Web Map Service (WMS) of the mean annual rate of percolation from the soil in Germany (SWR1000). The mean annual rate of percolation from the soil is defined as the amount of water that leaves the soil after consideration of capillary rise. It is expressed in mm/a. Precipitation water infiltrated into the soil after deduction of surface runoff, first stands for the water supply of the vegetation available. Exceeds the water content in the root zone, the field capacity, the water infiltrated force of gravity moved following down and leaves the root zone. Movement of water in the unsaturated zone is affected by infiltration of precipitation and irrigation water, evaporation, absorption of water by plant roots, and ascent of water from the groundwater table by capillary action. The percolating water leaves the soil as interflow, discharging into surface water bodies, or via the groundwater table, recharging the groundwater. Percolating water affects soil formation and the migration and leaching of plant nutrients and contaminants. Knowledge of the rate of percolation is of particular importance for protecting groundwater quality. The mean annual rate of percolation is the balance of precipitation, evapotranspiration and surface runoff.

The exchange frequency of water in soils describes how often water and the dissolved substances in it can be replaced in a soil layer during the annual leachate flow. Small water storage capacity means high replacement frequency. The risk of the discharge of easily detachable materials like nitrate is given at high exchange rates.

The point map depicts hydrocarbon wells in the Federal Republic of Germany for which gas geochemical data (gas composition and stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic composition of gaseous hydrocarbons) are available at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). It shows the locations the well name and the NIBIS well identifier (NIBIS map server of the State Office for Mining and Geology of Lower Saxony, as of 2019). However, due to legislative changes, wells in the EEZ as well as outside Lower Saxony are no longer present in the current LBEG map data. The wells shown with associated gas and/or isotope geochemical data were compiled from different internal data sources. However, due to this inhomogeneity, the amount of analytical data available, as well as additional sample data, varies widely. The data are only available after legal clarification with the well owner.

The map of the plant available water in Germany gives an overview of the amount of water which is available for plant growth in the summer period (April – September). It is the sum of the available water holding capacity of soils the precipitation in summer and the amount of capillary rise. The map was made on the basis of the land use stratified soil map of Germany at a scale of 1:1,1000,000, climate data for the period of 1961–1990 and land use information is derived from the Corine Land Cover data set (2006). The method is part of the TUB_BGR approach to model seepage water and is published in the documentation of Ad-hoc-AG Boden (representing the soil experts of the geological services of the German federal states).

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 waters in five different coloured point and colour shaded contour maps for each element or parameter.

The Soil Liquefaction Potential map presents information on the distribution of sediments at the seabed surface, which due to their specific grain size distributions, may be prone to soil liquefaction under external load effects (development of excess pore water pressure). The sediments are usually narrowly graded coarse silt to medium sands. The effect of soil liquefaction can be important for construction measures and structures, such as pipelines and submarine cables on the seabed. The map covers the area of the entire German North Sea at a scale of 1 : 250,000 with a statement on the sediments of the upper 0.2 m from the seabed surface. Two additional maps show the results of the evaluation of drilling data at depths of 1 m and 2 m below the seabed. The maps are based on sediment samples from the seabed surface down to a depth of 0.2 m as well as layer descriptions from drillings in the above-mentioned depth ranges, which were available until April 2012. The unconsolidated sediments are classified according to their grain sizes according to DIN EN 14688-1: Clay (grain size <0.002 mm); Silt (grain size 0.002 to 0.063 mm); Sand (grain size 0.063 to 2.0 mm); Gravel (grain size 2.0 to 63 mm); Stones and Blocks (grain size >63 mm). Based on the grain size analyses carried out in the laboratory, the layer descriptions from boreholes and the grain sorting, the sediments are classified on the basis of the classification of STUDER & KOLLER (1997). The legend includes two classes, soil liquefaction "potentially possible" and "not expected".

The lithofacies model of the Buntsandstein shows the spatial and temporal distribution of the lithologies within the Buntsandstein sequences in the central part of the German North Sea. The data basis of the model is formed by depth-migrated, seismic reinterpretations of the most important basement areas, 22 drilling datasets and the GSN (Generalised Extended Structural Model of the German North Sea Sector). The salt structures of the German North Sea and 30 faults essential for the structural setup of the model region were integrated into the model in a generalised way. The creation of the model and the preceding data preparation were carried out with the help of several specialised programmes (Schlumberger Petrel, Paradigm GOCAD and Fugro GeoDIn). The horizontal resolution of the model is 1000 x 1000 metres with a total number of 2042977 cells.

WMS service for the soil quality rating for cropland in Germany. The Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating (SQR) was developed by the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF). SQR describes the suitability of sites under agricultural land use and helps to estimate the yield potential of sites at a global scale. This method was especially adapted for application with soil maps by the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Resources BGR and is published in the documentation of Ad-hoc-AG Boden (representing the soil experts of the geological services of the German federal states). The map shows the SQR for cropland in Germany based on the landuse stratified soilmap of Germany at scale 1:1,000,000. Climate (DWD), Relief (BKG) and landuse data (CLC2006) are used as input data in addition to the soil map. SQR consists of a series of pedotransfer rules. First, eight basic soil properties are weighted and combined to describe the soil (substrate, rooting depth, etc.). Next, hazard indicators are derived (drought risk, soil depth above solid rock). These indicators are critical for farming and limit the overall soil quality. Only those hazard indicators were selected for SQR which have the greatest effect on potential grain yield. The final SQR-score ranges from about 0 to 102 points.

The Web Map Service (WMS) shows the distribution of typical soil types (soil texture) in the topsoils of Germany. Typical is used in the term of areally dominating. The map visualizes the results of the project that are documented in a BGR report (Bodenarten der Böden Deutschlands; BGR Archiv, Nr. 0127305). The soil texture data from the analysis of the particle size distribution for 16,132 sites in Germany were classified after the legend units of land use-stratified soil map of Germany 1: 1,000,000 (BÜK1000N V2.3) and mean soil texture were calculated. Considering the large heterogeneity in the data and the resulting uncertaintly in the precision for a site the depiction of the obtained soil texture is presented at the level of the soil types group, according to the German soil classification system (KA5).

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. Corresponding to the INSPIRE-directive, this dataset comprises the German part of the map.