Geological maps have long been considered geology’s centrepiece, ranging from the principal test of geological understanding in education to the raison d’être of geological survey organisations. In recent years, however, this status has been contested. Mapping has become optional in many university curricula. The decades required for individual rounds of national geological mapping are now regarded as incompatible with the rapid pace of developments in information technology.
The digital revolution has had several major impacts on geological mapping. First and foremost, geological maps came to be expected as digital rather than paper products, allowing them to be readily combined with other types of spatial information. Secondly, and more fundamentally, the underlying data and workflows became digital. Thirdly, and perhaps most revolutionary, geological mapping evolved into a three-dimensional practice. At the same time, the release of the Geological Map of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2022—printed and folded!—made national headlines, demonstrating that, in the eyes of the general public, maps still matter.
This Netherlands Journal of Geosciences special collection is dedicated to the science—and art—of geological mapping. It will include the scientific underpinning of recent Dutch geological maps: conceptually, methodologically, and of course geologically. It also welcomes contributions from related geoscience disciplines, such as soil science, geoarchaeology, and geomorphology. Within the scope of the journal, we are open to contributions from adjacent countries or areas that are otherwise geologically relevant. Please contact the guest editors for pre-submission enquiries.
Guest editors
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