Unlocking national treasures: the core scanning approach

Abstract Drill core is a vital resource for subsurface characterization and informs process understanding. However, it expensive to collect and, as result, the geoscience community increasingly relies on data from legacy address today's energy challenges. Many countries store geological materials collected over decades in national archives. In UK, 600 km of drill currently stored at UK repository, which covers breadth UK's geology, including those targeted resources, waste storage. The challenge maximize value these analogue archives new when deposited – improving access associated data, whilst simultaneously maximizing preservation ensure optimized use, now future. This paper summarizes BGS approach characterize more efficiently consistently using multiple-technique scanning set within project-specific workflow increase acquisition complement traditional practices. Thus, creating digital record core, preserving beyond its physical lifetime accessibility. highlights benefits challenges this long-term endeavour, especially making open discoverable.