EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Contents
Contents.................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 2
Start Geology Download ........................................................................................... 4
Geology Download .................................................................................................... 5
Select Product and format ..................................................................................... 5
Search for location ................................................................................................. 6
Select location from results .................................................................................... 6
Select data ............................................................................................................ 7
Download Settings ................................................................................................. 9
Download data..................................................................................................... 10
Unzip data ............................................................................................................... 12
Download folder contents ........................................................................................ 13
The English / Scottish Border for 1:50,000 Data ...................................................... 14
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Introduction
Geology Download allows users to download British Geological Survey map data:
http://edina.ac.uk/digimap/description/products/bgs_products.shtml
The service offers:
 Selection of 4 data products for download
 Data available in Shapefile and MIF/MID formats
 Data may be selected using National Grid reference, BGS sheet name, place
name or from a map
Objectives



Select data product and format
Search
Select data tiles
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download

Download data
Note: the data downloaded in the document is used in further Geology Digimap
guides:
 Use Geology Digimap data in ArcGIS

Use Geology Digimap data in MapInfo
Both documents are available here:
http://edina.ac.uk/digimap/support/training/#geology
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Start Geology Download
1
Go to http://edina.ac.uk/digimap/
2
Follow the login process
3
Select Geology Digimap
4
Select Geology Download:
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Geology Download
The data download facility offers a series of tabs, each of which is a step in data
download process.
We wish to download geological data for Bath.
We will import the data to ArcGIS, therefore will select the Shape File format, which
is compatible with ArcGIS. The 1:50,000 data is the most detailed dataset.
Select Product and format
5
Select the Shape Files radio button under the BGS Data 1:50,000 option.
6
Click Continue.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Search for location
There are several search options. Note that clicking on the map at your required
location is another option.
2
Type Bath in the place name search.
3
Click Search.
Select location from results
3
Click on Bath, in Bath and North East Somerset in the search results.
4
Click Continue.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Select data
We must select the tile(s) we wish to download on this screen.
Tiles can be selected either by:

clicking on the map or,

clicking the tile name in the list, then Show selection on map.
7
Click on EW265 Bath in the tile list.
8
Click Show selection on map.
The tile we selected will now be highlighted on the map:
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
We have the option to take all available layers for the tile, or to remove some
unwanted layers to reduce the size of our download.
9
Leave all the layers ticked in this example.
10 Click on the Continue button.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Download Settings
The summary page tells you your download selections.
5
Check the appropriate Archiving and compression option (Zip archive for
Windows).
6
Click Extract Data.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Download data
You are now given a download confirmation page.
7
Click Click Here to check your download status.
If your download is ready, you will see three files:

Conditions.txt,

Contents.txt,

Data.zip.
The Contents and Conditions files contain information about what you have
downloaded and the conditions that apply to its use. These files are also included in
the Data.zip file, so need not be downloaded.
8
Right click Data.zip.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
9
Save the file to a suitable folder, using your browser’s Save As…function (Save
Target As…in Internet Explorer, Save Link As in Firefox).
10 Give the zip file a suitable name. We suggest bath geology data.
11 Click Save.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Unzip data
12 Locate your data file on your computer.
13 Right click on the file.
14 Select Extract to bath geology data\.
This will extract the data in the file to a directory of the same name. N.B. unzip
procedures will vary depending on the operating system in use, this example shows
a typical Windows computer.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Download folder contents
The image below shows some of the contents of the Data.zip file:
Notes:

For each layer we downloaded, there is a separate SHP file.

A SHP file consists of 3 component files, with the following extensions:
o
SHP
o
DBF
o
SHX
o
All SHP file components must be kept in the same folder, in order for
the file to work correctly in GIS software.

An AVL file is also provided – this is the file used in ArcGIS to apply the BGS
cartographic style to the geology layers.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
The English / Scottish Border for 1:50,000 Data
Under the map on the Choose Data tab you will see some text:
The BGS have two separate data sets for the 1:50,000 data product, one for
Scotland, and one for England and Wales. Scottish tiles have codes starting with an
"S" and the tiles for England and Wales start with "EW". The tile outlines in this area
overlap but the data on these tiles does not.
A Scottish tile therefore will only have the data up to the border and white-space
below the border. Clicking on an area that is crossed by the border will select at least
two tiles of data, one Scottish and one for England and Wales.
If you are unsure about which tiles you want, then select tiles from clicking on the
map rather than using the list. This will ensure that you get all the data for area and
its surroundings.
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EDINA Digimap Training: Geology Digimap – Data Download
Example:
Here, we have selected 3 tiles:


2 Scottish tiles, SC017W, SC017E
1 English tile – EW007
Note that there will be no data on tile SC017E, for the area below the border.
Border
No data
on tile
SC017E in
this area
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