Digital geological mapping of UK Quaternary deposits using the BGS SIGMA system

Technological advances in surveying, cartography and GIS have changed the face of geological mapping at the British Geological Survey. In the space of ten years the process has developed from a largely paper-based system to a system which is entirely digital. The SIGMA (System for Integrated Geospatial Mapping) workflow uses a suite of GIS based applications that can be used in the field on a specialised tablet PC and enables final cartographic compilation in the office. This article outlines some of the processes used to create a geological map of superficial deposits (non-bedrock geology such as glacial and floodplain deposits) from pre-fieldwork preparation to the final map or spatial data set.