Geological maps of the Future: Leveraging on the methodology of the 1:5M Map to construct a 1:1 Geologic Map of the World

The efficiency of having a simple scheme for creating small scale international geological maps and to offer them in a simple, usable and standardised format has been showcased by the international collaboration of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW), the Deep Time Digital Earth (DDE) and the CAGS (Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences) programme, and by some Geological Surveys. The success of the World 1:5M map pilot project and its follow-up toward multi-layers products has given us the confidence to achieve a unified World Geological Map at the scale of 1:1M., a dream initially envisaged by the OneGeology project.

A spectacular milestone of the global 1:5M map, the largest seamless digital geological map ever compiled, was the first phase. A following phase of this program is to create the first “basement map” of the world, by simply removing the youngest sediments from sedimentary basins and continental shelves.

While layering techniques such as basement mapping is accelerating, a new vivid vision is to compile a rigorous 1:1M global bedrock geology under protocols for sharing and regular updating of databases from willing Surveys. Compiling data into a harmonized Geological Map of the World at 1:1M scale is now the new ambitious objective of CGMW. The endeavour poses scientific, technical and geopolitical challenges, and will require the participation and efforts of partners from as many countries as possible, who must be willing to openly share information, as well as the active involvement of experts. Building on the robust methodology used for the 1:5M, we are exploring options to foster the harmonization, including using AI tools.

However, not all the national source maps are available in digital format and in English, use the same coordinate system, or comprehensive databases. Therefore, we anticipate the necessity to digitize or vectorize some geological data and to arrange a standardized database for all the maps. In some cases, boundary contrasts of resolution will require additional work. Another time-consuming task will be the cross-border correlation of geological structures and units by applying high-quality digital terrain models (DTMs), multi-spectral satellite data, or larger scale regional maps. Finally, the validation of the data by experts and Geological Surveys will be necessary. This initial digital mapping will be completed in 2D as a first step toward a future 3D geological map and a powerful Digital Twin. The multi-layer 3D version will be developed in the long term as data availability, priority, and partnerships allow. Our EGU2026 poster and associated discussions are an ideal opportunity to present the 1:1M project and to foster collaborations, for example with CGI and the OneGeology