First ever aerial survey of NI’s geological resources launched

The first ever aerial survey of Northern Ireland’s geological resources was launched today from Newtownards Airfield.

The survey is part of the Tellus project, a three-year initiative to collect scientific data on Northern Ireland’s geological resources. The project involves a land-based geochemical survey and a separate airborne geophysical survey of the earth’s surface and subsurface, throughout Northern Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Director of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) Garth Earls said: “The Tellus project is all about understanding our underground. The geological data generated by Tellus will provide real scientific and social benefits for Northern Ireland.

“It will enhance sustainable economic development by providing high quality data on Northern Ireland’s mineral and other natural resources and will inform future land-use and planning decisions. It will also help maintain and improve environmental quality, which underpins the development of the tourism, fisheries and agriculture sectors.”

The information gathered in the new survey will add to existing data to help shape decisions on aspects of Northern Ireland’s future as well as proving baselines against which to measure any future environmental change.

The airborne survey, which starts on Friday in Fermanagh, will use a small aeroplane fitted with instruments to collect data on the magnetic and electrical properties of the earth.

The plane is scheduled to cover Fermanagh, most of counties Tyrone and Londonderry and part of county Armagh this summer, with the remainder of Northern Ireland being surveyed in summer 2006.

The survey results will be processed and published as maps and images on www.tellus.detini.gov.uk.

(MB/SP)