The BGS Earth Material Class scheme is a linked data representation of the BGS Rock Classification Scheme (RCS), which is a corporate standard setting out a practical, logical and robust system for classifying and naming geological materials as they appear at the scale of a single exposure, hand specimen, or thin section.
Classification helps to place materials in a wider geological context, and allows unambiguous and informative formal names to be assigned.
The RCS provides a comprehensive system for classifying and naming geological materials to act as a corporate standard in support of our digital geological maps, data dictionaries, and numerous other geological applications