharmaceuticals), adhesives, abrasives, fertilisers and soil conditioners, the production of cement, lime and calcium chemicals. Exploration for high-purity limestone involves a detailed examination of known deposits as defined by existing geological information. National geological surveys are usually responsible for reconnaissance-scale mineral resource assessments which have a national or regional focus. BGS reconnaissance surveys of limestone make use of a classification scheme, whereby their ‘purity’ is based on the calcium carbonate content (CaCO3) as follows: very-high purity (>98.5%), high purity (97-98.5%), medium-purity (93.5-97%), low-purity (85-93.5%) and impure (<85%). In addition, the magnesia (MgO), silica (SiO2) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) are also used as quality criteria. Laboratory evaluation of limestone includes chemical and mineralogical analysis, and physical property testing. The evaluation is informed by the needs of industry and relies on the availability of technical data sheets and specifications. A reconnaissance survey was carried out in the UAE (2009-10) to identify high-purity limestone. Large resources were identified in the northern Emirates that have the potential to be used for high value industrial uses such as mineral fillers, ceramics, glass, food, pharmaceuticals, calcium chemical and lime production. Further to this initial survey, a more detailed assessment of the high-purity limestone resources of the northern Emirates will be carried out over the next 2 years. The development of these resources h

This presentation is that given as part of the MGeol course 'Communicating Earth Science' at Plymouth University by invitation of the course director (Professor Iain Stewart). It is a summary of the functions of the British Geological Survey (BGS) press office and the rationale used to communicate BGS science and technology.