Between 1977 and 1983, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) took approx. 80,000 water samples and 70,000 sediment samples from streams and rivers in several sampling campaigns on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany at that time and examined them geochemically. In addition to the geochemical prospection of areas with potentially deposits, the aim of the investigations was also to record indications of anthropogenic environmental pollution. The results of these investigations were published in the Geochemical Atlas of the Federal Republic of Germany (Fauth et al., 1985). The data collected within the framework of the Geochemical Atlas of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1985 is a geochemical survey of the former territory of the Federal Republic of Germany which is unique in its high sampling density. All later geochemical investigations were carried out with a much lower sampling density. This valuable and irretrievable data is now being made generally available via the BGR geoportals. In addition to the digital provision of the original data material, the texts from Fauth et al. (1985) and distribution maps produced according to the method used in 1985, the data were reprocessed using modern methods. The WMS shows the distribution of the measured element concentrations and parameters in stream sediments in five different coloured point and colour shaded contour maps for each element or parameter.

The data set includes meta data from sedimentary samples taken within the exclusive economic zone of Germany that are affected by the Geological Data Act. Also includes information on applied laboratory methods.

Four marine geophysical and marine geological expeditions were carried out within the PANORAMA project. 2013: Panorama1 with research vessel RV OGS Explora, northern Barents Sea and Eurasian Basin; 2015: Panorama2 with RV OGS Explora, northern Barents Sea, Olga Basin; 2017 SEGMENT with RV Maria S. Merian, northeastern continental margin Greenland; 2018 GREENMATE with RV Polarstern, northeastern and northern continental margin Greenland. Geophysical data include 2D reflection seismic data and refraction seismic data (with OBS and sonar buoy, respectively. In addition, hydroacoustic data were recorded with the onboard multibeam echosounders and sediment echosounders, respectively. Furthermore, gravimetric and magnetic data were recorded. Geological and geochemical data were acquired using gravity corer and multi-corer. In the framework of the project Greenmate (2018) specimens were collected from the shore of NE Greenland using helicopters. Results are available to date in the following publications: Berglar Kai, Franke Dieter, Lutz Rüdiger, Schreckenberger Bernd, Damm Volkmar; Initial Opening of the Eurasian Basin, Arctic Ocean; Frontiers in Earth Science; 2016; DOI=10.3389/feart.2016.00091 Rüdiger Lutz, Dieter Franke, Kai Berglar, Ingo Heyde, Bernd Schreckenberger, Peter Klitzke, Wolfram H. Geissler; Evidence for mantle exhumation since the early evolution of the slow-spreading Gakkel Ridge, Arctic Ocean; Journal of Geodynamics; 2018; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2018.01.014 Philipp Weniger, Martin Blumenberg, Kai Berglar, Axel Ehrhardt, Peter Klitzke, Martin Krüger, Rüdiger Lutz; Origin of near-surface hydrocarbon gases bound in northern Barents Sea sediments; Marine and Petroleum Geology; 2019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.12.036 P. Klitzke, D. Franke, A. Ehrhardt, R. Lutz, L. Reinhardt, I. Heyde, J.I. Faleide; The paleozoic evolution of the Olga Basin region, northern Barents Sea – a link to the timanian orogeny; G-cubed, 20 (2) (2019); 10.1029/2018GC007814 Rüdiger Lutz, Peter Klitzke, Philipp Weniger, Martin Blumenberg, Dieter Franke, Lutz Reinhardt, Axel Ehrhardt, Kai Berglar; Basin and petroleum systems modelling in the northern Norwegian Barents Sea; Marine and Petroleum Geology; 2021; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2021.105128. Franke, D., Klitzke, P., Barckhausen, U., Berglar, K., Berndt, C., Damm, V., Dannowski, A., Ehrhardt, A., Engels, M., Funck, T., Geissler, W., Schnabel, M., Thorwart, M. & Trinhammer, P. (2019): Polyphase Magmatism During the Formation of the Northern East Greenland Continental Margin. - Tectonics, 38, 8: 2961–2982, DOI: 10.1029/2019tc005552.

For farming, the production function of the soils and thus the natural soil fertility play a decisive role. A healthy soil with its properties, potentials and functions is the basis for high land yields, but at the same time also the basis for sustainable agriculture and responsible land use. The theme maps of soil capability in Germany are based on the landuse stratified soil map of Germany 1:1,000,000 (BUEK1000N), the Digital Elevation Model DGM50 of the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), climatic information of the German Meteorological Service (DWD) for the period 1961-1990 as well as on land use data from the data set CORINE Landcover 2006 (UBA).

The WMS SuK-Nord (INSPIRE) shows the geological distribution of aggregates (sand and gravel) in Northern Germany, especially north of the southernmost maximum of the Scandinavian inland ice sheet (Saalian and Elsterian glaciation). According to the Data Specification on Mineral Resources (D2.8.III.21) and Geology (D2.8.II.4_v3.0) the map provides INSPIRE-compliant data. The WMS GK2000 Lagerstätten (INSPIRE) contains the following layers: MR.MineralOccurence.Commodity represents the distribution of sand and gravel. GE.GeomorphologicFeature shows the southernmost maximum of the Scandinavian inland ice sheet (Saalian and Elsterian glaciation).

The map “Groundwater resources in the ECOWAS region” captures and standardises existing groundwater data of West Africa and gives a consistent regional overview on the groundwater resources. It provides a quantitative assessment of aquifer productivity using a combination of aquifer flow type and expected borehole yield. The map highlights the suitability of aquifers for water supply on different scales while at the same time showing the physical limits of groundwater development. Map elaboration comprised the harmonisation of existing continental and regional geological maps and the attribution of hydrogeological units with expected yield data compiled from a literature metasurvey. Insert maps highlight the geological structure, geogenic background levels of arsenic and fluoride, and groundwater recharge.

The map of the effective rooting depth gives an overview of the rooting capacity of German soils. The effective rooting depth is the size of the soil reservoir that the plant can reach to get water in years of drought. The effective rooting depth is determined by both crop and soil properties. The rooting depth is derived from profile data of the landuse stratified soil map of Germany at scale 1:1,000,000. The method is taken from Bodenkundliche Kartieranleitung KA4 (1994) and is documented in the Methoden-WIKI of the FISBo BGR. The land use information is derived from the CORINE Land Cover data set (2006).

The General Geological Map of the Federal Republic of Germany 1:250,000 (GÜK250) is a seamless “Inselkarte” and the digital follower of the General Geological Map of the Federal Republic of Germany 1:200,000 (GÜK200). Like its predecessor, the GÜK250 represents the surface geology of Germany and contains harmonised and updated information on age, composition and genesis of the rocks. According to this content, the GÜK250 offers three nationwide legends for the portrayal of the geologic units: a) chronostratigraphy, b) petrography and c) petrogenesis. Furthermore, the new GÜK250 includes information on the lithostratigraphy, the genetic process as well as information on the physical and chemical environment of the rock formation. Additionally, the GÜK250 provides - if available - information on the thickness of the geologic units and contains layers which represent tectonic elements, marginal position of the ice shield and quartz dykes. In general, the term “surface geology” refers to geologic formations up to a depth of two meters. However, particularly in the south of Germany, considerable deviations of this concept exist and thicknesses of a couple of hundred meters may are displayed. The GÜK250 contains a base layer and an overlay layer which usually comprises thin Quaternary deposits.

The protective potential of the groundwater cover layers assesses the protective effect of the unsaturated zone, including the soil overlying the upper aquifer with potential groundwater supply, against the vertical intrusion of contaminants. The development of nationwide information on the protective potential of the groundwater cover between 2002 and 2005 was a contribution by the State Geological Surveys of Germany (SGD) to the initial description of groundwater bodies as part of the reporting obligations for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. The determination of the protection potential basically follows the guidelines of the LAWA working aid (as of 2003) and provides for a classification into the categories “favourable”, “medium” and “unfavourable” in the map representation. Depending on the digital availability of the required information bases, the Geological Surveys of the individual federal states have essentially developed two solutions: 1). In the federal states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, Saarland and Saxony, available area information (hydrogeological overview map HÜK250 or other state-specific bases) was compiled using conventional empirical methods and/or point information (layer lists from boreholes) with hydrogeological information content was classified with regard to a potential protective effect against the intrusion of contaminants and interpreted according to the specifications of LAWA. 2). In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the method developed by the SGD for determining the protective function of the groundwater cover (HÖLTING et al. 1995) was applied. This method provides more differentiated information, but requires comprehensive information on seepage rate/groundwater recharge, usable field capacity of the soil, rock type and thickness of the groundwater cover below the soil, structural properties of the bedrock and artesian pressure conditions. The classification, based on a scoring system, was translated into the categories specified in the LAWA working aid. Areas with stagnant surface water and insufficient information density were not assessed.

The 1:5 Million International Geological Map of Europe and Adjacent Areas shows the pre-Quaternary geology of Europe onshore and offshore. In addition to the geology attributed by age, petrography and genesis, also magnetic anomalies, tectonic structures, metamorphism and – in the offshore areas – information about the continental/oceanic crust and the continental margin, are shown. The map was developed by BGR under the umbrella of the Commission of the Geological Map of the World (CGMW) and in cooperation with geological surveys organisations of 48 countries and more than 20 research institutes. For detailed information about the 'IGME 5000: More than just a map – A multinational GIS Project' please visit the IGME website.