User Guide of BGS Seabed Geology 10k : Bristol Channel

The BGS Seabed Geology 10k: Bristol Channel dataset is a digital geological map portraying the distribution of the different types of bedrock and sediments present on the seabed across the central part of the Bristol Channel at a scale of 1:10 000. It also includes the distribution of the main seabed morphological and geomorphological features (e.g. palaeochannels, bedform crestlines) and the principal structural features observed at rockhead (e.g. faults, fold axes).
This dataset is the result of the interpretation of three, high-resolution, multibeam echo-sounder (MBES) bathymetry datasets collected in 2011, during the Civil Hydrography Programme (CHP) surveys managed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for the UK Hydrographic Office. These surveys covered the central part of the Bristol Channel south of Swansea to where the river Usk discharges into the channel at Newport. MBES backscatter, physical samples (e.g. grabs, cores, and boreholes), academic papers and previous BGS geological interpretations at broader scales (250k and 50k scales) were used to further inform this geological interpretation.
Much of the seabed portrayed in this dataset is swept clear of sediments, or covered only with a fine veneer of sediment, such that the underlying geological structure is often clearly visible. The bedrock is divided into seven stratigraphical units dating from the Carboniferous, Triassic and Jurassic periods. The superficial deposits, when present, are comprised of only recent marine sediments.
The dataset citation, metadata and overview can be found here: British Geological Survey (2022): BGS Seabed Geology 10k: Bristol Channel version 1.0. British Geological Survey. (Dataset). https://doi.org/10.5285/7e413304-4481-4009-b0cb-338dd3bce8f6
The information provided in this user guide is intended to provide a quick-start guide to using and understanding this BGS digital product.