Scottish Road Network Landslides Study - University of Glasgow

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INFORMATION SOURCES
Second, information on past landslide locations that have affected the road network, their type
of movement, their date of occurrence and, if relevant, reactivation dates may help to identify
sites of current landslide activity and the factors that control their occurrence under present
climatic conditions. Such data are contained within geological maps, landslide databases,
ground investigation reports, PhD theses, and papers in technical/scientific journals.
3.3.1 Geological/Geotechnical Information
The British Geological Survey (BGS) holds a large amount of geological, engineering
geological and geotechnical data. These data are increasingly being held in digital form and
are being accessed, viewed, analysed and presented using sophisticated computer systems
(relational databases and Geographical Information Systems, or GIS) that enable them to be
combined in different ways. Thus BGS offers not only large relevant data holdings but also
the ability to manipulate the data to user needs incorporating new types of data into the
system as the need arises.
6"/1:10,000 scale geological maps: The area covered by modern 1:10,000 scale and older
1:10,560 scale maps is shown on Figures 3.1 and 3.2. However, this gives no indication of the
geological content of each sheet. Every geological map is to some extent a personal product,
with a content reflecting the experience and professional interests of the geologist. The age of
the mapping is not necessarily a guide to content or quality. Primary survey field slips
(1:10,560 scale) often contain a wealth of data compared to those produced during more
modern mapping when a more focused and time constrained mapping style was the normal
procedure.
Figure 3.1 – Availability of 1:10,000 geological maps.