Online resources in geology
There are lots of useful online resources in geology, from free magazines and helpful explainers to fascinating maps and local guides to help you get the most out of your local area! This page helps you to find some of the best resources out there!
Learn about geology
Kids can explore the exciting science of geology to learn about the Earth’s structure and which factors have shaped the globe. Finding simple maerials with a comprehensive explanation can be difficult but this website https://brite.co/education/rocks-minerals-and-precious-stones/ covers geology, rocks, minerals and even wanders off into precious stones.
Discovering Geology introduces a range of geoscience topics to school-age students and learners of all ages. Explore these pages to discover the fascinating processes and properties that shape our dynamic planet. From the British Geological Survey.
Geoscientist – The magazine of the Geological Society of London is well worth browsing, issued 4 times a year with topical articles and news items.
Amgueddfa Cymru (https://museum.wales/ ) have created a series of informative databases and web pages exploring the minerals (https://museum.wales/mineralogy-of-wales/database/?search=true&letter=A ), fossils (https://museum.wales/database/geology/palaeontology/?search=true&letter=A ) and building stones (https://museum.wales/curatorial/geology/welsh-stone-forum/ ) of Wales.
The International Commission on Stratigraphy has produced an interactive version of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (https://stratigraphy.org/timescale/ ) to help you explore deep time.
Our own website has details of Anglesey geology including trail leaflets explaining the local geology and a book detailing the geology of the whole coastline.
The British Geological society also hosts Geoscenic (http://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewHome ), an interesting collection of photographs of geology, some of which date back quite a few decades. You can look up for example, how the dunes Newborough looked when Edward Greenly visited them in the early 1900s (http://geoscenic.bgs.ac.uk/asset-bank/action/viewAsset?id=16031&index=7&total=32&view=viewSearchItem ).
Learn about how geology and Welsh culture intersect
The Welsh Place-Name Society has produced a fascinating interactive map (https://www.cymdeithasenwaulleoedd.cymru/welsh-place-name-society-map/ ) collecting and conserving the old place names of Wales. It’s a great way to learn about the relationships between culture and geology; we also have a page (https://www.geomon.org.uk/culture/toponymy-anglesey-placenames/ ) on our website to help you explore this idea!
GB1900 Quarries and Collieries (https://maps.nls.uk/projects/gb1900quarry/#zoom=6&lat=55.0000&lon=-2.5000 ) is a great place to look up the locations of old quarries and collieries in your area. The data is taken from a digitised series of Ordnance Survey maps published around the year 1900 (https://maps.nls.uk/projects/gb1900/#zoom=6&lat=55.0000&lon=-2.5000&layer=0 ).
Coflein has an interactive map (https://coflein.gov.uk/en/ ) showing thousands of entries for archaeological and historic sites in Wales. It is another great place to explore how people have interacted with geology over time.
The People’s Collection of Wales is an online archive (https://www.peoplescollection.wales/locate ) collecting and preserving historic images of Wales. You can for example, explore many of the historic trades practiced in Wales from lobsterpot making in Amlwch (https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/1250856#?xywh=-1231%2C0%2C4083%2C2999 ) and marram grass weaving in Newborough (https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/8157#?xywh=-304%2C-30%2C1058%2C777 ), to how Parys Mountain was quarried in 1790 (https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/22450#?xywh=-14%2C-1%2C927%2C681 ).
Online interactive maps
The British Geological Society’s Geology Viewer (https://www.bgs.ac.uk/map-viewers/bgs-geology-viewer/ ) allows you to look up the bedrock or superficial geology of any particular area in an easy-to-use interactive map.
Greenly’s geological map of Anglesey (https://largeimages.bgs.ac.uk/iip/mapsportal.html?id=1001841 ) is also available online, and often gives greater detail than the interactive Geology Viewer of the BGS. Take note however, that the names of Anglesey’s geological units have been changed since Greenly’s time.
BRITICE (https://shefuni.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=fd78b03a74bb477c906c5d4e0ba9abaf ), from Sheffield University is an open access interactive map and database compiling much of what we know about the distributions of glacial features in the UK. You can use it to look up where your local drumlins are for example!
The UK Soil Observatory (https://www.ukso.org/ ) has an interactive map where you can add in map layers showing information on soil across the UK.
Resources to teach geology
Download and print free educational resources, from colour-in maps to making volcano models, try our range of map viewers or learn about fossils and geological time from the British Geological Survey.
Activities and presentations – a series of presentations and activity sheets for teachers, STEM Ambassadors, and anyone else interested in geology to use in the classroom, in science clubs or at home from the Geological Society.
Free teaching materials for delivering Earth science related content across UK KS1-KS5 subject areas. Earth science subject material occurs throughout the school curricula in the UK. This site hosts a wide range of materials for use by teachers at all levels of education, including lesson plans, activities, and expert knowledge boosters. Provided by University Geoscience UK.
Amgueddfa Cymru have created a series of simple spotters guides (https://museum.wales/collections/on-your-doorstep/identifying-nature/spotters-guide/ ) to help you identify fossils, building stones, plants and other things you may find whilst out and about in Wales.
Finding resources to help talk about geology in Welsh is often difficult, we have found this book, Geiriadur Daeareg a Gwyddorau Daear by Dyfed Ellis-Gruffydd (https://www.ylolfa.com/cynnyrch/9781800991491/geiriadur-daeareg-a-gwyddorau-daear ) particularly useful for geological terminology in Welsh.
Our own website has details of Anglesey geology including trail leaflets explaining the local geology and a book detailing the geology of the whole coastline.
