The 1 : 5 Million International Geological Map of Europe and Adjacent Areas
Integration in Geoviewer
September, 2016
To Interactive IGME 5000 (actual)
Interactive Web Map started
February, 2006
Open to public from 2006 to mid 2016
IGME 5000 final print succeeded!
December, 2005
After eleven years minus six days of work the IGME 5000 was finally printed successfully on 24. November!
You may obtain the map by sending an e-mail to bgr-shop@ilh-stuttgart.de (please mention keyword IGME5000) or via the CGMW.
Thank you very much to all international and national participants, to the BGR colleagues in other sections and the IGME 5000 team!
IGME 5000 pre-print completed - IGME 5000 at the IGC, Florence
July, 2004
After an intense period of work the IGME 5000 pre-print (PDF File, 103 KB) was completed on Friday, 23. July!
The IGME 5000 GIS map and several aspects of its geological content and development, including the impact of the project on geoscience standards initiatives, will be presented at the International Geological Congress in Florence from 21. to 27. August 2004 (see details below). Following the IGC experts and advisers involved in the preparation of the IGME 5000 will have a final opportunity to optimize the map (and thus influence the underlying database and GIS). The map then will be prepared for the final off-set printing, which will be completed in Spring 2005. At that time the digital data are also intended to be released via the internet.
A timely opportunity to publicise this new geological map of Europe occurred on 25. July: A German TV programme about the English geologist William Smith and his map of England of 1815 featured the IGME 5000, too. (http://www.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/25/0,1872,2147417,00.html)
IGME 5000 at the IGC, Florence:
| SUN 22. August | 9:30 | IGME 5000 project progress report | ca. 15 mins | Room 34 CGMW General Assembly |
| SUN 22. August | 17:00 | Report on related standards initiatives: DIMAS, GEOTERM, CGI | ca. 15 mins | Room 34 CGMW General Assembly |
| MON 23. August | 9:00-17:00 | Symposium: The Joint European Enterprise Of The 1 : 5 000 000 International Geological Map Of Europe and Adjacent Areas - Building On Tradition" | whole day | Room 28 Session 118 (T 12.02) |
| TUE 24. August | 11:00 | Mapping The Pre-Quaternary Geology Of The European Off-Shore Domain for the 1 : 5 Million International Geological Map Of Europe and Adjacent Areas | ca. 15 mins | Room 28 Session 165 (T 12.01) |
| THU 26. August | 14:00 | The First Geological GIS of Europe (IGME5000): In Pursuit Of Consistency | ca. 15 min | Session (T 22.01) |
Map compilation continues, review started
July, 2003
Progress continues on completing the remaining areas of the map and the database and within the period of the report new information has now been added for the marine regions in particular, but also for North Africa and the Dinarides. Regrettably some participating countries have still to submit their contributions. Countries who have submitted contributions are receiving a modified map, adapted to IGME 5000 criteria and harmonized with the neighbouring countries' geology. Work on map compilation (including harmonisation and generalisation) is intensifying as the deadline of Florence 2004 approaches; specifically, Scandinavia, the Baltic, the Middle East and Turkey have to be tackled within the period. The team is currently reviewing and refining large sections of the map, including Africa, the Alps and Iceland. The compilation of a map of the marine geology of the Mediterranean region, which aspires to meet the (sometimes conflicting) expectations of some of the scientific advisors, is proving to be a considerable challenge. This part of the project was discussed in detail at the EGS-EUG-AGS meeting in Nice in April 2003. It is hoped that additional expertise added to the advisory team in 2003 will ensure that the map of this area is as comprehensive and as accurate as it can be. The new advisors are: Prof. Jean Mascle, Dr. Nicolas Chamot Rooke, Dr. John Woodside, Dr. Menchu Comas and Dr. Edwan Gueguen. Preparations for the full and final review of the total IGME 5000 map are currently being made and potential reviewers are being contacted. Also for the definition of term dictionaries for the IGME 5000 database new advisors joined the IGME 5000 advisory board: Dr. Douglas Fettes, BGS (U.K.) and IUGS, and Dr. Jonathan Snow, Max Planck Institute, Mainz (Germany).
Presentations on, or including major elements of, the IGME 5000 project have been made at the following conferences: International Association of Mathematical Geologists, Berlin, September 2002; GIS in Geology, Moscow, November, 2002; International Conference on GIS for Earth Science Applications (ICGESA), Ljubljana, May 2003, 4th European Congress on Regional Geoscientific Cartography, Bologna, June 2003. Additionally, the work of the project has proved extremely relevant to the DIMAS Working Group (a group set up by CGMW to establish standards for small scale digital geological maps and data - web address link to DIMAS). The IGME 5000 project manager has also been active within a new IUGS Commission - The Commission for the Management and Application of Geoscience Information (CGI Web address link). These events and groups have provided good opportunities for networking and ensuring that the IGME 5000 project stays in touch with relevant geoscience and IT developments.
Focus on the North Atlantic Ocean
May 17, 2002
This is a short update of IGME 5000 progress to provide information since the last "News" update in June 2001.
Steady progress continues to be made with completing the remaining areas of the map and database and new information has now been added for Northwest Africa, the Ukraine, and Moldavia. The team is continually working on the North African geology, but also on Denmark and the North Sea. The current focus is on the validation, population, and organisation of the database. A proto retrieval template has been developed with which geological units can be retrieved by their attributes of age and lithology.
Good progress was made in the North Atlantic, where the latest data from several sources (particularly geophysical data) has been incorporated. The relevance of the IGME 5000 work on establishing standards continues to be recognised in the form of invitations to join a number of international working groups focusing on this area (see below).
Presentations on the IGME5000 project have been made at two conferences during the period (IAMG annual conference, Cancun, and Deutscher Kartographentag, Berchtesgaden). Additionally, a number of demonstrations and visits have been hosted by the IGME 5000 at the BGR, Hannover. However, by far the most significant event in the period was the CGMW General Assembly in Paris in January/February 2002. Here the progress of the project was presented and was reviewed by the Bureau and participants. Two working groups were initiated by the Assembly; the first one on digital data standards and the second one on term dictionaries. The Working Group on digital data standards held its kick off meeting in Hannover on 16 May.
The IGME 5000 project co-organised together with EuroGeoSurveys the GIS Workshop "Recent and Future Developments in the Application of Geoscience GIS" in November 2001, which was attended by 29 representatives from 13 European countries.
Geological GIS under construction
January 2002
New - now downloadable - the current status of IGME 5000 data compilation in map form
(http://www.bgr.de/karten/IGME5000/igme_a3_january2002.jpg, 1.868 KB) IGME5000 Draft
Data Input Template
June 27, 2001
New! Now available on the Members Only Special Site:
The Data Input Template (MS ACCESS Runtime for implementing on your PC) as self-extracting .exe file.
IGME 5000 NEWS UPDATE
June 21, 2001
This is a brief update of IGME 5000 progress in the six months since November 2000. For the last 3 months of this period the project manager has been on study leave and this has had an understandable impact on project momentum. Nonetheless the project has continued to move forward.
This year is focussing on the compilation of the marine geology, of data and map harmonisation ; this in parallel with scientific review via the participants. In BGR the work on map harmonisation and generalisation continues, though not all of the participating countries have submitted their contributions both in map form and via the data input mask.
Gradually the countries who submitted contibutions for a scientific review are receiving the modified map, adapted to IGME 5000 criteria and harmonized with the neighbouring countries' geology. In a final stage the entire map will be scrutinizedby an indepentent board of international experts.
The following maps have been added to the GIS recently:
- Iceland
- Greece
- Romania
Momentarily the BGR IGME 5000 team is working on the geology of North-east Africa, the British and Irish Shelf and the Atlantic Ocean.
A colloqium was held for BGR/NLfB staff in Hannover in January where IGME 5000 procedures, systems and progress to date was presented and a live demonstration of the developing GIS was given.
A Workshop planned for the Marine Advisory Working Group in February had to be postponed until later in the year as several of the prospective participants were not available.
Drawing on practical IGME experience of the current European situation and practices, significant input was made to the FOREGS Working Group on European Standards for Digital Geological Cartography and Computer Modelling. The Working Group's final (confidential) report was forwarded to all FOREGS Directors in January 2001 and members of FOREGS organisations should approach their Directors should they wish to see a copy.
1st Workshop on the IGME 5000 Alpine Geology
November 2, 2000
On the 24th October the IGME 5000 advisors for the North Alpine area met in Munich to discuss how to display most effectively the complex geology of the Alps. The meeting was arranged with friendly support of the Bavarian Geological Survey (Bayrisches Geologisches Landesamt). Representatives from Switzerland, Hungary, Austria and Bavaria debated how best to harmonise the geological boundaries across the respective political borders. The in the end successful outcome from these discussions is essential to further work on the Alpine regions within the IGME 5000 project. A major result e.g. is that it was decided along which trans-regional tectonic boundaries the geological units should be classified and displayed.
Participants of the Workshop were:
- Gèza Csàszàr of the Geological Institute of Hungary, Budapest
- Gerhard Doppler of the Bayrisches Geologisches Landesamt, Munich, Germany
- Peter Heitzmann of the Landeshydrologie und -geologie, Bern, Switzerland
- Wolfgang Schnabel of the Geologische Bundesanstalt in Vienna, Austria
- Klaus Schwerd of the Bayrisches Geologisches Landesamt, Munich, Germany
Kristine Asch, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover, Germany
Now we are 46!
September 20, 2000
We can proudly announce that Tunisia, Kazachstan and Malta took the opportunity to join the project during the Rio Congress and the last meeting of the Forum of European Geological Surveys (FOREGS) in Madrid. This brings the total number of partners to 46.
31. IGC in Rio de Janeiro
September 20, 2000
Progress to date presented to CGMW
A major project milestone was reached in August when the IGME 5000 was presented to the Commission of the Geological Map of the World (CGMW) Plenary Session, at the 31st International Geological Congress in Rio de Janeiro. Entitled a "GIS under Construction", a Powerpoint presentation describing the progress of the IGME 5000 project was presented as part of the Subcommission for Europe's report (Vice-President: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. F.-W. Wellmer, BGR president). The Commission welcomed progress made, (including a new general legend which you can download here).
New Advisors for Marine Geology
September 20, 2000
Prof. Algimanatas Grigelis of the Lithuanian Institute for Geology has volunteered to draft the geology of the Baltic Sea. Additionally, Dr. Jean Sougy, CGMW, kindly agreed to provide input and advice on the geology of the Mediterranean. The growing and continuing support of the geological community for the IGME 5000 project is greatly appreciated.
Even More Draft Maps in the GIS
September 20, 2000
Up to the date of the 31st IGC in Rio the draft maps from:
- Austria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Greenland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Russia
- UK
had been digitised and and entered into the GIS.
Next Draft Maps in the GIS
July 20, 2000
Draft maps of the pre-Quaternary geology from:
- France
- Switzerland
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- Luxembourg
have now been digitised and entered into the GIS.
Exchange of Colour Schemes Agreed
June 21, 2000
While visiting the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) in Ottawa, Kristine Asch (BGR, IGME 5000) and Lesley Chorlton (GSC) who is compiling a digital geological map of the world at a scale 1 : 35 000 000 agreed to exchange North American and European colour schemes (Arc/Info shadesets) and to link their web sites of the world map and the IGME 5000.
Project Presentation in Canada
May 24, 2000
The IGME 5000 project have been presented at the major Canadian earthscience conference GeoCanada 2000 in Calgary, 29 May to 2 June 2000 (the IGME 5000 paper can be accessed easily on their web site (ABSTRACTS) via an author search - Asch).
WAGMaG Founded
May 24, 2000
(Working and Advisory Group for the IGME 5000 Marine Geology)
A new working and advisory group on the marine geology of Europe was established in Paris in March this year during a workshop on the IGME 5000 marine geology. This was kindly organised by CGMW president elect Prof. Dr. Jean-Paul Cadet, in cooperation with Kristine Asch. The 1-day workshop was held in the Université Pierre et Marie Curie with the aim of supporting the project in the extensive and challenging task of compiling the geology of the marine areas of Europe. This includes the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, the Northern Atlantic Ocean, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea Members of the WAGMaG can be found on the list of the IGME 5000 Advisors.
First Draft Maps in the GIS
May 24, 2000
Draft maps of the pre-Quaternary geology from:
- Spain
- Portugal
- Poland
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Estonia
- Belarus
- and the Southern part of the Baltic Sea
have now been digitised and entered into the GIS.
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