Land subsidence is a global threat. In Europe, it impacts tens of millions of people by increasing flood risk and damage to the built environment. Land subsidence is the result of a combination of natural and human-induced subsurface processes, and there is considerable potential to mitigate the human-induced drivers through policy and legislation. We show how Europe is approaching the issues of measuring and addressing subsidence at a continental scale. We look ahead to the challenges of climate change and the energy transition in the context of amplifying the impacts of land subsidence, providing lessons learned from the European approach.
Urban areas are increasingly affected by geological and climate-driven processes that influence their safety, functionality, and long-term resilience. Conventional sustainability indicators mainly focus on anthropogenic impacts on the environment, while the role of subsurface conditions and physical processes shaping urban vulnerability remains underrepresented. To address this gap, the Urban Geo-climate Footprint (UGF) introduced an inverse perspective, assessing how geological and climatic factors exert pressure on urban systems. The methodology is based on the classification of geological effects into five drivers: Geology, Deep Geological Processes, Surface Processes, Exogenous and Climatic Processes, and Subsurface Anthropogenic Pressure. These drivers, within the proposed framework, are articulated into 22 parameters evaluated using public datasets and expert judgment. These parameters are combined into a synthetic, standardised, reproducible and comparable index, the UGF Score Index (UGF-SI), ranging from 0 to >500 which enables direct comparison across cities and contexts. The application to 21 Italian cities highlights distinct spatial patterns, dominant drivers, and groups of cities facing similar geo-climatic challenges. The UGF framework constitutes a significant advancement in urban geoscience, supporting urban planning, risk awareness, and climate adaptation strategies by enhancing the understanding of subsurface-related pressures and promoting informed decision making.
Phosphorites are a vital source of phosphorus for agricultural and industrial applications and are increasingly recognized for their potential as secondary repositories of critical raw materials (CRMs) such as rare earth elements plus yttrium (REYs). This study investigates deep-sea phosphorites from the Galicia Bank, Madeira, and Canary Seamounts, in the NE Atlantic Ocean, which are spatially associated with ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) mineralization. Through integrated petrographic, geochemical, and in situ isotopic analyses (O and Sr), we assess the timing, processes, and paleoenvironmental conditions of phosphogenesis and its implications for CRM enrichment. Rare earth element patterns in apatite reflect a predominant seawater-derived signature with variable Ce anomalies. Nevertheless, variable Y/Ho ratios point to evolving fluid sources including a hydrogenous component (directly derived from seawater), modified porewaters and, locally, volcanic or possibly hydrothermal inputs. Oxygen and strontium isotope compositions constrain phosphogenesis to several episodes ranging from the Upper Cretaceous to the Middle Miocene, with distinct isotopic shifts identifying both primary formation and later overprinting processes mostly linked to Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide growth or volcanic–hydrothermal activity. These findings highlight the dynamic and multiphase nature of phosphorite formation in deep-marine settings. The integration of high-resolution geochemical and isotopic tools proves essential for reconstructing genetic histories, defining metallogenic context and evaluating CRM prospectivity in complex submarine systems.
Europe faces growing competition for subsurface resources (raw materials, energy, water, and soil) driven by ambitions for strategic autonomy, the green transition, and urbanisation. Strategic policies connected to economic security, safety, and the European Clean Industrial Deal aim for net-zero emissions by 2050, a resilient supply of critical raw materials, and high standards for water and hazard management. Regulatory examples include the Critical Raw Materials Act, the Net Zero Industry Act, and the European Water Resilience Strategy. Achieving these ambitions will benefit from integrated surface and subsurface management within land-use planning.
Beyond traditional uses, the subsurface is key for decarbonisation through carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage, hydrogen and energy storage, geothermal systems, groundwater management, and raw materials exploitation. This is already an urgent issue in urbanised areas, where multiple human activities compete for space within increasingly constrained areas. These activities include underground infrastructure such as tunnels, parking facilities, stormwater tanks, district heating and cooling networks, and associated installations. At a larger scale, the combined surface and subsurface space must also support measures to mitigate climate impacts, including floods, droughts, heat stress, and geo-hazards. Integrated spatial planning therefore requires robust knowledge of geological and hydrogeological conditions.
Abandoned mining areas provide valuable opportunities to investigate ore-forming processes, supergene mineral transformations, and the geochemical behaviour of metals. In this sense, the old Preguiça mine (Beja, Portugal), exploited for Fe–Zn–Pb, was studied providing new mineralogical and geochemical data aimed at improving the understanding of the secondary mineral assemblages of this deposit. A total of 70 samples collected from three accessible underground levels (first, second and third) and mine waste, complemented by 16 samples from a deeper level (fourth) previously collected, were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) equipment. Mineralogical phases are dominated by a wide range of secondary oxides, carbonates, arsenates, vanadates, silicates, phosphates and sulphates, but remnants of primary sulphides were also found. The following minerals can be emphasised: goethite, hematite, calcite, dolomite, descloizite, willemite, mimetite, cerussite, smithsonite and fraipontite. The presence of massicot in the Preguiça mine, is described for the first time. Bulk geochemical analyses show high concentrations of Fe, Ca, Zn and Pb, consistent with the observed mineralogy. The presence of vanadium- and arsenic-bearing minerals highlights the occurrence of critical raw materials, supporting the importance of reassessing other abandoned mining areas in the context of sustainable resource management and strategic raw-material planning.
Challenges related to the reliable supply of raw materials under fair and environmentally sound conditions are addressed in the European Union (EU) in line with its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The benchmarks for 2030 and the mandatory requirements for industry and Member States set by the CRMA will affect the work of geologists across Europe. The CRMA and the need to arrange for specific information in the United Nations Framework for Classification for Resources (UNFC) format calls for qualified geologists from both the public and private sectors as well as improved school and academically education. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programs help to maintain and expand the expertise as Competent Person or Qualified Expert, respectively.
This article presents the new version of the map of critical raw materials hard rock deposits that has been produced in the frame of the GSEU project (Geological Service for Europe). The map displays over 800 medium to very large deposits for 30 Critical Raw Materials (CRM) from the 2023 list of the European Commission, in 33 European countries. We explain the objective of this work and the process and methodology for collecting, compiling and harmonizing CRM data from multiple providers. We also describe the map itself, the information it carries and its availability. As an example of added-value output, we present a pan-European assessment of CRM potential, classified in 4 categories of confidence from “historical or non-compliant resource estimates” to “mineral reserves”. This assessment provides an image of the current known potential for CRM in Europe. Based on this exercise, we discuss the challenges and barriers of compiling and harmonizing mineral resources data at continental scale, and the future perspectives of this work we envision through the EGDI (European Geological Data Infrastructure). We also discuss the limitations of the map and dataset to raise awareness on their proper interpretation and use.
Europe’s dependence on foreign-sourced critical raw materials poses a significant threat to its strategic autonomy and competitiveness. In this paper, we examine the historical significance of mining in Europe, the current geopolitical complexities surrounding critical raw materials supply, and recent EU policy initiatives aimed at bolstering domestic critical raw materials production and processing and building resilient supply chains. We highlight the crucial role of National Geological Survey Organisations in delivering knowledge of Europe’s critical raw materials potential, as well as contributing to international partnerships through technical engagement and geoscientific diplomacy. National Geological Survey Organisations collect and compile data on mineral resources, often serving as a primary resource for national and regional decision-making. This work is now crucial at EU level, with National Geological Survey Organisations mandated under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act to deliver National Exploration Programs to promote exploration investment through technical de-risking, and to coordinate efforts and geoscientific data and knowledge management at pan-European level. The National Geological Survey Organisations already share knowledge and best practices on European mineral resources through EuroGeoSurveys. Future efforts to secure European critical raw materials resilience will be served through their shared vision of a Geological Service for Europe.
EuroGeoSurveys is a non-profit organisation representing the European national geological survey organisations, composing a 10,000+ workforce collaborating through scientific expert groups, task forces, and EU-funded projects. Together, we are laying the foundation for a permanent Geological Service for Europe to provide pan-European public geological data delivery and strong geoscientific expertise to support science-based policy and actions that can accelerate the large-scale deployment of geothermal energy and contribute to a sustainable energy future for Europe.
The number of studies on submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and the evidence of its significance in biogeochemical cycling and potential impacts on the chemical and ecological status of coastal waters is increasing globally. Here, we briefly present SGD studies from the Baltic Sea identified along the coastlines of Denmark, Finland, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Russia in the southwestern, southern and north–northeastern parts of the Baltic Sea. We introduce a digital SGD map viewer and information platform enabling easy overview and access to information on identified SGD sites in the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea. SGDs potentially transport critical pollutants from urban and agricultural areas on land to the marine environment.
This paper is presented by EuroGeoSurveys, a not-for-profit member organisation representing the European Geological Survey Organisations, a >10,000 strong workforce collaborating through scientific expert groups, task forces, and EU-funded projects including our flagship Geological Service for Europe project (GSEU). EuroGeoSurveys’ vision is to deliver a sustainable Geological Service for Europe – a data, information, and knowledge-based service drawing on the unique mandates of each National Geological Survey Organisation (NGSO) and their collaborative strength to support a sustainable future for Europe.
Europe faces significant challenges in the timescale of FP10 (2028-2034), including achieving the EU’s interim net zero goals, tackling energy security, increasing urbanization, threats to soils, water, and biodiversity, strained supply chains, unstable geopolitics, and threats to strategic autonomy and defense. Across all of these domains, increasing investment in R&I to understand and manage the subsurface is crucial to maintain Europe’s technological sovereignty, increase competitiveness, achieve resource autonomy, mitigate climate change impacts, and strengthen collaboration across the research community, into government and industry, at local, regional, national, and European scale.
In European cities, groundwater remains an issue of significant concern, largely because it is “out of sight and out of mind.” The general public, and even decision-makers, possess only a limited understanding of the state and characteristics of this vital resource. As a consequence, problems related to groundwater quality or changing water tables/piezometric surfaces may persist for years, or even decades, without being adequately addressed-or worse, without being noticed at all before resulting in land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, deep migration of persistent organic contaminants like PFAS (Le monde, 2023) or other irreversible consequences. The urban water cycle is central to ensuring the supply of clean, safe drinking water, effective sanitation, and well-functioning drainage systems for millions of residents. The impacts of human activities, such as land use change, excessive water
abstraction and mismanagement, and the discharge of wastewater can exert a far greater influence on groundwater systems and hydrogeology than climate change.
Urban resilience is critical to allow cities to withstand the challenges of the 21st Century. One factor that is often overlooked in such assessments is the role of the subsurface. A novel methodology called the Urban Geo-climate Footprint (UGF) has been developed to classify cities quickly and comprehensively from geological and climatic perspectives. The method operates on the fundamental assumption that cities with similar geological-geographical settings will face similar challenges, due to both common geological issues and associated climate impacts. The UGF approach has been applied to 41 European cities in collaboration with 17 Geological Surveys of Europe, the results of the UGF analysis are presented along with a regional classification of the geological resilience indicators. The UGF tool provides a semi-quantitative representation of the pressures driven by geological and climatic complexity for the cities presented, providing for a first time such classification of the urban environment. The advantage of this methodology lies in increasing awareness among non-experts and decision-makers of the interplay between geological settings, climate change pressures, and anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, it facilitates the exchange best practices among city planners to increase resilience, supporting knowledge based decision making to promote actions and policies, that enhance geoscience-informed climate justice.
Geology encompasses all of the Earth sciences and thus is multidisciplinary. It does not respect geopolitical borders, so requires teamwork across disciplines and between nations. Applying geological solutions to climate change increasingly requires transdisciplinary teamwork. This extends well beyond the geosciences to inform on issues of universal concern, e.g., deployment of renewable energy, management of groundwater resources, mitigation of climate-induced geohazards, and more. To achieve sustainability and success in these fields, it is essential to employ knowledge of subsurface, land, and subsea geology for the discovery, tracking, preservation, regulation, and exploitation of resources. This knowledge also supports integrated and coherent surface and subsurface spatial planning and the creation of cohesive laws guided by scientific insights. This in turn requires multi-stakeholder collaboration between scientific and governmental agencies, industry, and civil society, from research design to data and knowledge application. Such a broad spectrum of engagement is at the heart of the concept of a Geological Service for Europe, founded on a long history of collaboration between the Geological Surveys of Europe –extending networks, fostering innovation, sharing knowledge, building capacity and common standards. Given the current lack of public knowledge and negative perceptions of geology, collaborative efforts based on objective science can have a significant impact on building trust. This contribution highlights the collaboration of the Geological Surveys of Europe with non-geoscientific partners in serving society, supporting nature, and delivering the Green Deal.
Open access to harmonised digital data describing Earth’s surface and subsurface holds immense value for society. This paper highlights the significance of open access to digital geoscience data ranging from the shallow topsoil or seabed to depths of 5 km. Such data play a pivotal role in facilitating endeavours such as renewable geoenergy solutions, resilient urban planning, supply of critical raw materials, assessment and protection of water resources, mitigation of floods and droughts, identification of suitable locations for carbon capture and storage, development of offshore wind farms, disaster risk reduction, and conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. EuroGeoSurveys, the Geological Surveys of Europe, have worked diligently for over a decade to ensure open access to harmonised digital European geoscience data and knowledge through the European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI). EGDI acts as a data and information resource for providing wide-ranging geoscience data and research, as this paper demonstrates through selected research data and information on four vital natural resources: geoenergy, critical raw materials, water, and soils. Importantly, it incorporates near real-time remote and in-situ monitoring data, thus constituting an invaluable up-to-date database that facilitates informed decision-making, policy implementation, sustainable resource management, the green transition, achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the envisioned future of digital twins in Earth sciences. EGDI and its thematic map viewer are tailored, continuously enhanced, and developed in collaboration with all relevant researchers and stakeholders. Its primary objective is to address societal needs by providing data for sustainable, secure, and integrated management of surface and subsurface resources, effectively establishing a geological service for Europe. We argue that open access to surface and subsurface geoscience data is crucial for an efficient green transition to a net-zero society, enabling integrated and coherent surface and subsurface spatial planning.
A steady supply of mineral raw materials is vital for the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy. The number of active mines in Europe has severely declined over the last century and half, giving rise to many abandoned mining waste sites and corresponding geological heritage. Also, the rise in minerals demand for large-scale deployment of renewable energy requires the continued and steady availability of key minerals. The supply risk associated with unpredicted geopolitical events needs to be eliminated/ mitigated. Historical mine waste sites are the answer but evaluating mine waste is a lengthy and costly exercise. The study, undertaken in the Lousal Mine, used small unmanned aerial systems (sUASs) to model and determine mine waste volumes by generating orthomosaic maps with quick, inexpensive, and reliable results.
The Geological Surveys of Europe move steadily toward their ambition to bridge diverse areas where geoscience can support energy transition policy: water, energy, minerals, urban and marine infrastructure, and more. This ambition is built on the European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI), which brings together harmonised pan-European subsurface data supported by expert networks. Such efforts tackle the problem that current digital twins of the Earth largely ignore important subsurface resources and processes. We demonstrate how subsurface data supports implementation of Green Deal policy through case studies at national, municipal, and EU level. These cases also allow looking from the past toward the future and underline the importance of dedicated community efforts to build EGDI and a Geological Service for Europe.