Jon Ford, 34, survey geologist, British Geological Survey (BGS)

“I create geological maps and models, which show the rock strata, fossil records and other features that underly the landscape. Much of the UK was mapped this way by the Victorians and I am now revising and improving what they did. What they did was all well and good for their time, but modern requirements have changed; even the land itself might have changed.

“My fieldwork involves going to Yorkshire for between two and four months of the year – we have to do it after the farmers have finished harvesting but before the days get too short – and spending time outdoors with a copy of the existing map on a tablet PC and comparing that with what we identify. We can look at areas that they had to skip over and add a higher level of detail that is more relevant to modern-day use of our maps.

We interpret the landscape and look at how topographical features relate to the underlying geology. We look in detail at the soil and at any rocks we find; if there’s an exposed area, such as a quarry or a stream, we’ll bend down for a close look at it and we might knock a little bit off with a hammer for further analysis. In other places we use a hand auger, which is like a giant corkscrew, to get down below the soil and bring up samples. These can help us to see the stratigraphy, which describes the relative age of the rocks according to the sequence of their layers.

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“For the rest of the year I am based in the office. This gives us a chance to analyse all our samples and observations and to work on producing maps, three-dimensional underground models and a range of other products.

“All our geological information goes into a database that we can then use to create maps that answer particular questions. For example, we can tell property developers or planners about areas of ‘running sand’, which is capable of swallowing a large piece of machinery or even a building. And we’re working on other models to help researchers to find geological repositories where carbon dioxide could be safely stored underground after being captured from power stations.

“I spent five years working in South America mapping mineral deposits before joining the BGS and I still get to work overseas for some of the year mapping parts of Mauritania and Madagascar. Africa is a completely different experience to the UK because we’re covering areas that have not been mapped in detail before and, in some cases, not at all.”

A SECOND OPINION

Edward Mainwaring, 28, cartographer, Ordnance Survey

“When I tell people that my job is making maps they often seem to think of treasure maps with ‘here be dragons’ written in the corner, but the reality is very different. We do all sorts of maps that can be used in anything from a newspaper to a route finder in a satellite navigation system or even a mobile phone application.

“I don’t have a degree in geography – I didn’t even do it at GCSE – but I did some research about GPS systems as part of my robotics and intelligent machines degree at university, which is what got me in the door at Ordnance Survey.

“I’m interested in the technical and analytical side of cartography as well as the design aspects. People often think that we work with paper and coloured pencils, but much of what I do is manipulating data from different sources – for example, terrain information, street layout and waterways – and turning it into a useful product where the relevant elements stand out clearly. The work is a mixture of analysis, to work out what’s needed, and creativity, to decide the best way of designing it and presenting it.

“For example, we designed a map for a local newspaper where we started with a great mess of things that didn’t sit well together and turned it into something much more aesthetically pleasing that communicates information in a much clearer way. They wanted a map that showed all the areas of Hampshire that were less than 1.6 metres above sea level, because somebody had said that within 100 years the sea level would rise and that anything below that level would be flooded. We created a map that showed the height of the terrain so that people had an idea of which areas were lower.

“It’s very satisfying to see your work published and used by people in the real world. And the technology is constantly evolving, which means that we’re always thinking of new applications and new ideas. I don’t get bored.”

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