Geoscientific Information For Environmental Issues, With Special Emphasis On Applied Bedrock Geology In Sweden Available to Purchase

For society at large, geoscientific information is of vital importance. In particular this concerns maps showing natural resources such as ores, minerals, rock, groundwater, gravel, sand and clay, intended for use when planning, prospecting, exploiting, mining, and excavating. When the information is detailed and accurate, right decisions can be taken which are crucial regarding environmental issues. There is a growing demand in applied geology for thematic and environmental geological maps. The Geological Survey of Sweden, SGU, has initiated projects to satisfy some of the above-mentioned needs. SGU therefore intends to produce geoscientific information concerning the most densely populated areas of Sweden. From this year (2000) investigations have been started in the Lake M.laren area, including the capital Stockholm, in the Gothenburg area on the west coast, and the Malm.-Helsingborg area in southwest Sweden, opposite Denmark. Bedrock quality aspects have been under development by SGU as a programme for about 5 years. The information presented is continuously discussed with the users, consequently leading to better products. Bedrock quality implies the presentation of bedrock and its properties for the construction industry, both for the use as construction material and for instance when planning tunnelling and other underground works. The latter has prompted the the development of 3D bedrock presentations providing geological and engineering geological information for underground works e.g. tunnels and caverns, especially in the Stockholm metropolitan region. Bedrock Quality Maps are being produced; so far an area of 3,750 km2 has been investigated and during this year another 3,125 km2 are to be added. So far, mapping has been covered in the Lake Mälaren-Stockholm region and the Gothenburg municipality. These maps show how bedrock can be used as aggregates for roads, railway trackbed and in concrete production.