DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL GEOLOGY, GEOLOGICAL MAPPING & APPLICATIONS

The Department of General Geology, Geological Mapping & Applications (GE.XA.E.) is an autonomous unit under the founding law of H.S.G.M.E. (Government Gazette 45/09-03-2019, Law 4602) and reports to the Department of General & Applied Geology (DI.GE.G.). GE.MA.A. is one of the organization’s oldest units—tracing back to H.S.G.M.E.’s original form—and remains a core pillar of national geological infrastructure research. It has successfully delivered numerous projects with national and European funding, while the 1:50,000 Geological Maps it produces are among H.S.G.M.E.’s flagship outputs.

Foundational geological research—covering the structure and history of an area from local to national scale—is essential. Understanding a region’s geological conditions underpins mineral discovery and exploitation, the establishment of mining industries, assessment of geothermal fields, resolution of hydrogeological challenges, marine and terrestrial spatial planning, urban development, and the country’s seismic resilience.

H.S.G.M.E., from its inception (as IGYE), assumed responsibility for investigating, documenting, and publishing Greece’s geological framework. With this mission, the Department of General Geology, Geological Mapping & Applications operates to meet modern societal needs by leveraging the team’s expertise and experience.

Today, core infrastructure research is still driven by primary field mapping, sampling of rocks, sediments, and soils (on land and at sea), and laboratory analyses (micropalaeontological, petrographic, sedimentological, etc.). It is complemented by neotectonics; palaeontology–palynology–stratigraphy; remote sensing; marine geology–sedimentology; and modern technologies and tools such as digital cartography, UAV (drone) surveys, and GIS-based databases.

 

Responsibilities

As defined in the founding law (Law 4602/2019), GE.XA.E. is responsible for, in summary:

1. Basic and applied research in geology and stratigraphy; sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks; tectonics, neotectonics and seismotectonics; and geomorphology.
2. Geological mapping at multiple scales and publication of geological maps.
3. Biostratigraphy, palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate studies; laboratory analyses in palaeontology, micropalaeontology, palynology and sedimentology.
4. Marine geology—seafloor mapping, seabed sediment studies, and investigations for Seabed Natural Resources within Greece’s marine domain.
5. Digital cartography—production of geological and other geothematic maps at various scales in a GIS environment.
6. Design, management, maintenance and updates of the cartographic database of Greece’s Basic Geological Map (1:50,000) and other geological databases supporting basic and applied research at small and large scales (e.g., Urban Geology).
7. GIS applications across the full workflow (ingestion–management–analysis–visualization of geological data).
8. Application and development of remote sensing methods for geoscience; photogeological studies.
9. Coastal, marine and lacustrine geological mapping; shoreline/ancient shoreline delineation; and coastal erosion studies.
10. Geoarchaeological studies.
11. Showcasing geological cultural heritage (geosites, georoutes, geoparks).
12. Providing applied studies and services to private clients, public bodies, regions and local authorities.
13. Supporting the Rapid Response Team following major geohazard events.
14. Authorizing field geological work by domestic and international geologists and the export of geological samples.

 

Infrastructure — Micropalaeontology & Stratigraphy Laboratory

The Micropalaeontology Laboratory studies microfossils of plant and animal origin within sedimentary rocks (marine, brackish, lacustrine), as well as the characteristics of the inorganic sediment fraction. Its analyses support detailed stratigraphic and facies determinations of Greece’s sedimentary formations, and the investigation and evaluation of energy-related mineral raw materials (lignite, peat) and emerging energy resources such as gas hydrates. The lab has also contributed to past hydrocarbon exploration undertaken by the Public Petroleum Corporation.

 

Marine Geology Laboratory

The Marine Geology Laboratory of H.S.G.M.E. has operated for more than 40 years, consistently delivering projects for both in-house programs and external public/private clients. Its core work includes organizing and conducting bathymetric and sedimentological surveys and collecting seabed samples from marine and lacustrine environments to define seabed morphology, produce geological–geomorphological maps, and characterize sediment composition and properties.

The laboratories of GE.XA.E. maintain a unique archive of studied material (prepared slides, cores) covering the entirety of Greece on land and large parts of its marine domain.

 

Digital Cartography, GIS & Geological Map Production Laboratory

The Digital Cartography, GIS & Geological Map Production Laboratory focuses on digital production of geological and geothematic maps at multiple scales; the management, maintenance and updating of the Basic Geological Map of Greece database; additional databases for basic/applied geological research at various scales (e.g., Urban Geology); and geoscience applications using GIS technologies. Deliverables include 1:50,000 geological maps—the national baseline scale—other map scales (e.g., 1:10,000, 1:500,000), specialized large-scale geothematic maps (e.g., for urban geology), and geological data repositories (e.g., the Basic Geological Map DB, Urban Geology DB). The lab also curates the legacy archives of the former Geological Map Publishing Office (analog master layouts of published sheets).

 

Current GE.XA.E. Projects

GE.XA.E. delivers in-house projects funded by the EU and the Greek State, as well as third-party studies. In brief:

ESPA Projects

GEOINFRA (2019–2023): “Geological Mapping Actions in Greece to Support Innovation & Entrepreneurship (GEOINFRA)”.

Public Investment Program (PIP)

1. “Geological mapping of islets and rock islets in the North & South Aegean to complete the digital Basic Geological Map of Greece (1:50,000).” The project maps islets and rock islets within the main island groups of the North and South Aegean so they can be incorporated into H.S.G.M.E.’s corresponding map sheets.
2. “Recording the impacts of natural disasters on Greek geosites — protection measures (Geosite Protection Measures).” The goal is a systematic inventory of disaster impacts on geosites to define appropriate protection measures.
3. “Digitization of the Micropalaeontology Laboratory archive (1950–today)—preparations, expert opinions and reports for geological mapping and the former DEP-EKY hydrocarbon wells—to create a structured database (PALAEONTOLOGY ARCHIVE).” The project organizes analog preparations, opinions and reports into a digital database and physically archives the materials in a dedicated space at H.S.G.M.E.’s headquarters (Olympic Village) for open consultation.
4. “Showcasing H.S.G.M.E. projects through print and digital media (H.S.G.M.E. Outreach — GEOSPHERE).” The aim is to relaunch the Hellenic Geosphere periodical and to implement actions that disseminate project results to public/private partners, industry and the academic/research community.
5. “Geomorphological Map of Greece at 1:1,000,000 and pilot large-scale geomorphological mappings (GEOMORPHOLOGICAL MAP OF GREECE).” The project systematically documents Greece’s geomorphological structures, compiles available information and defines standards for large-scale geomorphological mapping.

Competitive Projects

1. “EMODnet-Geology 4 (European Marine Observation and Data Network)” — https://www.emodnet-geology.eu/. Enhancing access to and presentation of marine data via harmonized map products and datasets produced by European geological surveys and research institutes. Tasks include digitizing legacy data in a GIS environment and producing INSPIRE-compliant maps for Europe’s marine basins (e.g., seabed sediment distribution, geomorphology).
2. GeoERA: MINDeSEA (Seabed Mineral Deposits in European Seas: Metallogeny & Geological Potential for Strategic & Critical Raw Materials) — https://geoeramindesea.wixsite.com/mindesea & https://geoera.eu/. Assessing metallogeny and resource potential of seabed mineral deposits across European seas. Work packages include GIS digitization, INSPIRE harmonization, data processing/synthesis, map production and technical reporting using open, published datasets from European Geological Surveys and web data infrastructures. H.S.G.M.E. coordinates WP5: Marine placer deposits.

In addition, GE.XA.E. contributes to European initiatives that develop harmonized geospatial datasets in line with the INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC), including:

• “IQUAME 2500”: updating the International Quaternary Map of Europe at 1:2,500,000 — robeha.de
• “EGDI: European Geological Data Infrastructure” — pan-European access to geological data: http://www.europe-geology.eu/

 

Third-Party Projects

• Shoreline/ancient shoreline delineation studies.
• Participation in third-party projects in collaboration with other H.S.G.M.E. units.

 

Databases

The Department of General Geology, Geological Mapping & Applications develops and maintains (within a GIS environment) the following databases—regularly updated with project results:

• 1:50,000 Geological Maps
• Marine Geology
• Urban Geology
• Geosites — georoutes — geoparks

 

Conference & Committee Participation — Publications

• Conference presentations by GE.XA.E. staff.
• Participation in workshops and forums (e.g., Forum on Mineral Resources) and conference attendance.
• Authorship of scientific publications.
• Representation on international and national committees (e.g., EuroGeoSurveys, EXAETH).

 

Read more about the other units of the Department of General & Applied Geology (DI.GE.G.) at H.S.G.M.E.:

Department of Engineering Geology (TEGE)

Department of Applied Geophysics (TEG)