Geological Survey of Northern Ireland

09/10/2026

🪨 Geology on Your Doorstep: Exploring Belfast’s Building Stones 🏛️

To celebrate International Geodiversity, we recently led a Building Stones of Belfast walk for colleagues from the Department for the Economy, welcoming around 30–40 participants to explore the fascinating geology beneath our feet and all around us!

The walk highlighted the connections between Belfast’s geology, history and economy, revealing how the stones used in our buildings tell stories of the city’s past, its development and its connections to the wider world.

From rocks sourced here in NI, to building stones from across the UK and further afield internationally, Belfast’s built environment showcases an incredible diversity of geological materials — each with its own story to tell.

This year’s International Geodiversity Day theme, “Geology on Your Doorstep”, was a perfect reminder that you don’t have to travel far to discover the importance of geology. Sometimes, all you need to do is look at the buildings around you!

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the walk and helped celebrate the role of geodiversity in shaping the places where we live and work.

06/10/2026

🌍 International Geodiversity Day 2026: Geology on Your Doorstep

Geology is all around us, shaping the places where we live, work and explore.

NI may be small, but it is home to an extraordinary range of geodiversity. From the ancient rocks of the Sperrin Mountains, formed over 650 million years ago, to the iconic basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway; from the rugged Mourne Mountains, once molten granite deep within the Earth, to the drumlin landscapes that define counties Down, Armagh and Fermanagh, our geological heritage tells a remarkable story.

Along the Antrim Coast, evidence of volcanic activity can be seen in dramatic cliffs and lava flows. In Fermanagh, limestone landscapes have been carved into caves, rivers and karst features that continue to evolve today. Around the shoreline of county Down, ancient rocks record the assembly of continents, while our peatlands, river valleys and glacial deposits reveal the powerful forces that have shaped Northern Ireland more recently.

This rich geodiversity does more than create spectacular scenery. It provides the foundations for nature, influences where we build, supplies essential resources and helps us understand environmental challenges ranging from climate change to landslides and coastal erosion.

This International Geodiversity Day, take a moment to discover the geology on your doorstep. Every landscape has a story millions of years in the making.

📸 Precambrian (late Neoproterozoic) rocks that underlie much of the Sperrin Mountains (650-600 million years old)
📸 Palaeogene (60 million years old) columnar basalt of the Giant's Causeway
📸 Palaeogene granite tor of Slieve Binnian in the Mourne Mountains
📸 Quaternary drumlin landscape of Strangford Lough
📸 Palaeoegene flood basalt overlying Cretaceous (85-65 million years ago) white limestone at Garron Point
📸 Pollnagollum Coolarkan cave formed within Carboniferous (340 million years old) limestone in Co. Fermanagh
📸 Silurian sedimentary rocks exposed at Ardglass (445-410 million years ago)

03/10/2026

⭐️ We’re absolutely delighted to have a triple win at the 2026 All-Ireland Sustainability Awards!

We were shortlisted in three categories — and we’re incredibly proud to have won all three:

🏆 Education for Sustainability
🏆 Green Marketing & Stakeholder Engagement
🏆 One to Watch – awarded to our Senior Energy Geologist, Michael MacKenzie

These awards recognise the work we’re doing across GSNI to support sustainability, innovation and positive impact through geoscience.

From engaging and educating the public, to supporting climate resilience and the energy transition, we’re proud of the contribution our team is making — and it’s fantastic to see that work recognised on an all-island stage.

A huge congratulations to Michael and to everyone who has helped make these achievements possible. These awards are a reflection of the passion, expertise and hard work of our whole team. 👏

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and excited to keep building on this work. 🌍

02/10/2026

⭐️Planning for the future of Mussenden Temple ⭐

GSNI’s Coastal Geomorphologist Melanie Biausque joined UTV Northern Ireland on Tuesday to discuss the important work underway to protect the iconic Mussenden Temple from coastal erosion.

Melanie and National Trust - Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne Coastal Advisor Jade Berman spoke with UTV Northern Ireland Louise Small about the CMAP (Coastal Monitoring and Adaptation Planning) project and how ongoing monitoring and research are helping to understand and plan for the future of this much-loved landmark. 🌊🏛️

Find out more about the project and hear from Melanie and Jade on UTV:

👉 https://www.itv.com/watch/news/planning-for-the-future-of-mussenden-temple/hngvyk4

Watch the latest from ITV News - North Coast landmark Mussenden Temple is under threat from erosion...but plans are afoot!

22/09/2026

The seventh webinar in the 2026 Northern Ireland Geothermal Webinar Series is taking place on Thursday 24th September at 16:00-17:00 BST.

Hester Claridge, PhD Researcher in Geothermal Energy - will present on FindHeat.

FindHeat is a new Horizon Europe R&D project, involving six research institutions and five industry partners, which aims to shift geothermal exploration towards geothermal resource and exploitation concepts that have inherently low technical and economic risks. This webinar will look at how the FindHeat project will develop a novel, conceptual model-based geothermal exploration workflow.

We hope you can make it, and we look forward to joining you online. Please make sure you register via the Eventbrite link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/findheat-tickets-1999088284874

13/09/2026

🪨💧 International Day of Caves and Karst

Today marks the very first International Day of Caves and Karst, following its approval by UNESCO in 2025.

This new international observance highlights the importance of caves and karst landscapes — remarkable geological environments shaped by the interaction of water, rock and time. They are important not only for understanding landscape evolution and the geological record, but also for groundwater resources, biodiversity and cultural heritage.

NI has an impressive variety of karst features, developed in rocks ranging from Carboniferous limestone to Cretaceous Ulster White Limestone.

📍 Marble Arch–Marlbank, Co. Fermanagh
One of NI’s best-developed karst landscapes, where Carboniferous limestone hosts an extensive cave system and underground drainage network, including the world-famous Marble Arch Caves.

📍 Boho, Co. Fermanagh
A landscape of caves, limestone gorges, sinking streams and other karst features. Boho Cave itself is a joint-controlled maze developed within Carboniferous limestone.

📍 Black Burn, Co. Antrim
An active cave system developed in the Cretaceous Ulster White Limestone. Here, surface water sinks underground where the Black Burn crosses the contact between basalt and limestone, demonstrating how geology influences the movement of water through the landscape.

📍 Linford, Co. Antrim
A notable example of surface karst, with dolines, sinks and a dry valley developed in limestone beneath the Antrim Plateau.

📍 Drumarg, Co. Armagh
A Carboniferous limestone cave system demonstrating that karst development extends beyond the better-known cave landscapes of Fermanagh and Antrim.

📍 Binnawooda, Co. Tyrone
An unusual example of karst developed in calcareous sandstone — recognised as the only known example of sandstone karst in NI.

From extensive underground cave systems to subtle features in the landscape, karst records the long-term interaction between bedrock, groundwater and geological processes.

On this inaugural International Day of Caves and Karst, we’re celebrating the geology beneath our feet — and the fascinating world hidden below the surface. 🔎🪨💧

Photos: Marlbank karst, Co. Fermanagh; Boho Cave, Co Fermanagh; Black Burn, Co. Antrim; subtle karst landscape at Linford, Co. Antrim.

09/09/2026

🌎👩‍🔬⛏️Are you Interested in science, the environment, or discovering what's beneath our feet? 🌋🪨👷

The British Geological Survey (BGS) and British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are offering a free virtual work experience programme for young UK residents aged 14-18.

📅 26-30 October 2026
💻 Online via Zoom
📝 Applications open now until 25 September 2026

Expect interactive challenges, mentoring, and sessions with scientists and professionals from BGS and BAS!

✅Explore careers in geoscience and environmental science ✅Develop valuable teamwork, problem solving and communication skills
✅ Meet researchers and industry professionals
✅ Hear from past participants about their career journeys
✅ Learn how science is helping tackle environmental and societal challenges

Whether you're studying at school or college, or currently not in education, this is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience, build confidence and discover where a future in science could take you.

We're committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming programme and encourage applications from students of all backgrounds, especially those currently under-represented in STEM.

⚠️ Places are limited to 60 students, so don't miss out!
For more information: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/about-bgs/working-with-us/work-experience/
To apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9A4DYYU9Fvg29n_fSNHiPuKq1wM92CjbUFfRhPnPTQpsyiA/viewform

07/09/2026

🎉🎉 A triple success for GSNI, with our work featured in three shortlisted entries at the 2026 All-Ireland Sustainability Awards 🎉🎉

This year's awards have attracted a record number of entries, with 178 submissions received and more than 90 organisations shortlisted, making it the most competitive year yet.

Our nominations recognise GSNI's commitment to delivering science that supports sustainable development, climate resilience, responsible resource management and evidence-based decision making across NI.

Being shortlisted is a fantastic achievement and reflects the dedication, expertise and hard work of colleagues across GSNI and our partners.

We look forward to joining sustainability leaders from across the island of Ireland at the awards ceremony and wish all finalists the very best of luck.

🏆 Shortlisted Categories:

✅ Education for Sustainability — GSNI
✅ One to Watch — Michael MacKenzie, GSNI
✅ Green Marketing & Stakeholder Engagement — GeoEnergyNI, Department for the Economy

05/09/2026

🎶🍴 GSNI are at Eats & Beats this weekend! 🍴🎶

We’re delighted to be at the Eats & Beats Festival in Newcastle this weekend alongside Newry Mourne and Down District Council and the Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark Team. Over the next 2 days we’ll be talking to festival-goers about our CoCOR project – Co Creating Coastal Resilience. 🌊🤝

💚 So, what is CoCOR all about?

CoCOR is exploring how we can work together to better understand and build coastal resilience. As part of the project, Tyrella Beach is being used as a site for monitoring coastal change through citizen science.

📸 Using CoastSnap, members of the public can help monitor how the coastline is changing over time by taking photographs from a designated location at the beach. These images contribute to a growing dataset that helps us understand changes to the coastline and supports research into coastal resilience.

🌊 Your photos can help tell the story of our changing coastline!

If you’re at Eats & Beats this weekend, come along and say hello to the GSNI team. Find out more about CoCOR, CoastSnap and how you can get involved in monitoring coastal change at Tyrella Beach.

17/08/2026

🌊 Join us for Marine Mammal Discovery Day at Tyrella Beach 🦭

Come along to Tyrella Beach for a few hours of activities exploring our amazing marine environment — and meet the COCOR team from GSNI!

As part of the event, we’ll be out on the beach to:

📍 Tell you about the COCOR project (https://www.ukcoastalresilience.org/project/co-creating-coastal-resilience-combining-research-and-citizen-science-to-monitor-nature-based-solutions-cocor ) and our work monitoring coastal change
📸 Show you our CoastSnap cradle and how you can help us monitor the coast
📡 Get hands-on with our survey equipment
💬 And, of course, chat about our coast and answer your questions!

Come and say hello, get involved and discover more about the coast on your doorstep.

📅 Marine Mammal Discovery Day 11:00 - 13:00
📍 Tyrella Beach
👉 Find out more about the event: https://www.visitmournegullionstrangford.com/whats-on/marine-mammal-discovery-day-tyrella-beach-beach-activities-p970621?utm_source=chatgpt.com